Identifying and Locating Users on a Mobile Network

• US 20170026796A1
• Filed: 07/25/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pai, Raghu, Hurley, Timothy S., Gautier, Patrice Olivier, Narayanan, Karthik, Parthasarathi, Murthy, Veron, Maxime
• Granted Patent: US 10,375,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method of locating “friends” having mobile devices connected to a network and associated with a user account is disclosed. The method includes sending a request to a mobile device, the mobile device determining its present geographic location and responding to the requestor with this information. This information may be in the form of a coordinate location such as a GPS location or it may be in the form of a name that the mobile device owner assigned to a particular area (e.g., “home”). Having this location information, a user is able to view the location of the friend that is associated with the mobile device.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a first mobile device, a temporary location request for sharing location information with a second mobile device, the temporary location request being associated with a duration of the sharing;

receiving, by the first mobile device through a user interface of the first mobile device, a user input accepting the temporary location request;

estimating a location of the first mobile device;

determining that the location of the first mobile device is in proximity to a geographic location; and

in response to the determining, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the second mobile device within the duration, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, to the second mobile device directly from the first mobile device or through a server, a notification that the first mobile device is in proximity to the geographic location.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the user interface presents a location where the first mobile device may encounter the second mobile device and the duration.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the temporary location specifies a user associated with a third mobile device,

the user interface indicates a third identifier of the user associated with the third mobile device, and

the sharing comprises submitting, by the first device to the third mobile device, the location of the first mobile device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the user interface further indicates whether the user associated with the third mobile device has accepted the invitation for sharing the location information.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the duration is represented an expiration time beyond which the first mobile device and the second mobile device stop sharing the location information.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein sharing the location information comprises receiving, by the first mobile device from the second mobile device, a location of the second mobile device, the location of the second mobile device being submitted by the second device in response to determining that the location of the second mobile device is in proximity to the geographic location.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein sharing the location information comprises sharing, between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, a map of the geographic location.

28. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a first mobile device, a temporary location request for sharing location information with a second mobile device, the temporary location request being associated with a duration of the sharing;

receiving, by the first mobile device through a user interface of the first mobile device, a user input accepting the temporary location request;

estimating a location of the first mobile device;

determining that the location of the first mobile device is in proximity to a geographic location; and

in response to the determining, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the second mobile device within the duration, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, to the second mobile device directly from the first mobile device or through a server, a notification that the first mobile device is in proximity to the geographic location.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the user interface presents a location where the first mobile device may encounter the second mobile device and the duration.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein:

the temporary location specifies a user associated with a third mobile device,

the user interface indicates a third identifier of the user associated with the third mobile device, and

the sharing comprises submitting, by the first device to the third mobile device, the location of the first mobile device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the user interface further indicates whether the user associated with the third mobile device has accepted the invitation for sharing the location information.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the duration is represented an expiration time beyond which the first mobile device and the second mobile device stop sharing the location information.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein sharing the location information comprises receiving, by the first mobile device from the second mobile device, a location of the second mobile device, the location of the second mobile device being submitted by the second device in response to determining that the location of the second mobile device is in proximity to the geographic location.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein sharing the location information comprises sharing, between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, a map of the geographic location.

35. At least one non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a first mobile device, a temporary location request for sharing location information with a second mobile device, the temporary location request being associated with a duration of the sharing;

receiving, by the first mobile device through a user interface of the first mobile device, a user input accepting the temporary location request;

estimating a location of the first mobile device;

determining that the location of the first mobile device is in proximity to a geographic location; and

in response to the determining, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the second mobile device within the duration, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, to the second mobile device directly from the first mobile device or through a server, a notification that the first mobile device is in proximity to the geographic location.

36. The non-transitory storage device of claim 35, wherein the user interface presents a location where the first mobile device may encounter the second mobile device and the duration.

37. The non-transitory storage device of claim 36, wherein:

the temporary location specifies a user associated with a third mobile device,

the user interface indicates a third identifier of the user associated with the third mobile device, and

the sharing comprises submitting, by the first device to the third mobile device, the location of the first mobile device.

38. The non-transitory storage device of claim 37, wherein the user interface further indicates whether the user associated with the third mobile device has accepted the invitation for sharing the location information.

39. The non-transitory storage device of claim 35, wherein the duration is represented an expiration time beyond which the first mobile device and the second mobile device stop sharing the location information.

40. The non-transitory storage device of claim 35, wherein sharing the location information comprises receiving, by the first mobile device from the second mobile device, a location of the second mobile device, the location of the second mobile device being submitted by the second device in response to determining that the location of the second mobile device is in proximity to the geographic location.