Apparatus and systems for providing location-based services within a wireless network

• US 7,532,900 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian, Feinstein, Jacob, Bhuyan, Krishna
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US11/766,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/456.2, 455/456.4, 455/457, 455/404.2, 455/422.1, 455/435.1, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system for providing wireless telecommunications services to mobile devices includes structure and functionality for location-based services, and includes both server and client/mobile device apparatuses. One apparatus includes a data store storing at least a first record associated with a first wireless device or a second record associated with a second wireless device. A computer is coupled to the data store and is configured to receive a request from the first wireless device to obtain location information associated with the second wireless device. The computer is configured to receive a change location privileges request, and to update the first or second records in the data store based on the received change request. Other apparatuses provide additional structures and functions.

Claims

1. In a wireless network for providing communication and services between wireless phones and multiple wireless base stations, a system comprising:

a database storing at least a user record associated with a user'"'"'s wireless phone and a friend record associated with a friend'"'"'s wireless phone;

a server computer;

a location determining subsystem configured to determine approximate locations of the user'"'"'s and friend'"'"'s mobile phones among the multiple wireless base stations;

a location based services subsystem for translating location information into map-related data, wherein the location based services subsystem receives latitude and longitude location data from the location determining subsystem and performs reverse geocoding operations to produce map-related data, wherein the map-related data represents a neighborhood or approximate street address of a wireless base station near to, and which receives signal from, the friend'"'"'s wireless phone; and

a private network coupled among at least the database, the server computer, and the location based services subsystem,

wherein the sever computer is configured to;

receive, via one of the multiple wireless base stations, a request from the user'"'"'s wireless phone to obtain location information associated with the friend'"'"'s wireless phone;

access, via the private network, at least the friend record from the database, based on the request, to determine if the friend has granted appropriate permissions to the user to receive location information with respect to the friend'"'"'s wireless phone;

request, from the location determining subsystem and receive via the private network, location information representing at least an approximate location of the friend'"'"'s mobile phone;

request, from the location based services subsystem and receive via the private network, map-related data representing at least an approximate street address or neighborhood of the friend'"'"'s wireless phone based on the received location information;

provide to the user'"'"'s wireless phone, via the one wireless base station, the map-related data representing the approximate street address or neighborhood of the friend'"'"'s wireless phone; and

review the user record in the database, and provide to the user'"'"'s wireless phone a user customized set of options for location-based services to be provided to the user, including a list of friends to locate.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a short messaging service (SMS) gateway for providing SMS messages to the user'"'"'s and friend'"'"'s wireless phones;

at least one load balancer coupled to the server computer and configured to receive the request from the user'"'"'s wireless phone; and

wherein the server computer is configured to exchange email messages and instant messaging signals between wireless phones.