Position privacy in an electronic device

• US 7,642,955 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NorthStar Systems LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Virginia Innovative Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Harris, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US11/778,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/357.12, 342/357.13, 701/202, 701/209, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/357.51
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/68 using passive jamming, e.g. by shielding or reflection shielding of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic field H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/90 related to allowing or preventing navigation or positioning, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A privacy enhancement device for electronic device such as a cellular telephone. The privacy enhancement device may include a jammer which may produces false information, e.g. false information indicative of pseudo ranges. In addition, the navigation information used on the position detecting device may be locally stored versions of dynamically changing information. The navigation operation may be carried out using a Web service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

operating a navigation system which enables determining a current position and a desired location, and providing navigation information that guides from the current position to the desired location; and

carrying out a web browsing operation using a client, which web browsing operation allows determining a desired item or location from a remotely accessible database that is accessed using the web browser, downloading information about the desired item or location, and providing said information to said navigation system which provides said navigation information to guide to said desired item or location.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising storing the downloaded information as a bookmark, which can be retrieved at a later time after said downloading and used to set the desired location when retrieved and wherein said and wherein said providing navigation information comprises providing navigation information to the retrieved information from the bookmark.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said information is an address.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said description is a description of a restaurant or a hotel.

5. A method, as in claim 1, wherein said client is a cellular phone.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said database includes messages, and said item or location is a destination noted in a message.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said navigation system sends said current position and said desired location to a server, and receives navigation information from said server, responsive to said sending.

8. A method, comprising:

operating a navigation system which enables determining a current position and a desired location, and providing navigation information that guides from the current position to the desired location;

accessing a remotely accessible database over the internet;

selecting a desired entry from said database over the internet;

automatically downloading information indicative of the selected entry to said navigation system; and

setting said information as said desired location in said navigation system, and providing navigation information that guides from the current position to the desired location comprising the information from the desired entry from the database.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein said entry is a restaurant or a hotel.

10. A method as in claim 8, further comprising receiving a message over the internet from a remote sender, and wherein said entry represents a destination that is set forth in said message.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said information represents a physical address in a form that can be understood by a positioning device.

12. A method as in claim 10, wherein said form represents coordinates in a form that can be understood by said positioning device.

13. A method as in claim 8, wherein said operating, selecting and downloading is carried out in a cellular telephone.

14. A system as in claim 13, wherein said navigation part sends said current position and said desired location to a server, and receives navigation information from said server, responsive to said sending.

23. A method as in claim 8, further comprising storing the information indicative of the downloaded information as a bookmark, and wherein said setting comprises reading, at a time subsequent to said downloading information, said bookmark, and navigating to a location defined by said bookmark, responsive to said reading.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein said storing comprises storing a number of different downloaded information items as bookmarks, and later allowing selection of any of said items for navigation.

15. A navigating system, comprising:

a navigation part which operates to determine a current position and allows entry of information about a desired location, and provide navigation information that guides from the current position to the desired location;

a web browsing part, associated, with said navigation part, said web browsing part accessing a remotely accessible database over a network, and allowing selecting a desired entry from said database over the network and automatically downloading information indicative of the selected entry to said navigation part; and

said navigation part operating to set said information as said desired location in said navigation part, and provide navigation information that guides from the current position to the desired location comprising the information from the desired entry from the database.

16. A system in claim 15, wherein said navigation part and web browsing part are parts of a cellular telephone.

17. A system as in claim 15, wherein said navigation part determines its position using both GPS and at least one non-GPS item of information.

18. A system as in claim 15, wherein said navigation part sends said current position and said desired location to a server, and receives navigation information from said server, responsive to said sending.

19. A method, comprising:

operating a navigation system which enables determining a current position and a desired location, and providing navigation information that guides from the current position to the desired location; and

receiving information over a network connection including information about a desired item or location, and providing said information to said navigation system;

storing the information received over the network connection as a bookmark, in a form which can be retrieved and used to set the desired location when retrieved; and

subsequently retrieving said bookmark and using said information received over the network connection to cause said navigation system to guide to said desired item or location.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein said navigation part determines its position using both GPS and at least one non-GPS item of information.

21. A method as in claim 20, further comprising storing the information received over the network connection as a bookmark, in a form which can be retrieved and used to set the desired location when retrieved;

and

subsequently retrieving said bookmark and using said information received over the network connection to cause said navigation system to guide to said desired item or location.

25. A method as in claim 19, wherein said network connection is an Internet connection, and information over the Internet connection is stored as said bookmark, and said bookmark is used to retrieve information at a time subsequent to said downloading.

22. A navigating system, comprising:

a navigation part which operates to determine a current position and allows entry of information about a desired location, and provide navigation information that guides from the current position to the desired location;

said navigation part including a connection which allows receiving information over a network;

a bookmark function which stores said information and allows retrieval of said information, and operating to set said information as said desired location in said navigation part when retrieved.