Anonymous location service for wireless networks

• US 8,041,817 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moton, Jr., Robert T., Enzmann, Mark J., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US12/198,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20090047937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

An anonymous location wireless network service for use in a wireless network that tracks the location and identity of network users, such as networks complying with enhanced 911 standards. The service provides content providers with the location of network users without revealing their identities. The service includes a wireless network having a proxy server, a network communication link to a plurality of web sites, and a wireless communication link to a plurality of handheld devices. The proxy server blocks identity by reading the location and identity information of network devices, generating dummy identifications, relating the dummy identifications to the identity information, storing the relationships in a memory storage, and forwarding the location information and dummy identifications to the global computer network. Upon receiving messages from the global computer network, the proxy server reads the dummy identifications, looks up the related identification information in the memory storage, and forwards the data to the appropriate network devices.

Claims

1. A method for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of wireless network devices, the method comprising:

receiving, from a requester and at a first device, a request to communicate with a wireless network device located at and identified location;

receiving an identity of a wireless network device; and

forwarding a dummy identification of the wireless network device to the requester if a location of the wireless device matches the identified location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the dummy identification with the identity of the wireless network device to form a relationship; and

storing the relationship in a computer-readable memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the request is a first request; and

the method further comprises;

receiving a second request from the requester, wherein the second request includes the dummy identification;

locating the dummy identification in the memory;

using the relationship to determine the identity of the wireless network device; and

forwarding the second request to the wireless network device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the identity is initiated in response to the wireless network device accessing the computer network by way of the wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the identity is initiated in response to the wireless network device placing a wireless telephone call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dummy identification corresponds to the location of the wireless network device.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising substituting the dummy identification for the identity of the wireless network device.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the dummy identification of the wireless network device to the requester includes sending the dummy identification to a web site through a global computer network.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the location of the particular wireless device to the requester.

7. A method for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of network devices, the method comprising:

a) receiving, at a first device, a location and an identity of a particular network device of the network devices;

b) providing the location and the identity of the particular network device to a first web site;

c) receiving a request for content from the first web site, the request including the identity of the particular network device;

d) recording an association between a dummy identification and the identity of the particular network device to form a recorded association;

e) forwarding to a second web site a modified request for the content, the modified request including the location and a dummy identification;

f) receiving the content from the second web site in a first communication referencing the dummy identification;

g) determining the identity of the particular network device using the dummy identification and the recorded association;

h) replacing the dummy identification referenced in the first communication received from the second web site with the identity of the particular network device; and

i) forwarding the content in a second communication including the location and the identity of the particular network device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein forwarding the content forwards the content to the first web site.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

j) receiving a web page from the first web site including the content; and

k) forwarding the web page to the particular network device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein forwarding the content forwards the content to the particular network device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein a server of the wireless network executes steps (a) through (i).

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the dummy identification corresponds to the location of the particular network device.

13. A system for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of a plurality of wireless devices, the system comprising:

a server having a memory; and

a location sub-system in communication with the server;

wherein the server is configured to;

receive, from a requester, a request to communicate with a wireless network device located at an identified location;

receive a location of a particular wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices from the location sub-system;

receive an identity associated with the particular wireless device; and

forward a dummy identification associated with the particular wireless device to the requester if the location of the particular wireless device corresponds to an identified location indicated by the requester.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory is remote to other features of the server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the location sub-system is a wireless access protocol location service provisioned in the wireless network.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the server is configured to provide routing selection, access control, addressing, protocol conversion, caching, and transport interface; and

the plurality of wireless devices are thin clients having thin browsers.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is configured to store a relationship between the identity of the particular wireless device and the dummy identification in the memory.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the server is configured to receive a request from a web site of the plurality of web sites;

the request references the dummy identification;

the server is configured to consult the relationship in the memory;

the server is configured to identify the identity of the particular wireless device using the dummy indemnification; and

the server is configured to forward the request to the particular wireless device associated with the identity.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is configured to forward the location of the particular wireless device with the dummy identification to the plurality of web sites.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the dummy identification corresponds to the location of the wireless device.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the server comprises a mobile gateway and a privacy agent;

the privacy agent is configured to determine if a network user associated with the particular wireless device wants to block the identity, and if so, translate the identity into the dummy identification; and

the privacy agent contains the memory and is configured to store a relationship between the identity and the dummy identification in the memory.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the location sub-system comprises a location agent that determines the location of the particular wireless device and a location monitor in communication with the location agent, wherein the location monitor determines if the location of the wireless device matches the identified location indicated by the web site of the plurality of web sites.

23. A server for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of a plurality of network devices, the server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to at least;

receive, from a requester, a request to communicate with a wireless device in an identified location;

receive a location of a particular wireless device, of the network devices, and an identity of the particular wireless device;

generate a dummy identification corresponding to the particular wireless device and substitute the dummy identification for the identity of the particular wireless device;

record the dummy identification in the memory in association with the identity of the particular wireless device; and

forward a dummy identification to the requester if the location of the particular wireless device matches the identified location.

24. The server, of claim 23, wherein the computer-readable instructions stored in the memory of the server cause the processor of the server to:

receive a return data request from the requester, the return data request referencing the dummy identification;

consult the memory to identify the identity of the particular wireless device based on the dummy identification referenced in the return data request; and

forward the return data request to the particular wireless device.

25. The proxy server of claim 23, wherein the server is dedicated to providing the plurality of network devices with access to the global computer network.

27. The server of claim 23, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to forward the location information of the particular wireless device to the requester.

28. The server of claim 23, wherein the computer-readable instructions further cause the processor to forward the dummy identification to the requester by way of a web site, via a global computer network.