Dynamic location of a subordinate user

• US 8,122,137 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry, Erickson, Andrew Ivar, Lu, Larry L., Weltman, Robert Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US11/574,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20090213001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,722 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709217-219, 709/224, 709/223, 715/741, 715/738, 705 144- 1473
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/26 involving a sensor measurement for aiding acquisition or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Providing location information to a supervisory user includes providing a parental control, using a computer automatically to determine a location of a subordinate user, and storing location information indicative of the location of the subordinate user in a database. A request of the supervisory user to locate the subordinate user is received and a user interface informs the supervisory user of the location of the subordinate user based on the stored location information. At least one of the storing and/or the informing are based on the parental control.

Claims

1. A method of providing location information, the method comprising:

using a computer to electronically determine an online location accessed by a first user and a geographic location at which the first user accessed the online location;

using a database to store location information indicative of the determined online and geographic locations;

receiving an indication to locate the first user to a second user;

using a user interface to inform the second user that the first user accessed the online location while at the geographic location based on the stored location information; and

receiving parental control information comprising a black list indicative of one or more online locations disapproved for visitation by the first user,

wherein the storing of the location information or the informing to the second user is based on the parental control information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the storing further comprises storing location information indicative of past locations of the first user and wherein the informing further comprises informing the second user of a past location of the first user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a white list indicative of an online location approved for visitation by the first user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the second user is not informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is included in the white list.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the second user is informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is not included in the white list.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user is informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is included in the black list.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a time constraint on locations visited by the first user.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a window definition indicative of a range of location information of which the second user will be informed.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the range of location information indicated by the window definition includes a predetermined number of the most recent locations visited by the first user.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the range of location information indicated by the window definition includes locations visited by the first user within a defined period of time.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a preference that the second user be informed of an online location most frequently visited by the first user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the second user and the first user are associated through a familial relationship.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using the computer to determine a changed location of the first user;

using the database to update the stored location information based on the changed location; and

using the user interface to inform the second user of the changed location based on the updated stored location information.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the second user to communicate with the first user in relation to an online location visited by the first user.

15. A computer storage medium storing a computer program configured to provide location information, the computer program comprising one or more code segments that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

determine an online location accessed by a first user and a geographic location at which the first user accessed the online location;

store location information indicative of the determined online and geographic locations;

receive an indication to locate the first user to a second user; and

inform the second user that the first user accessed the online location while at the geographic location based on the stored location information; and

receiving parental control information comprising a black list indicative of one or more online locations disapproved for visitation by the first user,

wherein the storing of the location information or the informing to the second user is based on the parental control information.

16. The medium of claim 15 wherein the storing further comprises storing location information indicative of past locations of the first user and wherein the informing further comprises informing the second user of a past location of the first user.

17. The medium of claim 15, wherein the stored computer program further causes the one or more processors to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a white list indicative of an online location approved for visitation by the first user.

18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the second user is not informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is included in the white list.

19. The medium of claim 17 wherein the second user is informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is not included in the white list.

20. The medium of claim 15 wherein the second user is informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is included in the black list.

21. The medium of claim 15, wherein the stored computer program further causes the one or more processors to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a time constraint on locations visited by the first user.

22. The medium of claim 15 wherein the stored computer program further causes the one or more processors to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a window definition indicative of a range of location information of which the second user will be informed.

23. The medium of claim 22 wherein the range of location information indicated by the window definition includes a predetermined number of the most recent locations visited by the first user.

24. The medium of claim 22 wherein the range of location information indicated by the window definition includes locations visited by the first user within a defined period of time.

25. The medium of claim 15 wherein the stored computer program further causes the one or more processors to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a preference that the second user be informed of an online location most frequently visited by the first user.

26. The medium of claim 15 wherein the second user and the first user are associated through a familial relationship.

27. The medium of claim 15 wherein the stored computer program further causes the one or more processors to:

use the computer to determine a changed location of the first user;

use the database to update the stored location information based on the changed location; and

use the user interface to inform the second user of the changed location based on the updated stored location information.

28. The medium of claim 15 wherein the stored computer program further causes the one or more processors to enable the second user to communicate with the first user in relation to an online location visited by the first user.

29. A system for providing location information, the system comprising one or more processors connected to one or more storage devices, the system being configured to:

determine an online location accessed by a first user and a geographic location at which the first user accessed the online location;

store location information indicative of the determined online and geographic locations;

receive an indication to locate the first user to a second user;

inform the second user that the first user accessed the online location while at the geographic location based on the stored location information; and

receiving parental control information comprising a black list indicative of one or more online locations disapproved for visitation by the first user,

wherein the storing of the location information or the informing to the second user is based on the parental control information.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the storing further comprises storing location information indicative of past locations of the first user and wherein the informing further comprises informing the second user of a past location of the first user.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the system is further configured to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a white list indicative of an online location approved for visitation by the first user.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the second user is not informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is included in the white list.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the second user is informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is not included in the white list.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the system is further configured to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a time constraint on locations visited by the first user.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the system is further configured to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a window definition indicative of a range of location information of which the second user will be informed.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the range of location information indicated by the window definition includes a predetermined number of the most recent locations visited by the first user.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein the range of location information indicated by the window definition includes locations visited by the first user within a defined period of time.

39. The system of claim 29, wherein the system is further configured to receive parental control information, wherein:

the storing or the informing are based on the parental control information; and

the parental control information comprises a preference that the second user be informed of an online location most frequently visited by the first user.

40. The system of claim 29 wherein the second user and the first user are associated through a familial relationship.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein the system is further configured to:

use the computer to determine a changed location of the first user;

use the database to update the stored location information based on the changed location; and

use the user interface to inform the second user of the changed location based on the updated stored location information.

42. The system of claim 29, wherein the system is further configured to enable the second user to communicate with the first user in relation to an online location visited by the first user.

34. The system 29 wherein the second user is informed of the location visited by the first user if the location is included in the black list.