Location-based services platform

• US 8,447,332 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acoustic, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Xtify, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Barron, Gilbert, Weinreich, Andrew P., Levy, Jeremy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORALES FERNANDEZ, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US12/434,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20090275348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A platform for providing location-based services is disclosed. A location data collection client running on a mobile device periodically obtains data allowing determination of the geographic location of the mobile device (e.g., GPS, cell tower, or WiFi data) and transmits that data and mobile device-specific information to a location-based services (LBS) platform server. The LBS platform server determines geographic location of the mobile device from the received data. For example, the LBS platform server accesses databases associating latitude and longitude coordinates with cell tower data or WiFi data and updates mobile device location to maintain current location information for the mobile device, which can be used as a proxy for the location of a mobile device user. The LBS platform server further includes a set of APIs allowing third-party services providers to access to the location data.

Claims

1. A system for providing location based services, the system comprising:

a client application comprising computer program code stored on a computer readable medium and configured to be executed by a processor of a mobile device to cause the mobile device to perform a process comprising;

obtaining location data from the mobile device, the location data related to a current location of the mobile device, and

communicating the location information and an identifier for the mobile device over a network used by the mobile device; and

a location based services (LBS) platform server configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices executing the client application via the network, the LBS platform server comprising;

a device identifier store maintaining a plurality of device identifiers, each device identifier uniquely identifying one of the mobile devices, the device identifier store configured to identify a mobile device using a received device identifier,

a location calculator configured to determine the location of a mobile device using location data provided by the mobile device,

a location database containing the location determined by the location calculator for the mobile devices, each determined location associated with the identifier of the corresponding mobile device,

a device-provider association table configured to;

receive a request from a third-party service provider, the request including a provider identifier uniquely identifying the third-party service provider and user-specific data uniquely identifying a user of the third-party service provider; and

map the received provider identifier and the received user-specific data to a device identifier associated with a mobile device corresponding to the user of the third-party service provider; and

a third-party services server configured to receive a device identifier from the device-provider association table and access the location database to provide location information for the mobile device associated with the received device identifier to the third-party service provider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location data obtained from the mobile device is obtained by extracting directly from the mobile device global positioning system (GPS) data identifying latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the location data obtained from the mobile device comprises data identifying a wireless access point accessed by the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the location calculator is configured to determine the location of a mobile device using location data provided by the mobile device by:

accessing a location database that associates a plurality of fixed wireless access points with locations of the wireless access points to determine the location of the wireless access point identified by the obtained location data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location data obtained from the mobile device comprises data identifying a cell tower accessed by the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the location calculator is configured to determine the location of a mobile device using location data provided by the mobile device by:

accessing a location database that associates a plurality of cell towers with locations of the cell towers to determine the location of the cell tower identified by with the obtained location data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device-provider association table comprises a table associating each device identifier with a provider identifier, and further associating each device identifier with user-specific data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the location calculator receives additional location data from an external source and uses the additional location data to determine the location of the mobile device.

9. A method for providing location based services from a location based services (LBS) platform server, the method comprising:

communicating over a subscriber network with a client application executing on a mobile device, the mobile device corresponding to a user of a third-party service provider;

receiving location data and a device identifier from the client application on the mobile device, the location data obtained from the mobile device by the client application and related to a current location of the mobile device;

identifying the mobile device using the received device identifier by accessing a device identifier store that maintains an identifier for a plurality of mobile devices;

determining the location of the mobile device using the received location data for the mobile device;

storing the determined location of the mobile device in a location database, the determined location stored in association with the device identifier;

receiving a request from the third-party service provider for location information for the user of the third-party service provider, the request including a provider identifier uniquely identifying the third-party service provider and user-specific data uniquely identifying the user of the third-party service provider;

responsive to the request, accessing a device-provider association table to map the received provider identifier and the received user-specific data to the device identifier of the mobile device corresponding to the user of the third-party service provider;

accessing the location database to retrieve location information associated with the device identifier; and

providing the retrieved location information to the third-party service provider.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location data comprises global positioning system (GPS) data identifying latitude and longitude coordinates associated with the mobile device extracted directly from the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the location data obtained from the mobile device comprises data identifying a wireless access point accessed by the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the location of the mobile device using the received location data comprises:

accessing a location database that associates a plurality of fixed wireless access points with locations of the wireless access points to determine the location of the wireless access point identified by the obtained location data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the location data obtained from the mobile device comprises data identifying a cell tower accessed by the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the location of the mobile device using the received location data comprises:

accessing a location database that associates a plurality of cell towers with locations of the cell towers to determine the location of the cell tower identified by with the obtained location data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the device-provider association table comprises a table associating the device identifier with the provider identifier, and further associating the device identifier with the user-specific data.