Privacy control of location information

• US 8,489,110 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frank, Scott, Starr, Robert, Ruckart, John, Tischer, Steven, Zellner, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US11/747,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20070264974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 455/575.4, 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/10 Secret communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the 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: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

One embodiment of the present is a method of implementing privacy control of location information. Such a method comprises defining a geographic zone for which pseudo-location information is to be reported as the current location of the user, wherein the pseudo-location information is not the current location of the user; receiving the current location of the user; determining that the current location is in the geographic zone; and reporting the pseudo-location information as the current location of the user when the current location is determined to be in the geographic zone. Other methods and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of implementing privacy control of location information comprising:

defining a geographic zone for which pseudo-location information is to be reported as a current location of a user, wherein the pseudo-location information is not the current location of the user;

designating a predefined location to be substituted as the current location for reporting purposes when the current location is in the geographic zone;

defining a first list of persons who are eligible to receive a report of the pseudo-location information of the user;

defining a second list of persons who are blocked from receiving reports of location information of the user;

receiving the current location of the user;

in response to determining by a computer processor that the current location is in the geographic zone, reporting, to a communications device of a first monitoring user that is listed on the first list, via the computer processor, the pseudo-location information as the current location of the user as opposed to reporting the current location as a location of the user that is within the geographic zone, wherein the pseudo-location information comprises the designated predefined location;

in response to determining that the current location is outside the geographic zone, reporting, to a communications device of a second monitoring user that is not listed on the first list and is not listed on the second list, the current location of the user as the location of the user; and

in response to determining that a third monitoring user is listed on the second list, blocking reporting of location information of the user to the third monitoring user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a window of time for which the pseudo-location information is to be reported, wherein the current location of the user at a time outside the window of time is reported as the current location of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic zone comprises any location visited by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a current location is determined using a Radio Frequency Identification tag which transmits the current location identification to a Radio Frequency Identification reader of a personal communications device of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic zone is defined by the user physically moving to an area defining a perimeter of the zone with a user'"'"'s personal communications device and selecting that area as part of the geographic zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pseudo-location is defined by the user physically moving to an area and selecting a location address of the area as the pseudo-location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined location is a specific address location inputted by the user and is substituted as the current location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined location is specified as a set distance from the current location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the predefined location is further specified as a set direction away from the current location.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a program for implementing privacy control of location information, the program when executed by a computer processor, causes the processor to perform:

defining a geographic zone for which pseudo-location information is to be reported as a current location of a user, wherein the pseudo-location information is not the current location of the user;

designating a predefined location to be substituted as the current location for reporting purposes when the current location is in the geographic zone;

defining a first list of persons who are eligible to receive a report of the pseudo-location information of the user;

defining a second list of persons who are blocked from receiving reports of location information of the user;

receiving the current location of the user;

in response to determining that the current location is in the geographic zone, reporting, to a communications device of a first monitoring user that is listed on the first list the pseudo-location information as the current location of the user as opposed to reporting the current location as a location of the user that is within the geographic zone, wherein the pseudo-location information comprises the designated predefined location;

in response to determining that the current location is outside the geographic zone, reporting, to a communications device of a second monitoring user that is not listed on the first list and is not listed on the second list, the current location of the user as the location of the user; and

in response to determining that a third monitoring user is listed on the second list, blocking reporting of location information of the user to a communications device of the third monitoring user.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising:

defining a window of time for which the pseudo-location information is to be reported, wherein the current location of the user at a time outside the window of time is reported as the current location of the user.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the geographic zone comprises any location visited by the user.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 wherein a current location is determined using a Radio Frequency Identification tag which transmits the current location identification to a Radio Frequency Identification reader of a personal communications device of the user.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the geographic zone is defined by the user physically moving to an area defining a perimeter of the zone with a user'"'"'s personal communications device and selecting that area as part of the geographic zone.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the pseudo-location is defined by the user physically moving to an area and selecting a location address of the area as the pseudo-location.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the predefined location is a specific address location inputted by the user and is substituted as the current location.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the predefined location is specified as a set distance and direction away from the current location.

18. A system for implementing privacy control of location information comprising:

a location system configured to obtain a current location of a user and determine whether the current location is in a geographic zone defined for the user, wherein the location system reports, to a communications device of a first monitoring user that is listed on a first list of users, a pseudo-location information as the current location of the user when the current location is determined to be in the geographic zone as opposed to reporting the current location as a location of the user that is within the geographic zone, the pseudo-location information not being the current location of the user,

the location system configured to block reporting of location information of the user to a communications device of a second monitoring user that is listed on a second list of users,

wherein the location system, in response to determining that the current location is outside the geographic zone, reports, to a communications device of a third monitoring user that is not listed on the first list and is not listed on the second list, the current location of the user as the location of the user; and

a user interface for defining the geographic zone, wherein the user interface prompts the user to physically move to an area defining a perimeter of the zone and select that area as part of the geographic zone,

wherein the pseudo-location is defined by the user physically moving to an area and selecting that area'"'"'s location address as the pseudo-location using the user interface, the pseudo-location being substituted as the current location for reporting purposes when the current location is in the geographic zone,

the user interface further configured to define the first list of users who are eligible to receive a report of the pseudo-location information of the user;

the user interface further configured to define a second list of users who are blocked from receiving reports of location information of the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the predefined location is a specific address location inputted by the user and is substituted as the current location.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the predefined location is specified as a set distance and direction away from the current location.