Anonymous positioning of a wireless unit for data network location-based services

• US 8,548,498 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Great Elm Capital Corp. (f/k/a Unwired Planet, Inc.) (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Cedervall, Mats, Ekerborn, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US13/339,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20120165044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/410, 455/411, 455/414.2, 455/414.3, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

This invention concerns a process and a system for providing location information for a wireless unit in a wireless network to a location-based service provider, using a data network. In particular, the location information is provided to the location-based service provider without necessarily providing the identity of wireless unit, e.g., a subscriber'"'"'s wireless identification number, to the service provider. In this regard, a subscriber'"'"'s identification number may be hidden from the positioning service provider via a process in which an alias is used instead of the subscriber'"'"'s normal identity. The subscriber'"'"'s number may further be concealed from the service provider via a process wherein encrypted information is used instead of the subscriber'"'"'s normal identity.

Claims

1. A method of providing location-based services to a wireless communications unit in a wireless communications network, comprising:

receiving a request for location-based services from the wireless communications unit, wherein the request includes an identifier of a location-based service provider and an identifier of the wireless communications unit within the wireless communications network;

determining location information of the wireless communications unit;

determining a unique identifier associated with the request based, at least in part, on the identifier of the wireless communications unit; and

using the location information and the unique identifier, without the identifier of the wireless communications unit, to provide location-based service information between the location-based service provider and the wireless communications unit via the wireless communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is unique to the request.

3. A method of providing location-based services to a wireless communications unit in a wireless communications network comprising:

monitoring communications from the wireless communications unit over the wireless communications network to identify a service request to a location-based service provider; and

responsive to identification of the service request;

determining a unique identifier associated with the service request based, at least in part, on an identifier of the wireless communications unit in the wireless communications network; and

providing the unique identifier without the identifier of the wireless communications unit to the location-based service provider for use in providing location-based service information between the location-based service provider and the wireless communications unit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the unique identifier is inserted into the service request to the location-based service provider.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the unique identifier is used to request location information for the wireless communications unit by the location-based service provider.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the unique identifier and requested location information for the wireless communications unit are used to provide location-based service information between the location-based service provider and the wireless communications unit via the wireless communications network.