Method and apparatus for providing mobile social networking privacy

• US 8,613,109 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rivard, Marcel Theodore, Williams, David Hilliard, Wrobleski, David E., Arzu, Quetia, JANOULIS, JEANNE NICOLE, Rector, Jay D.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Michael S
• Application Number:
  US12/630,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20110138480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 726/29
• US Class Current: 726/29
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for providing mobile social networking privacy are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user, determines whether the third party application is a multiple user application and provides the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application.

Claims

1. A method for providing mobile social networking privacy, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user;

determining, by the processor, whether the third party application is a multiple user application; and

providing, by the processor, the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting that determines whether the third party application is authorized to access the location information of the mobile endpoint device user that is pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application, wherein the authorized user is someone other than the mobile endpoint device user, wherein the multiple user application comprises an application that allows a user other than the mobile endpoint device user to use the location information associated with the mobile endpoint device user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

authenticating the third party application; and

determining if the mobile endpoint device user is subscribed to a service to provide the location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorized user is an account holder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorized user is a person delegated as the authorized user by an account holder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is provided within a pre-defined range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is determined via a cellular identification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is determined via an enhanced cell identification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is determined via an assisted global positioning satellite information.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing mobile social networking privacy, the operations comprising:

receiving a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user;

determining whether the third party application is a multiple user application; and

providing the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting that determines whether the third party application is authorized to access the location information of the mobile endpoint device user that is pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application, wherein the authorized user is someone other than the mobile endpoint device user, wherein the multiple user application comprises an application that allows a user other than the mobile endpoint device user to use the location information associated with the mobile endpoint device user.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining further comprises:

authenticating the third party application; and

determining if the mobile endpoint device user is subscribed to a service to provide the location information.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the authorized user is an account holder.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the authorized user is a person delegated as the authorized user by an account holder.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is provided within a pre-defined range.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is determined via a cellular identification.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is determined via an enhanced cell identification.

16. An apparatus for providing mobile social networking privacy, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request from a third party application for location information of a mobile endpoint device user;

determining whether the third party application is a multiple user application; and

providing the location information of the mobile endpoint device user to the third party application in accordance with a privacy setting that determines whether the third party application is authorized to access the location information of the mobile endpoint device user that is pre-defined by an authorized user if the third party application is a multiple user application, wherein the authorized user is someone other than the mobile endpoint device user, wherein the multiple user application comprises an application that allows a user other than the mobile endpoint device user to use the location information associated with the mobile endpoint device user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the determining further comprises:

authenticating the third party application; and

determining if the mobile endpoint device user is subscribed to a service to provide the location information.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the authorized user is an account holder.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the authorized user is a person delegated as the authorized user by an account holder.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the location information of the mobile endpoint device user is provided within a pre-defined range.