Geographical location information sharing among wireless devices

• US 8,655,370 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Brewer, Beth Ann, Kenagy, Jason B.
• Primary Examiner(s): GREY, CHRISTOPHER P
• Application Number:
  US10/877,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,525 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/412.2, 455/421, 455/433, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/459, 701/207, 701213-214, 701/216, 340/988, 342/357.01, 342/0.06, 342/0.12, 342/450, 342/457
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system and method for sharing geographical location information among a set of wireless telecommunication devices, such as mobile telephones. A first wireless telecommunication device generates geographical location information of that wireless telecommunication device, either through a resident device such as a GPS device, or has another computer device on the network provide the geographic location information, and then shares the geographical location information through sending the location information to one or more servers for relay to a predesignated target set of wireless telecommunication devices. The server stores the identity of member devices of the target set and controls communication between the first wireless telecommunications device and the member devices of the target set. A second server can be used to modify the geographical information, such as providing a map showing the location of the first wireless telecommunication device and other member devices of the target set.

Claims

1. A system for sharing geographical information for a first wireless telecommunication device with other wireless telecommunication devices across a wireless network, comprising:

a plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices that are designated by the first wireless telecommunication device;

the first wireless telecommunication device comprising;

a user interface;

a first wireless telecommunication device processor coupled to the user interface and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

selectively communicating with other wireless telecommunication devices across the wireless network;

selectively generating information about the geographical location of said first wireless telecommunication device;

selectively transmitting the generated geographical location information to a group communication server;

receiving approval via the user interface to share the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device;

receiving approval via the user interface to display information about the geographical location of at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices;

requesting information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices when both approval to share the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device and approval to display information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices have been received; and

the group communication server in selective communication with one or more wireless telecommunication devices across the wireless network, comprising;

a group communication memory;

a server processor coupled to the group communication memory and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

storing an identity of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device;

controlling communication between the first wireless telecommunication device and the plurality of the target wireless telecommunication devices;

transmitting the requested information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices to the first wireless telecommunication device; and

transmitting the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device to at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein transmitting the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device to at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device occurs immediately after the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device is received.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the group communication server processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

storing the geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device; and

selectively relaying the stored geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device to at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the server processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that transmitting the requested information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device further comprises:

transmitting a time of storing the stored geographical location information of the first wireless telecommunication device to the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless telecommunication device further comprises:

a resident device operable to provide data for the geographical location, wherein generating information about the geographical location of said first wireless telecommunication device is performed by the resident device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein generating information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device comprises:

requesting data from another computer device on the wireless network configured to send geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device to the first telecommunication device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein first wireless telecommunication device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that requesting information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices comprises:

requesting data from another computer device on the wireless network that can send geographical information of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices to the group communication server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein first wireless telecommunication device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that selectively transmitting the generated geographical location information to the group communication server comprises:

requesting data from another computer device on the wireless network that can send geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device to at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein first wireless telecommunication device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that selectively transmitting the generated geographical location information to the group communication server comprises:

transmitting generated geographical information data to a second server on the wireless network, the second server is further operable to selectively modify the geographical location information for the first wireless telecommunication device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first wireless telecommunication device processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that requesting information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices further comprises:

requesting the group communication server to send a link to the geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device resident on the second server to the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device such that each of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices operable to receive the link can request the geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device from the second server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the link is a hyperlink to a map generated by the second server showing the location of the first wireless telecommunication device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the map generated by the second server is further operable to show the geographical location information of one to all wireless telecommunication devices in the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless device.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the resident device comprises a GPS device and the geographical information includes the map coordinates of the first wireless telecommunication device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the geographical information indicates a proximity of the first wireless telecommunication device to the at least one wireless telecommunication devices of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

15. The system of claim 5, wherein the first wireless telecommunication device communicates with the wireless network through a communication node, and the first wireless telecommunication device triangulates a geographical location based upon the communication node of the wireless network the first wireless telecommunication device is in communication with.

16. A method for sharing geographical location information for a first wireless telecommunication device with other wireless telecommunication devices across a wireless network, comprising:

designating a plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices by the first wireless telecommunication device;

selectively communicating, by the first wireless telecommunication device, with other wireless telecommunication devices across the wireless network;

generating, by the first wireless telecommunication device, information about a geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device;

selectively transmitting, by the first wireless telecommunication device, the generated geographical location information to a group communication server;

receiving approval, via a user interface of the first wireless telecommunication device, to share the information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device;

receiving approval, via the user interface of the first wireless telecommunication device, to display information about a geographical location of at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices;

requesting information, by the first wireless telecommunication device, about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices when both approval to share the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device and approval to display information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices are received;

storing, by the group communication server, an identity of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device;

controlling, by the group communication server, communication between the first wireless telecommunication device and the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices;

transmitting, by the group communication server, the requested information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices to the first wireless telecommunication device; and

transmitting, by the group communication server, the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device to the at least one of the plurality of the target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the generated geographical location information of the first wireless telecommunication device to the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device occurs immediately after the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device is received.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing the geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device in the group communication server; and

selectively relaying, by the group communication server, the stored geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device to the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting a time of storing the stored geographical location information of the first wireless telecommunication device to the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein generating information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device further comprises:

providing, by a device resident on the first wireless telecommunication device, data for the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device, wherein generating information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device is performed by the resident device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein generating information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device comprises:

requesting, by the first wireless telecommunication device, data from another computer device on the wireless network that can send geographical location information of the first wireless telecommunication device to the first wireless telecommunication device.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein requesting information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices comprises:

requesting data from another computer device on the wireless network that can send geographical location information of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices to the group communication server.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein selectively transmitting the generated information about the geographical location to the group communication server comprises:

requesting data from another computer device on the wireless network that can send geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device to the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein selectively transmitting the generated geographical location information to the group communication server comprises:

transmitting generated geographical location information to a data server on the wireless network, the data server selectively modifying the geographical location information for the first wireless telecommunication device.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein requesting information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices further comprises:

requesting the group communication server to send a link to the geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device resident on a data server to the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device such that each of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices can request the geographical location information from the data server; and

requesting the geographical information of the first wireless telecommunication device from the data server by the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices receiving the link.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the link is a hyperlink to a map generated by the data server showing the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the map generated by the data server further shows the geographical location information of one to all wireless telecommunication devices in the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the first wireless telecommunication device includes a GPS device and wherein generating information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device comprises generating geographical location information including map coordinates of the first wireless telecommunication device.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the generated geographical location information comprises transmitting generated geographical location information further indicating a proximity of the first wireless telecommunication device to the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.

30. The method of claim 20, further comprising communicating, by the first telecommunication device, with the wireless network at a communication node,

wherein generating information about the geographical location comprises generating geographical location information by the first wireless telecommunication device triangulating a geographical location based upon the communication node of the wireless network the first wireless telecommunication device is in communication with.

31. A system for sharing geographical information between telecommunication devices on a wireless network, comprising:

a first wireless telecommunication device, comprising;

means for designating a plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices;

means for selectively communicating with other wireless telecommunication devices across the wireless network;

means for generating information about a geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device;

means for selectively transmitting the generated geographical location information to at least one group communication server;

means for receiving approval to share the information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device;

means for receiving approval to display information about a geographical location of at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices;

means for requesting information about the geographical location of at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices when both approval to share the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device and approval to display information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices are received; and

a group communication server, comprising;

means for storing an identity of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device;

means for controlling communication between the first wireless telecommunication device and the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices;

means for transmitting the requested information about the geographical location of the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices to the first wireless telecommunication device; and

means for transmitting the generated information about the geographical location of the first wireless telecommunication device to the at least one of the plurality of target wireless telecommunication devices designated by the first wireless telecommunication device.