Methods and apparatus for collecting and using information regarding location object-based actions

• US 8,676,504 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Baker, Stephen M., Harris, David B., Weisshaar, Bernhard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/925,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20130288638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 701/461, 701/482, 701/485, 701/487, 701/491, 701/519, 701/521, 701/522, 701/526, 701/532, 701/537, 701/538, 709/228, 705/40
• US Class Current: 701/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/508 based on type of value added network service under agreement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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 4/18 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

An embodiment of a communication system includes a client device adapted to receive a location object that includes tracer information, and to perform one or more location object-based actions using the location object. The client device stores the tracer information and location object usage information, which describes the one or more location object-based actions that have been performed using the location object. The client device also sends the stored information to a server. The system also includes the server, which is adapted to receive the location object usage information and the tracer information reported by the client device. In an embodiment, the system also includes a service provider adapted to initiate a billing event, which may include generation and transmission of a bill to a sponsor entity based on an evaluation of the location object usage information and the tracer information reported by the client device.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a network interface configured for receiving a client-generated location-information request from a client device, wherein the location-information request includes parameters for obtaining location information; and

a processing subsystem configured for;

obtaining one or more location objects in response to receiving the client-generated location-information request, wherein a location object of the one or more location objects includes tracer information in one or more tracer fields;

sending, via the network interface, the one or more location objects to the client device; and

receiving, via the network interface, location-object usage information and client-reported tracer information from the client device, wherein the location-object usage information describes one or more location object-based actions that have been performed by the client device using the one or more location objects, and wherein the client-reported tracer information includes tracer information associated with the one or more location objects.

2. The server of claim 1 wherein obtaining the one or more location objects comprises:

generating a server-generated location-information request;

sending, via the network interface, the server-generated location-information request to a service provider; and

receiving, via the network interface, the one or more location objects from the service provider in response to the server-generated location-information request.

3. The server of claim 1 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

storing a provider identifier in a provider identifier field of the tracer fields.

4. The server of claim 1 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

protecting the tracer information by encrypting portions of the tracer information.

5. The server of claim 1 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

protecting the tracer information by storing an integrity key in a tracer-protection information field of the tracer fields.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

sending, via the network interface, a location-object usage information request to the client device, wherein the location-object usage information and the client-reported tracer information is received from the client device in response to the location-object usage information request.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

storing the location-object usage information and the client-reported tracer information in a database.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

validating the client-reported tracer information by decrypting the client-reported tracer information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

validating the client-reported tracer information using an integrity key within the client-reported tracer information.

10. A service provider comprising:

a network interface configured for receiving location-object usage information and reported tracer information from another system entity, wherein the location-object usage information describes one or more location object-based actions that have been performed by one or more client devices using one or more location objects, and wherein the reported tracer information includes an identification of one or more sponsor entities associated with the one or more location objects; and

a processing subsystem configured for;

initiating a billing event based on an evaluation of the location-object usage information and the reported tracer information.

11. The service provider of claim 10 wherein initiating the billing event comprises:

identifying, as sponsor entities to be billed, a set of sponsor entities identified in the reported tracer information of the one or more location objects that were used; and

determining billing amounts for each sponsor entity of the set of sponsor entities.

12. The service provider of claim 11 wherein determining billing amounts comprises:

implementing a tiered billing schedule to determine the billing amounts.

13. The service provider of claim 11 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

generating and transmitting electronic or paper bills to each sponsor entity of the set of sponsor entities, which bills specify the billing amounts determined for each sponsor entity of the set of sponsor entities.

14. The service provider of claim 11 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

generating and transmitting electronic or paper bills to a sponsor entity of the set of sponsor entities, which bills specify a billing amount determined for the sponsor entity of the set of sponsor entities.

15. The service provider of claim 11 wherein the processing subsystem is further configured for:

initiating a funds transfer from a sponsor entity of the set of sponsor entities, wherein an amount of the funds transfer may include all or a portion of a billing amount determined for the sponsor entity of the set of sponsor entities.