Providing geographic locations of a user's wireless device

• US 8,838,131 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Schuler, John R., Nelson, Rodney D., McMullen, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irace, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/142,655
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554561-457, 379/33, 379/37, 379/38, 379/39, 379/45, 379/48
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time. In response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, a request can be issued by a wireless provider to users of wireless devices to provide the geographic locations of their respective devices and their identities to one or more entities. Upon receiving an affirmative response to the request, the wireless provider communicates information to the entities allowing the entities to contact the users to solicit information regarding the occurrence of the event. A wireless provider may send a request for authorization to users of wireless devices to provide geographic locations when the wireless device enters a predefined geographic area.

Claims

1. A method for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization from users to have geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities, wherein the authorization from users specifies an event that automatically triggers to have the geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities in response to the occurrence of the event;

in response to an occurrence of the event specified by the users at a specific location, finding wireless devices that provided the authorization to have geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities, wherein the wireless devices were proximate to the specific location of the event; and

generating a list of users of wireless devices located within a predefined distance from a specific location associated with the event within a period of time, wherein the list includes identifying information for each of the users; and

based on consent received from the users in response to alerts communicated to the wireless devices, transmitting the list to the entities, wherein the alert requests release of geographic locations of the users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is a commission of a crime.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization includes information describing the specific location of the occurrence of the event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic locations made available to entities consists of location information associated with the wireless device for a predefined period of time surrounding the time of the occurrence of the event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when the associated wireless device of the one or more users enters one or more bounded geographic locations.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the authorization from one or more users to have the geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to one or more entities is solicited in response to the determination that the associated wireless device has entered the one or more geographic locations.

7. Non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-usable instruction for performing a method for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization from users to have geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities, wherein the authorization from users specifies an event that automatically triggers to have the geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities in response to the occurrence of the event;

in response to an occurrence of the event specified by the users at a specific location, finding wireless devices that provided the authorization to have geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities, wherein the wireless devices were proximate to the specific location of the event;

generating a list of users of wireless devices located within a predefined distance from a specific location associated with the event within a period of time, wherein the list includes identifying information for each of the users; and

based on consent received from the users in response to alerts communicated to the wireless devices, transmitting the list to the entities, wherein the alert requests release of geographic locations of the users.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the event is a commission of a crime.

9. The media of claim 7, wherein the authorization includes information describing the specific location of the occurrence of the event.

10. The media of claim 7, wherein the geographic locations made available to entities consists of location information associated with the wireless device for a predefined period of time surrounding the time of the occurrence of the event.

11. The media of claim 7, further comprising determining when the associated wireless device of the users enters bounded geographic locations.

12. The media of claim 10, wherein the authorization from users to have the geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities is solicited in response to the determination that the associated wireless device has entered the geographic locations.

13. Computer servers having processors and non-transitory computer readable media having computer-usable instructions for performing a method for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization from users to have geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities, wherein the authorization from users specifies an event that automatically triggers to have the geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities in response to the occurrence of the event;

in response to an occurrence of the event specified by the users at a specific location, finding wireless devices that provided the authorization to have geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to entities, wherein the wireless devices were proximate to the specific location of the event;

generating a list of users of wireless devices located within a predefined distance from a specific location associated with the event within a period of time, wherein the list includes identifying information for each of the users; and

based on consent received from the users in response to alerts communicated to the wireless devices, transmitting the list to the entities, wherein the alert requests release of geographic locations of the users.

14. The servers of claim 13, wherein the event is a commission of a crime.

15. The servers of claim 13, wherein the authorization includes information describing the specific location of the occurrence of the event.

16. The servers of claim 13, wherein the geographic locations made available to entities consists of location information associated with the wireless device for a predefined period of time surrounding the time of the occurrence of the event.

17. The servers of claim 13, further comprising determining when the associated wireless device of the users enters bounded geographic locations.

18. The servers of claim 16, wherein the authorization from users to have the geographic locations associated with their wireless devices be made available to one or more entities is solicited in response to the determination that the associated wireless device has entered the one or more geographic locations.