Controlling location information

• US 8,981,902 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Original Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Inventors: Niemel, Jarno, Kesti, Veli-Jussi, Palomki, Pirkka
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): LITTLEJOHN JR, MANCIL H
• Application Number:
  US12/587,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.49, 340/988, 340/825.44, 455/435, 455/456, 455/457, 342/357.01, 342/357.88, 342/357.09, 342/357.1, 342/450, 342/451
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• 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 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling location information at a computer device such as a mobile telephone. Location information is intercepted and obtained by, for example, intercepting it from an Application Programming Interface destined for a location application. The location application is identified, and a rule is determined for applying to the location information on the basis of the identified location application. The rule is applied to the location information to give amended location information, and the amended location information is then sent to the location application.

Claims

1. A method of controlling location information at a computer device, the method comprising performing the following steps in order:

at the computer device, intercepting and obtaining location information from an application programming interface destined for a location application at the computer device;

after intercepting and obtaining the location information, identifying the location application;

determining a rule to be applied to the location information;

wherein the rule is determined based at least in part on the identified location application;

applying the rule to the location information to generate amended location information; and

sending the amended location information to the location application.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule is selected from any of:

replacing the location information with less specific location information;

replacing the location information with location information specified by a user;

replacing the location information with previous location information previously approved by the user;

replacing the location information with no location information; and

making no changes to the location information.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rule further comprises varying the amended location information with time prior to sending the location information to the location application.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in the event that the location application cannot be identified, applying a predetermined default rule to the location information to give amended location information, prior to sending the amended location information to the location application.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising alerting a user of the device that a location application has requested location information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending from the computer device to a remote node information relating to the location application; and

receiving from the remote node further information relating to the identified location application.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising, as a result of receiving information relating to the identified location application, terminating the location application.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information is selected from any of Global Positioning System data, an identity of an Access Point (AP) to a Wireless Local Area Network, an identity of a network cell in which the computer device is located, and satellite positioning information.

14. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing a computer program comprising computer readable code which, when run on a computer device, causes the computer device to execute a method according to claim 1.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and a computer program according to claim 14, wherein the computer program is stored on the computer readable storage medium.

9. An apparatus for controlling location information comprising:

at least one processor;

memory storing computer program code;

wherein the computer program code is configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform the following steps in order;

intercept and obtain location information, wherein the location information is obtained by intercepting the location information from an application programming interface destined for a location application;

store in a database a plurality of rules to apply to the location information, the database comprising at least one rule entry for each identified location application;

after the location information has been intercepted and obtained, identify the location application and subsequently apply a rule to the location information on the basis of the identity of the location application, so as to generate amended location information prior to sending the amended location information to the location application.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the database further comprises at least one rule to be applied to the intercepted location information in the event that an identified location application is not stored in the database.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a user input device allowing a user to enter data for one of populating the database and amending rules.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a transmitter for sending to a remote node information for use in identifying the location application; and

a receiver for receiving from the remote node further information relating to the location application.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the rule is selected from any of:

replacing the location information with less specific location information;

replacing the location information with location information specified by a user;

replacing the location information with previous location information previously approved by the user;

replacing the location information with no location information; and

making no changes to the location information.

15. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing a computer program comprising computer readable code which, when run on a computer device, causes the computer device to behave as a device according to claim 9.

17. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and a computer program according to claim 15, wherein the computer program is stored on the computer readable storage medium.