Publishing location for a limited time

• US 9,055,403 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bocking, Andrew D., Little, Herbert A., Brown, Michael Stephen, Ganeshalingam, Theban
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US14/202,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20140256350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and user device for limiting a time for which location data sharing is enabled for a user device of a data sharing group, the data sharing group comprising at least two user devices inclusive of the user device, each user device of the data sharing group configured to store data shared by user devices of the data sharing group on the respective user device and to maintain a list of the user devices in the data sharing group. The method comprises receiving an instruction through a user interface on the user device indicating that location data sharing is to be enabled for a limited time period after which location sharing is to be disabled, obtaining location data for the user device during the limited time period; and sending the location data to at least one other user device of the sharing group during the limited time period.

Claims

1. A user device comprising:

an output interface for transmitting data to at least one other user device;

a user interface configured to receive an instruction to enable periodic location data sharing of location data for the user device for a limited length of time after which location sharing is to be disabled; and

a location sharing module configured to;

during the limited length of time, periodically provide location data for the user device to the output interface to be transmitted to the at least one other user device; and

outside the limited length of time, cease to periodically provide location data for the user device to the output interface;

wherein the instruction to enable periodic location data sharing of location data for the user device for a limited length of time defines a bounded length of time starting from a time at which the instruction is received; and

wherein periodically providing location data for the user device to the output interface comprises;

periodically sending a single message to a relay or router for independent distribution to the at least one other user device without the location data being retained by a server, the single message containing the location data and addresses of the at least one other user device, wherein the user device subsequently receives from the relay or router a delivery acknowledgment when each of the at least one other user device receives the single message.

2. The user device of claim 1, wherein the user interface permits selection of the bounded length of time from a set of predefined time lengths.

3. The user device of claim 2, wherein the set of predefined time lengths is presented as a list.

4. The user device of claim 2, wherein the set of predefined time lengths comprises 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 hours.

5. The user device of claim 2, wherein the user interface permits manual entry of the bounded length of time.

6. The user device of claim 1, further comprising a touch display screen for presenting the user interface and receiving the instruction.

7. The user device of claim 1, further comprising a location determination system from which the location sharing module receives the location data.

8. The user device of claim 7, wherein the location determination system comprises a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver.

9. A method for limiting a time for which location data sharing is enabled for a user device, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction through a user interface on the user device indicating that periodic location data sharing of location data for the user device is to be enabled for a limited length of time after which location sharing is to be disabled;

during the limited length of time, periodically obtaining location data for the user device and periodically transmitting the location data to at least one other user device; and

outside the limited length of time, cease periodically transmitting the location data;

wherein the instruction to enable periodic location data sharing of location data for the user device for a limited length of time defines a bounded length of time starting from a time at which the instruction is received; and

wherein periodically transmitting the location data to the at least one other user device comprises;

periodically sending a single message to a relay or router for independent distribution to the at least one other user device without the location data being retained by a server, the single message containing the location data and addresses of the at least one other user device, wherein the user device subsequently receives from the relay or router a delivery acknowledgment when each of the at least one other user device receives the single message.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions store thereon, that when executed cause a processor to implement a method for limiting a time for which location data sharing is enabled for a user device, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction through a user interface on the user device indicating that periodic location data sharing of location data for the user device is to be enabled for a limited length of time after which location sharing is to be disabled;

during the limited length of time, periodically obtaining location data for the user device and periodically transmitting the location data to at least one other user device; and

outside the limited length of time, cease periodically transmitting the location data;

wherein the instruction to enable periodic location data sharing of location data for the user device for a limited length of time defines a bounded length of time starting from a time at which the instruction is received; and

wherein periodically transmitting the location data to the at least one other user device comprises;

periodically sending a single message to a relay or router for independent distribution to the at least one other user device without the location data being retained by a server, the single message containing the location data and addresses of the at least one other user device, wherein the user device subsequently receives from the relay or router a delivery acknowledgment when each of the at least one other user device receives the single message.