Method and system for ensuring user and/or device anonymity for location based services (LBS)

• US 9,065,908 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buer, Mark, Abraham, Charles, Garrett, David, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Lundgren, David, Murray, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BALAOING, ARIEL A
• Application Number:
  US12/732,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3, 455/410, 380/247
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A mobile device may communicate with a location server during location based services (LBS) operations using a secure identifier. The secure identifier abstracts identification information of the mobile device and/or identification information of a user of the mobile device in instances that the mobile device and/or user identification information are deemed protectable from the location server. The location server may be operable to store location data corresponding to the mobile device and/or the user in a location reference database based on the secure identifier. The secure identifier may comprise a unique value, which may be randomly generated. The secure identifier may also be generated based on the mobile device and/or user identification information, by applying, for example, encryption algorithms to the mobile device and/or user identification information. Service providers for the mobile device may retrieve the abstracted mobile device and/or user identification information from the secure identifier.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a processor configured to control operation of said mobile device;

a security subsystem configured to encrypt identification information of said mobile device using a hashing algorithm, and to generate a secure identifier comprising said encrypted identification information; and

a communications subsystem configured to use said secure identifier during communication with a location server during location based services (LBS), wherein said communication comprises transmission of location data of said mobile device and receipt of said LBS;

wherein said secure identifier protects anonymity of said mobile device at said location server, which is configured to provide LBS to said mobile device without deciphering said identification information.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said identification information of said mobile device comprises an international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI).

3. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said identification information of said mobile device does not uniquely identify said mobile device.

9. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein said communications subsystem is further configured to use said secure identifier during communication with a services provider, which is configured to decipher said identification information.

10. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein:

said security subsystem is further configured to encrypt said identification information of said mobile device utilizing another hashing algorithm, and to generate another secure identifier comprising said identification information encrypted utilizing said another hashing algorithm, and

said communications subsystem is further configured to use said another secure identifier to communicate with a second services provider.

11. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein:

said security subsystem is further configured to encrypt other identification information of said mobile device utilizing another hashing algorithm, and to generate another secure identifier comprising said encrypted other identification information, and

said communications subsystem is further configured to use said another secure identifier to communicate with a second services provider.

12. The mobile device according to claim 3, wherein said identification information comprises a Type Allocation Code (TAC) of an international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI).

4. A server comprising:

a database configured to store and index location information of a mobile device based on a secure identifier, the secure identifier comprising encrypted identification information of said mobile device that was encrypted using a hashing algorithm;

a processor configured to access and update said location information based on said secure identifier; and

a communications system configured to communicate with said mobile device and service providers of location based services (LBS) for said mobile device using said secure identifier, and receive said location information from said mobile device using said secure identifier and request for said LBS from said mobile device using said secure identifier,

wherein said secure identifier protects anonymity of said mobile device at said server, which is configured to provide LBS to said mobile device without deciphering said identification information.

5. The server of claim 4, wherein said processor is further configured to update said database whenever a change is detected from said mobile device.

13. The server of claim 4, wherein said identification information of said mobile device comprises an international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI).

14. The server of claim 4, wherein said identification information of said mobile device does not uniquely identify said mobile device.

6. A method comprising:

determining identification information of a mobile device to use during communication with a location server that stores location data of said mobile device during location based services (LBS) operations;

encrypting, by a security subsystem of said mobile device, said identification information using a hashing algorithm;

generating, by said security subsystem of said mobile device, a secure identifier comprising said encrypted identification information; and

communicating, by a communication subsystem of said mobile device, with said location server using said secure identifier to identify said mobile device to said location server;

wherein said secure identifier protects anonymity of said mobile device at said location server, which is configured to provide LBS to said mobile device without deciphering said identification information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining is performed by said mobile device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said communicating comprises:

transmitting said location data of said mobile device to said location server using said secure identifier to identify said mobile device to said location server; and

receiving said LBS from said location sever using said secure identifier.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein said identification information of said mobile device comprises an international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI).

16. The method of claim 6, wherein said identification information of said mobile device does not uniquely identify said mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said identification information comprises a Type Allocation Code (TAC) of an international mobile equipment identifier (IMEI).

18. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating, by said communication subsystem of said mobile device, with a services provider using said secure identifier to identify said mobile device to said services provider, wherein said services provider is configured to decipher said identification information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

encrypting, by said security subsystem of said mobile device, said identification information of said mobile device using another hashing algorithm; and

generating, by said security subsystem of said mobile device, another secure identifier comprising said identification information encrypted using said another hashing algorithm; and

communicating, by said communication subsystem of said mobile device, with a second services provider using said another secure identifier to identify said mobile device to said second services provider.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

encrypting, by said security subsystem of said mobile device, other identification information of said mobile device using another hashing algorithm; and

generating, by said security subsystem of said mobile device, another secure identifier comprising said encrypted other identification information; and

communicating, by said communication subsystem of said mobile device, with a second services provider using said another secure identifier to identify said mobile device to said second services provider.