Use of user location information for remote actions

• US 9,081,942 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gheva, Yair E., Ben-Israel, Elad, Yariv, Eran, Haik, Fadi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alata, Ayoub
• Application Number:
  US13/156,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• 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

Architecture that provides location broker services which share the user location with other parties (e.g., based on user consent). Stationary computing devices can also determine the location of the user operator and interact accordingly. In one embodiment, the user location is retrieved from the user mobile device (e.g., smart phone) and is transmitted to other mobile or non-mobile devices with which the user interacts. Moreover, existing infrastructure and systems can be employed using a device driver that emulates the user location so that any software that uses the location services does not need modification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

a location broker component of a stationary computing device wherein;

the location broker component receives location-based information associated with a remote user device from an online broker service, the stationary computing device is configured to have a geographic location, and the location-based information comprises a geographic location of the remote user device;

applications of the stationary computing device that;

receive the location-based information from the location broker component,

process the location-based information to determine a distance from the remote user device to the stationary computing device according to the geographic location of the remote user device and the geographic location of the stationary computing device, and

execute corresponding application functions based on the determined distance from the remote user device to the stationary computing device;

wherein the applications include at least an application that automatically prohibits login access to the stationary computing device based on the determined distance from the remote user device to the stationary computing device; and

a processor that executes computer-executable instructions associated with at least one of the location broker component and the applications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the applications register to the location broker component to receive location-based information updates associated with the remote user device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the location broker component reads the location-based information from the location broker service.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the applications include an application that automatically prepares the stationary computing device for remote access by the remote user device based on the determined distance from the remote user device to the stationary computing device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the applications include an application powers down a display of the stationary computing device based on the determined distance of the remote user device from the stationary computing device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the applications include an application that automatically controls environmental systems of a site based on distance between the site, and one or more devices of a user or group of users that function at the site.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the applications include an application that automatically sets a user status relative to a site based on the location-based information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the location broker component updates an enterprise tool with the user status, the enterprise tool provides enterprise-wide information to other systems as to the user status.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the applications include an application that automatically enables remote access of the stationary computing device from the remote user device based on the location-based information.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising acts of:

receiving location-based information of a remote user device of a user from an online broker service at a location broker component operating on a local computing device of the user, the location-based information comprising a geographic location of the remote user device;

exposing the location-based information to an application running on the local computing device through the location broker component, wherein the application running on the local computing device is registered with the location broker component;

initiating actions of the local computing device via the application when the distance between the remote user device and the local computing device is greater than a predetermined threshold value, wherein the distance between the remote user device and the local computing device is determined according to the geographic location of the remote user device and a geographic location of the local computing device, wherein at least one action comprises prohibiting login access to the local computing device when the distance between the remote user device and the local computing device is greater than a predetermined threshold value; and

utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of receiving, exposing, or initiating.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically securing the local computing device via an application to prevent unauthorized access based on the determined distance between the remote user device and the local computing device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling residential systems via an application of the local computing device based on the location-based information.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling the local computing device, which is part of an enterprise, via an application, to set user status as away from an enterprise location.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating presence information via an application to change presence status of the user to an enterprise infrastructure.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising sharing location of the remote user device with a plurality of websites via an application, the plurality of websites provide information back to the remote user device relevant to location of the remote user device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending the location-based information of the remote user device to a remote machine via an application of the local computing device.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising acts of:

receiving geolocation information of a mobile device of a user from an online broker service at a stationary computing device of the user, wherein the stationary computing device is associated with a geolocation and wherein the geolocation information includes a geolocation of the mobile device;

registering applications of the stationary computing device to a local broker component, wherein at least one of the registered applications automatically prohibits login access to the stationary computing device based on the determined distance from the mobile device to the stationary computing device;

exposing the geolocation information to the registered applications running on the stationary computing device via a device driver on the stationary computing device that provides the location of the mobile device;

managing actions of the stationary computing device and external systems via the applications and the device driver when the distance of the mobile device to the stationary computing device exceeds a predetermined threshold determined according to the geolocation of the mobile device and the geolocation of the stationary computing device; and

utilizing a processor that executes instructions stored in memory to perform at least one of the acts of receiving, registering, exposing, or managing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising enabling security protocols that secure the stationary computing device and environments managed by the stationary computing device and external systems, via the applications.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising updating user status information consumed by the stationary computing device and external systems, via the applications.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising sharing the geolocation information of the mobile device with websites, the websites enhance user experience of the mobile device and the stationary computing device, via the applications.