On demand location sharing

• US 9,191,352 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2011
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Parmar, Siddhartha, Park, Seung-Hae
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US13/087,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20120265823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/223, 709/219, 709/224, 709/217, 709/227, 455/411, 455/456, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/414, 455/465.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

An on demand location sharing technique protects the location of a client device until the user of the client device elects to share the location. The location of the user device is not broadcasted to other user devices. In an on demand request for the location or from initiation from the user, the location of the user device is shared with other users. In an embodiment, the on demand location sharing technique may be used in a messaging service application used in wireless devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

configuring a first user device to only distribute a location associated with the first user device upon authorization by a first user of the first user device;

receiving, by the first user, a location request message requesting the location of the first user device, the location request message sent from a second user from a second user device;

displaying the received location request message along with a first option that is configured to authorize the location request;

when the first user selects the first option, transmitting an affirmative response message including the location of the first user device;

in response to the transmitted affirmative response message, receiving a first message having at least one meeting place that is near a location of the first user device and at least one deal associated with the at least one meeting place, the meeting place different from the location of the first user device and the location of the second user device; and

displaying the at least one meeting place and the at least one deal along with a second option that is configured to display directions to the at least one meeting place from the location of the first user device when activated by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to activation of the second option, displaying a map illustrating the location of the at least one meeting place and instructions to the location of the at least one meeting place.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a third option along with the received location request message, the third ption denying the location request; and

when the first user selects the third option, transmitting a second message to the second user indicating denial of the location request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third message from a third user including a map of a location of the third user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a plurality of options during a communication exchange between the first user and the second user, the plurality of options including one or more of a request location option, a send my location option, and a share a place option.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating between the first user device and the second user device using at least one of a short message service or an instant message application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating between the first user device and the second user device through a wireless communications medium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the location represents a geophysical location.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

transmitting a location request message to a third user; and

in response to the transmitted location request message, receiving a map including the location of the third user.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising:

searching for a second meeting place located between a location of the first user and the location of the third user; and

transmitting the second meeting place to the third user.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive electronic messages between a first user of a first wireless device and a second user associated with the apparatus;

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the processor including a messenger client application that is configured to;

transmit a first message to the first user requesting the location of the first user, the location of the first user only distributed to other users when the first user responds affirmatively to the first message;

receive the location of the first user;

search for one or more meeting places that is near the location of the first user, the at least one meeting place different from the location of the first user and the location of the second user;

search for at least one deal associated with the at least one meeting place;

display search results including the at least one meeting place and the associated at least one deal;

select one of the at least one meeting places; and

transmit a second message including the selected one of the at least one meeting places and the at least one deal to the first user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the search for one or more meeting places is further configured to:

access a web server to search for the at least one meeting place using the location of the first user.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a satellite receiver configured to determine the location of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the received location of the first user is displayed on a map.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the search for the at least one meeting place is initiated by the second user upon activating a share a place option.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the location of the apparatus is determined using ratio signal transmissions.

17. A device, comprising:

at least one processor and a memory; and

the processor configured to;

distribute a location of the device to other users only when a first user of the device responds affirmatively to a location request message requested by another user;

receive a location request message requesting a location of the device from the second user;

display the received location request message with at least one option that is configured to generate an affirmative response to the location request message;

when the first user selects the at least one option, generate and transmit the affirmative response message to the second user;

in response to the transmitted affirmative response message, receive a first message having at least one meeting place that is near a location of the device and at least one deal associated with the at least one meeting place, the at least one meeting place different from the location of the device and the location of the second user; and

display the at least one meeting place and the at least one deal along with a second option that is configured to display directions to the at least one meeting place from the location of the first user device when activated by the first user.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

display a third option along with the received location request message, the third option denying the location request; and

when the first user selects the third option, transmitting a second message to the second user indicating denial of the location request.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

initiate a location request message to a third user; and

receive a map including the location of the third user during a messaging session with the third user.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to:

search for a second meeting place located between a location of the first user and the location of the third user; and

transmit the second meeting place to the third user.