Providing geographic locations of a user's wireless device

• US 9,369,841 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Schuler, John R., McMullen, Michael P., Nelson, Rodney D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US14/333,994
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time. In response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, a request can be issued by a wireless provider to users of wireless devices to provide the geographic locations of their respective devices and their identities to one or more entities. Upon receiving an affirmative response to the request, the wireless provider communicates information to the entities allowing the entities to contact the users to solicit information regarding the occurrence of the event. A wireless provider may send a request for authorization to users of wireless devices to provide geographic locations when the wireless device enters a predefined geographic area.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for disclosing the identity of one or more users of associated wireless devices located within a predefined geographic boundary, the method comprising:

in response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, receiving a request for the identity of one or more users of associated wireless devices located within a geographic boundary, wherein the geographic boundary includes the geographic location of the occurrence of the event and a time period for the event;

generating a list of geographic locations within the time period for each wireless device, wherein the list of geographic locations include addresses inside and outside of the geographic boundary visited by the wireless device;

and

disclosing the identity of the one or more wireless devices and associated users to one or more entities when the associated users have previously consented to the disclosure of the list of geographic locations.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the event is a commission of a crime.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the request is received from one or more entities.

4. The media of claim 3, wherein the one or more entities are law enforcement organizations.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the geographic boundary comprises a geographic area within a predefined radius of the occurrence of the event.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the associated users of the one or more wireless devices have previously consented to disclosing their geographic locations to one or more entities in response to the occurrence of an event.

7. The media of claim 1, further comprising when the associated users of the one or more wireless devices have not previously consented to the providing of geographic locations in response to the occurrence of an event, soliciting an authorization from the associated users of the one or more wireless devices to disclose the geographic track location information of their wireless device.

8. A computer-implemented method for disclosing the identity of one or more users of associated wireless devices located within a predefined geographic boundary, the method comprising:

in response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, receiving a request for the identity of one or more users of associated wireless devices located within a geographic boundary, wherein the geographic boundary includes the geographic location of the occurrence of the event and a time period for the event;

generating a list of geographic locations within the time period for each wireless device, wherein the list of geographic locations include addresses inside and outside of the geographic boundary visited by the wireless device;

and

disclosing the identity of the one or more wireless devices and associated users to one or more entities when the associated users have previously consented to the disclosure of the list of geographic locations.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the event is a commission of a crime.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the request is received from one or more entities.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more entities are law enforcement organizations.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the geographic boundary comprises a geographic area within a predefined radius of the occurrence of the event.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the associated users of the one or more wireless devices have previously consented to disclosing their geographic locations to one or more entities in response to the occurrence of an event.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising when the associated users of the one or more wireless devices have not previously consented to the providing of geographic locations in response to the occurrence of an event, soliciting an authorization from the associated users of the one or more wireless devices to disclose the geographic track location information of their wireless device.

15. A computer system for providing geographic locations of a wireless device associated with a user, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform the following;

in response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, receiving a request for the identity of one or more users of associated wireless devices located within a geographic boundary, wherein the geographic boundary includes the geographic location of the occurrence of the event and a time period for the event;

generating a list of geographic locations within the time period for each wireless device, wherein the list of geographic locations include addresses inside and outside of the geographic boundary visited by the wireless device;

and

disclosing the identity of the one or more wireless devices and associated users to one or more entities when the associated users have previously consented to the disclosure of the list of geographic locations.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the event is a commission of a crime and the request is received from one or more entities.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more entities are law enforcement organizations.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the geographic boundary comprises a geographic area within a predefined radius of the occurrence of the event.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the associated users of the one or more wireless devices have previously consented to disclosing their geographic locations to one or more entities in response to the occurrence of an event.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising when the associated users of the one or more wireless devices have not previously consented to the providing of geographic locations in response to the occurrence of an event, soliciting an authorization from the associated users of the one or more wireless devices to disclose the geographic track location information of their wireless device.