Device, system and method for recording personal encounter history

• US 9,456,051 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2015
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US14/681,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

Provided are exemplary embodiments including a method for creating and using a personal encounter history using a communication device. The method involves the communication device receiving the transmission of a pseudo identifier from a proximal communication device where the pseudo identifier is associated with the user of the proximal communication device. Once received, the method continues with the wireless communication device requesting and receiving the actual identification of the user of the proximal communication device that is correlated with the pseudo identifier. The communication device includes a transceiver capable of communicating wirelessly with a mobile telecommunications network, a memory device and a processor. To ensure privacy, the processor is capable of receiving a pseudo identifier from a proximate communication device and then requesting an actual identification correlated with the pseudo identifier of the proximate communication device.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

sending a request for a pseudo identifier, the pseudo identifier being associated with a particular user of a proximal communication device;

receiving the pseudo identifier provided by the proximal communication device, wherein the pseudo identifier is received as a result of a broadcast by the proximal communication device;

recording location data indicating a location of the proximal communication device at a time that the pseudo identifier is received from the proximal communication device; and

logging receipt of the pseudo identifier into a personal encounter history log file, wherein the personal encounter history log file includes a history of encounters between a user of the mobile communication device and the particular user associated with the proximal communication device.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the pseudo identifier includes a hash.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the pseudo identifier includes a user created moniker.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending a query to an intermediary computing device requesting an actual identification of the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device; and

receiving the actual identification of the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device responsive to a determination by the intermediary computing device that consent rules for providing the actual identification of the particular user are met.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending a query to an intermediary computing device requesting contact information for the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device; and

receiving the contact information for the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device responsive to a determination by the intermediary computing device that consent rules for providing the contact information for the particular user are met.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein the contact information includes an email address.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein the contact information includes a telephone number.

8. A method comprising:

sending, by a mobile communication device, a request for a pseudo identifier, the pseudo identifier being associated with a particular user of a proximal communication device;

receiving, by the mobile communication device, the pseudo identifier provided by the proximal communication device, wherein the pseudo identifier is received as a result of a broadcast by the proximal communication device;

recording, by the mobile communication device, location data indicating a location of the proximal communication device at a time that the pseudo identifier is received from the proximal communication device; and

logging, by the mobile communication device, receipt of the pseudo identifier into a personal encounter history log file, wherein the personal encounter history log file includes a history of encounters between a user of the mobile communication device and the particular user associated with the proximal communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the pseudo identifier includes a hash.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the pseudo identifier includes a user created moniker.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending a query to an intermediary computing device requesting an actual identification of the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device; and

receiving the actual identification of the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device responsive to a determination by the intermediary computing device that consent rules for providing the actual identification of the particular user are met.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending a query to an intermediary computing device requesting contact information for the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device; and

receiving the contact information for the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device responsive to a determination by the intermediary computing device that consent rules for providing the contact information for the particular user are met.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the contact information includes an email address.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the contact information includes a telephone number.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage device within a mobile communication device containing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

sending a request for a pseudo identifier, the pseudo identifier being associated with a particular user of a proximal communication device;

receiving the pseudo identifier provided by the proximal communication device, wherein the pseudo identifier is received as a result of a broadcast by the proximal communication device;

recording location data indicating a location of the proximal communication device at a time that the pseudo identifier is received from the proximal communication device; and

logging receipt of the pseudo identifier into a personal encounter history log file, wherein the personal encounter history log file includes a history of encounters between a user of the mobile communication device and the particular user associated with the proximal communication device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the pseudo identifier includes a hash.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the pseudo identifier includes a user created moniker.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending a query to an intermediary computing device requesting an actual identification of the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device; and

receiving the actual identification of the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device responsive to a determination by the intermediary computing device that consent rules for providing the actual identification of the particular user are met.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending a query to an intermediary computing device requesting contact information for the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device; and

receiving the contact information for the particular user of the proximal communication device correlated with the pseudo identifier that is associated with the particular user of the proximal communication device responsive to a determination by the intermediary computing device that consent rules for providing the contact information are met.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the contact information includes at least one of an email address and a telephone number.