Correlating mobile device locations

• US 9,462,461 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CASCA, FRED A
• Application Number:
  US14/221,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.3, 455/418, 455/456.2, 455/457, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/407, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 455/466, 455/404.1, 455/412.2, 455/421, 455/427, 455/440, 455/435.1, 705/14.41, 705/346, 705/7.19, 705/7.34, 705/14.58, 705/7.29, 340/539.13, 340/539.22, 340/8.1, 340/10.3, 340/539.23, 340/573.4, 340/686.6, 370/312, 370/328, 370/338, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems and methods related to the provision of location based services via a mobile communications device. In some cases, a plurality of mobile communication devices can be tracked, based on a user'"'"'s preferences, and data regarding the locations of that plurality of mobile communication devices can be sent to the user'"'"'s device. In a particular aspect, for example, the user'"'"'s device might display a map showing the locations of some or all of the plurality of mobile communication devices.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium having encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the computer system to perform the following operations;

receive, from a first mobile communication device, data identifying a plurality of other mobile communication devices to be tracked;

modify a user profile including preferences associating the plurality of other mobile communications devices with the mobile communication device;

receive a request from the first mobile communication device;

receive a first set of data comprising locations of each of the plurality of other mobile communication devices; and

transmit, to the first mobile communication device, a second set of data comprising at least a portion of the first set of data, wherein the second set of data comprises data to enable the first mobile communication device to display an image, the image including a graphical representation of a selection of locations of the plurality of other mobile communication devices and historical locations of the first mobile communication device within a time period specified in the user profile, the selection being based on preferences in the user profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first mobile communication device is a wireless telephone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data comprises GPS coordinate data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second set of data comprises image data formatted for display on the first mobile communication device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the user profile further includes preferences of the user specifying the circumstances in which a location of each of a plurality of businesses and other points of interest will be displayed in the image data; and

the second set of data comprises the locations of the plurality of businesses and other points of interest, selected based on preferences in the user profile.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the second set of data comprises image data is formatted for display on the first mobile communication device;

each of the selected locations of the plurality of businesses are graphically represented as different icons in the image data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the icons comprise hyperlinks to information about each of the businesses.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a set of coordinates of a current location of the first mobile communication device.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a computer and from a first mobile communication device, data identifying a plurality of other mobile communication devices to be tracked;

modifying, with a computer, a user profile including preferences associating the plurality of other mobile communications devices with the mobile communication device;

receiving, with the computer, a request from the first mobile communication device;

receiving, with the computer, a first set of data comprising locations of each of the plurality of other mobile communication devices; and

transmitting, from the computer and to the first mobile communication device, a second set of data comprising at least a portion of the first set of data, wherein the second set of data comprises data to enable the first mobile communication device to display an image, the image including a graphical representation of a selection of locations of the plurality of other mobile communication devices and historical locations of the first mobile communication device within a time period specified in the user profile, the selection being based on preferences in the user profile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first mobile communication device is a wireless telephone.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the data comprises GPS coordinate data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second set of data comprises image data formatted for display on the first mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the user profile further includes preferences of the user specifying the circumstances in which a location of each of a plurality of businesses and other points of interest will be displayed in the image data; and

the second set of data comprises the locations of the plurality of businesses and other points of interest, selected based on preferences in the user profile.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the second set of data comprises image data is formatted for display on the first mobile communication device;

each of the selected locations of the plurality of businesses are graphically represented as different icons in the image data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the icons comprise hyperlinks to information about each of the businesses.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the request comprises a set of coordinates of a current location of the first mobile communication device.

17. A computer program embodied on at least one non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by a computer to:

receive, from a first mobile communication device, data identifying a plurality of other mobile communication devices to be tracked;

modify a user profile including preferences associating the plurality of other mobile communications devices with the mobile communication device;

receive a request from the first mobile communication device;

receive a first set of data comprising locations of each of the plurality of other mobile communication devices; and

transmit, to the first mobile communication device, a second set of data comprising at least a portion of the first set of data, wherein the second set of data comprises data to enable the first mobile communication device to display an image, the image including a graphical representation of a selection of locations of the plurality of other mobile communication devices and historical locations of the first mobile communication device within a time period specified in the user profile, the selection being based on preferences in the user profile.