Transaction based temporary and secure access

• US 9,532,168 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Branson, Michael J., Hintermeister, Gregory R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US14/522,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.2, 455/456.1, 455/414.2, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08355 Routing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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 4/026 using orientation information, e.g. compass
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A system includes a location tracking services server (LTSS) in communication with a location owner device. A tracking packet is sent from the location owner device to the LTSS. The tracking packet includes a unique transaction identifier that uniquely identifies the tracking packet as being associated with a transaction between the location owner and a location consumer. The LTSS sends to the location owner device a link that points to the tracking packet. The location owner device uses the link to send to the LTSS information (e.g., a GPS ID) that uniquely identifies a device associated with a location provider selected to fulfill the transaction. This information is used to update the tracking packet. The LTSS provides access for a temporary period defined by the tracking packet to location data that enables the location consumer device to display the geographical location of the device associated with the selected location provider.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, and operative to;

receive, at a location tracking services server, a tracking packet from an electronic device associated with a location owner, wherein the location owner is a provider of goods and/or services, wherein the tracking packet includes a locating device identifier information field and a temporary period information field at least one of which contains no data or incomplete data, and wherein the tracking packet includes a unique transaction identifier that uniquely identifies the tracking packet as being associated with one and only one transaction between the location owner and a location consumer;

send, from the location tracking services server, a link to the electronic device associated with the location owner, wherein the link includes pointing data that points to the tracking packet;

receive, at the location tracking services server, from the electronic device associated with the location owner locating device identifier information that uniquely identifies an electronic device associated with a location provider selected by the location owner to fulfill the transaction, wherein the electronic device associated with the location owner sends the information using the link;

update, in the location tracking services server, the locating device identifier information field of the tracking packet to include the locating device identifier information;

provide to an electronic device associated with the location consumer access to location data contained within the location tracking services server, wherein the location data enables the electronic device associated with the location consumer to display the geographical location of the electronic device associated with the selected location provider, and wherein the access to the location data is accessible to the electronic device associated with the location consumer only for a temporary period defined by the temporary period information field of the tracking packet.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the tracking packet includes a unique transaction identifier field and an authentication information field.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the locating device identifier information includes a GPS ID that uniquely identifies the electronic device associated with the selected location provider, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to update the tracking packet to include the locating device identifier information by incorporating the GPS ID into the locating device identifier information field of the tracking packet.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the locating device identifier information includes a cellular phone identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device associated with the selected location provider, and wherein the at least one processor is operative to update the tracking packet to include the locating device identifier information by incorporating the cellular phone identifier into the locating device identifier information field of the tracking packet.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is operative to receive the locating device identifier information by receiving a revised tracking packet from the electronic device associated with the location owner, and the at least one processor is operative to update the tracking packet to include the locating device identifier information by replacing the tracking packet with the revised tracking packet.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to verify the authenticity of the revised tracking packet.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the link is sent from the electronic device associated with the location owner to the electronic device associated with the location consumer, wherein the electronic device associated with the location consumer uses the link to request access the location data, and wherein the at least one processor is further operative to receive and authenticate the request.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the temporary period defined by the tracking packet employs an end-upon-meeting termination.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a plurality of executable instructions provided on non-transitory computer readable media, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor in a digital computing device, cause the digital computing device to;

receive, at a location tracking services server, a tracking packet from an electronic device associated with a location owner, wherein the location owner is a provider of goods and/or services, wherein the tracking packet includes a locating device identifier information field and a temporary period information field at least one of which contains no data or incomplete data, and wherein the tracking packet includes a unique transaction identifier that uniquely identifies the tracking packet as being associated with one and only one transaction between the location owner and a location consumer;

send, from the location tracking services server, a link to the electronic device associated with the location owner, wherein the link includes pointing data that points to the tracking packet;

receive, at the location tracking services server, from the electronic device associated with the location owner locating device identifier information that uniquely identifies an electronic device associated with a location provider selected by the location owner to fulfill the transaction, wherein the electronic device associated with the location owner sends the information using the link;

update, in the location tracking services server, the locating device identifier information field of the tracking packet to include the locating device identifier information;

provide to an electronic device associated with the location consumer access to location data contained within the location tracking services server, wherein the location data enables the electronic device associated with the location consumer to display the geographical location of the electronic device associated with the selected location provider, and wherein the access to the location data is accessible to the electronic device associated with the location consumer only for a temporary period defined by the temporary period information field of the tracking packet.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, wherein the locating device identifier information includes a GPS ID that uniquely identifies the electronic device associated with the selected location provider, and wherein the plurality of executable instructions cause the digital computing device to update the tracking packet to include the locating device identifier information by incorporating the GPS ID into a locating device identifier information field of the tracking packet.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 9, wherein the locating device identifier information includes a cellular phone identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device associated with the selected location provider, and wherein plurality of executable instructions cause the digital computing device to update the tracking packet to include the locating device identifier information by incorporating the cellular phone identifier into the locating device identifier information field of the tracking packet.

12. A computer program product comprising:

a plurality of executable instructions provided on non-transitory computer readable media, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor in a digital computing device, cause the digital computing device to;

send a tracking packet from an electronic device associated with a location owner to a location tracking services server, wherein the location owner is a provider of goods and/or services, wherein the tracking packet includes a locating device identifier information field and a temporary period information field at least one of which contains no data or incomplete data, and wherein the tracking packet includes a unique transaction identifier that uniquely identifies the tracking packet as being associated with one and only one transaction between the location owner and a location consumer;

receive a link from the location tracking services server at the electronic device associated with the location owner, wherein the link includes pointing data that points to the tracking packet;

send the link from the electronic device associated with the location owner to an electronic device associated with the location consumer;

send locating device identifier information from the electronic device associated with the location owner to the location tracking services server, wherein the locating device identifier information uniquely identifies an electronic device associated with a location provider selected by the location owner to fulfill the transaction, and wherein the electronic device associated with the location owner sends the locating device identifier information to the location tracking services server using the link.