Privacy-based device location proximity

• US 9,578,457 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Sartini, Robert A., Swinton, Jeffrey H., Schultz, Paul T., Hahn, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pant, Ranjan
• Application Number:
  US13/629,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

A server may receive a query from a query device. The query may include an identifier that identifies a user device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position. The server may determine a first proximity area based on the geographic radius and the geographic position indicated by the query. The server may determine a second proximity area that represents an area in which the user device may be included. The server may determine a value that indicates a likelihood that the first proximity area is within the second proximity area. The server may provide information to the query device indicating the value.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a query from a first device,

the query including an identifier associated with a second device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position;

determining, by the server, a first proximity, associated with the query, based on the information regarding the geographic radius and based on the information regarding the geographic position;

automatically determining, by the server, permissions information regarding the first device,

the permissions information including information relating to an authorized frequency at which proximity information, associated with the second device, is permitted to be provided to the first device;

determining, by the server, a second proximity associated with the second device based on a geographic location of the second device;

determining, by the server, a value based on a shared area that is common to the first proximity and the second proximity,

the value indicating a likelihood that the first proximity is within the second proximity;

providing, by the server, the proximity information to the first device based on the authorized frequency at which proximity information is permitted to be provided to the first device,

the proximity information including the value;

receiving, by the server, a group query from the second device;

determining, by the server, user device proximities of a plurality of user devices,

each user device proximity being determined based on a geographic location of a respective user device and a measure of accuracy permitted to be provided to the second device;

determining, by the server, a group proximity based on the user device proximities and the second proximity,

a radius and a position of the group proximity being determined such that the group proximity is central to the user device proximities and the second proximity, and such that the group proximity is within a threshold distance of each of the user device proximities and the second proximity,

the group proximity being a geographic area; and

providing, by the server, information indicating the group proximity to the second device based on the group query.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an internet protocol (IP) address of the first device,

where the information regarding the geographic position includes the IP address.

3. The method of claim 1, where the identifier, associated with the second device, is associated with payment information, the first device preventing usage of the payment information when the value does not satisfy a particular threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information regarding the geographic location from the second device, the second device receiving the information regarding the geographic location via a user interface of the second device,

where determining the second proximity is based on receiving the information regarding the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1,

where the permissions information includes information relating to a measure of accuracy associated with the second proximity, and

where determining the second proximity is based on the permissions information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a geographic map having the first proximity and the second proximity; and

determining the value based on generating the geographic map;

where providing the proximity information to the first device includes providing the geographic map to the first device based on generating the geographic map.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a meeting point based on the group proximity.

8. The method of claim 1, where automatically determining the permissions information comprises:

obtaining association information from the second device,

the association information indicating query devices, including the first device, that are contacted by the second device at a frequency that satisfies a threshold,

determining the permissions information based on the association information obtained from the second device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the position of the second proximity away from the geographic location based on the first device being a black-listed device or a device unknown to the second device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively altering the second proximity by moving a position of the second proximity away from the geographic location based on the permissions information.

11. A device comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive a query from a first device,

the query including an identifier, associated with a second device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position;

determine a first proximity, associated with the query, based on the information regarding the geographic radius and based on the information regarding the geographic position;

automatically determine permissions information regarding the first device,

the permissions information including information relating to an authorized frequency at which proximity information, associated with the second device, is permitted to be provided to the first device;

determine a second proximity associated with the second device based on a geographic location of the second device;

generate a geographic map having the first proximity and the second proximity;

determine a value based on a shared area representing a geographic area that is common to the first proximity and the second proximity,

the value indicating a likelihood that the first proximity is within the second proximity;

provide the proximity information to the first device based on the authorized frequency at which the proximity information is permitted to be provided to the first device,

the proximity information including the value and the geographic map;

receive a group query from the second device;

determine user device proximities of a plurality of user devices,

each user device proximity being determined based on a geographic location of a respective user device and a measure of accuracy permitted to be provided to the second device;

determine a group proximity based on the user device proximities and the second proximity,

a radius and a position of the group proximity being determined such that the group proximity is central to the user device proximities and the second proximity, and such that the group proximity is within a threshold distance of each of the user device proximities and the second proximity,

the group proximity being a geographic area; and

provide information indicating the group proximity to the second device based on the group query.

12. The device of claim 11, where the identifier, associated with the second device, is associated with payment information, the first device preventing usage of the payment information when the value does not satisfy a particular threshold.

13. The device of claim 11, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine the geographic location based on one or more network devices connected to the second device;

or

determine the geographic location based on longitude and latitude coordinates associated with the second device via a global positioning system (GPS) of the second device,

where when determining the second proximity, the one or more processors are to;

determine the second proximity based on determining the one or more network devices connected to the second device or based on determining the longitude and latitude coordinates associated with the second device.

14. The device of claim 11, where the one or more processors are further to:

receive information regarding the geographic location from the second device,

the second device receiving the information regarding the geographic location via a user interface of the second device,

where when determining the second proximity, the one or more processors are to;

determine the second proximity based on receiving the information regarding the geographic location.

15. The device of claim 11,

where the permissions information includes information relating to a measure of accuracy associated with the second proximity, and

where when determining the second proximity, the one or more processors are to:

determine the second proximity based on the permissions information.

16. The device of claim 11, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine a meeting point based on the group proximity.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a query from a first device,

the query including an identifier associated with a second device, information regarding a geographic radius, and information regarding a geographic position;

determine a first proximity, associated with the query, based on the information regarding the geographic radius and based on the information regarding the geographic position;

determine permissions information regarding the first device,

the permissions information including information relating to an authorized frequency at which proximity information, associated with the second device, is permitted to be provided to the first device and information relating to a measure of accuracy associated with a second proximity associated with the second device,

determine the second proximity, associated with the second device, based on the permissions information and a geographic location of the second device;

determine a value based on a shared area that is common to the first proximity and the second proximity,

the value indicating a likelihood that the first proximity is within the second proximity;

provide the proximity information to the first device based on the authorized frequency at which the proximity information may be provided to the first device,

the proximity information including the value;

receive a group query from the second device;

determine user device proximities of a plurality of user devices,

each user device proximity being determined based on a geographic location of a respective user device and a measure of accuracy permitted to be provided to the second device;

determine a group proximity based on the user device proximities and the second proximity,

a radius and a position of the group proximity being determined such that the group proximity is central to the user device proximities and the second proximity, and such that the group proximity is within a threshold distance of each of the user device proximities and the second proximity,

the group proximity being a geographic area; and

provide information indicating the group proximity to the second device based on the group query.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine an internet protocol (IP) address of the first device,

where the information regarding the geographic position includes the IP address.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the identifier, associated with the second device, is associated with payment information, the first device preventing usage of the payment information when the value does not satisfy a particular threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

generate a geographic map having the first proximity and the second proximity; and

determine the value based on generating the geographic map;

where one or more instructions, of the plurality of instructions, to provide the proximity information to the first device include one or more instructions to provide the geographic map to the first device based on generating the geographic map.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, where the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

determine a meeting point based on the group proximity.