Systems and methods for registering, administering, and using non-locational identifiers as locational addresses through location name and identifier registries

• US 9,678,986 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WGRS Licensing Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: WGRS Licensing Company, LLC
• Inventors: Hancock, S. Lee, Hancock, Stephen L., Kerstner, Chris, Dhingra, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapp, Amelia
• Application Number:
  US14/098,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20140223283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4588 containing mobile subscriber information, e.g. home subscriber server [HSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for registering, curating, enabling, and controlling the use of non-locational identifiers, such as phone numbers and domain names, as physical addresses and location identifiers (LIDs) for purposes of providing instant access to enhanced cross-platform location information and services imbedded in other devices and services through an LID registry. An exemplary method for registration may include receiving a request from a requester to register a non-locational identifier owned by the requester and create an LID for a physical location, creating the LID within the LID registry by verifying that the LID is unique within the registry, that the requestor owns the LID, and registering the LID to the requestor within the LID registry. Users may then use the LIDs as physical addresses for purposes of navigation and obtaining information related to such physical locations only as authorized and controlled by the owners of such LIDs.

Claims

1. A method for registering, curating and providing access to location information with a locational identifier (LID) registry, the method comprising:

receiving a request, from an electronic device of an owner via a network, to register a non-locational identifier owned by the owner and create a locational identifier for a physical location, the request including the non-locational identifier, wherein the non-locational identifier is at least one of a proprietary name from a social media service and a biometric attribute;

verifying automatically by the LID registry that the owner owns the non-locational identifier;

converting the non-locational identifier to a locational address within the LID registry;

communicating with the LID registry to verify that the locational address is unique and available within the LID registry;

registering the locational address to the owner and associating the non-locational identifier with the locational address within the LID registry; and

enabling the owner to control access by end users to location information associated the locational address included in the LID registry to facilitate navigation to or locating the physical location associated with the locational address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-locational identifier is converted into a locational address that includes components of the non-location identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the locational address is identical to the non-locational identifier.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein converting the non-locational identifier into a locational address comprises appending an additional unique alpha-numeric sequence to the non-locational identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the owner to control access comprises:

communicating to the owner a plurality of options for limiting access by end users to the location information; and

receiving a communication from the owner including selected options from the plurality of options,

the plurality of options comprising;

a) limiting end users access to the location information based at least in part on locational proximity of the end users to the physical location;

b) limiting end users access to the location information based at least in part on date and time; and

c) limiting end users access to the location information based at least in part on connectivity of the end users to a third party identified by the owner.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user request, from a user electronic device via the network, the request including the non-locational identifier known by the user electronic device to be owned by the owner;

accessing the LID registry to confirm that the non-locational identifier is still owned by the owner and the non-locational identifier is associated with a locational address within the LID Registry;

verifying by the LID registry that the owner of the locational address within the registry has authorized the user electronic device to access information associated with the locational address; and

sending a response to the user electronic device via the network, the response including authorized information regarding the physical location from the LID registry for presentation on a display of the user electronic device to facilitate navigation relative to the physical location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information includes at least one of a map including the physical location, navigation services related to the physical location, and directions to the physical location.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein verifying that the owner has authorized access comprises:

confirming by the LID registry that the non-locational identifier is still owned by the owner;

sending an authorization request by the LID registry to the owner after receiving the user request; and

receiving a confirmation response from the owner authorizing providing location information to the user electronic device, before sending the response to the user electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the authorization request includes identity information identifying the user to the owner.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the physical location is a movable location, and wherein sending a response to the user electronic device comprises:

obtaining a current geographic location of the physical location; and

including the current geographic location in the response to the user electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the physical location is a static geographic location or a movable location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-locational identifier is a biometric attribute of the owner.

13. A method for providing information regarding physical locations, comprising:

receiving a request, from a user electronic device via a network, the request including a non-locational identifier owned by an owner, wherein the non-locational identifier is at least one of a proprietary name from a social media service and a biometric attribute of the owner;

accessing a locational identifier (LID) registry to confirm that the non-locational identifier is still owned by the owner and that a locational address and physical location are associated within the registry by the owner with the non-locational identifier and obtain information regarding the physical location; and

sending a response to the user electronic device via the network, the response including the information regarding the physical location for presentation on a display of the remote electronic device to facilitate navigation to or locating the physical location associated with the locational address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information includes at least one of a map including the physical location, navigation services related to the physical location, and directions to the physical location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the request includes user identification information regarding the user of the user electronic device, and wherein accessing the LID registry further comprises determining a level of authorized information regarding the physical location available based at least in part on the user identification information, and wherein the response includes only the authorized information regarding the physical location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user identification information includes a user location of the user of the user electronic device, and wherein the authorized information is at least one of provided and limited based at least in part on a distance of the user location from the physical location.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the response to the user electronic device comprises verifying that the owner has authorized access to the location information by the user electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein verifying that the owner has authorized access comprises:

sending an authorization request to the owner after receiving the user request; and

receiving a confirmation response from the owner authorizing providing location information to the user electronic device, before sending the response to the user electronic device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the physical location is a movable location, and wherein sending a response to the user electronic device comprises:

obtaining a current geographic location of the physical location; and

including the current geographic location in the response to the user electronic device.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-locational identifier is a biometric attribute of the owner.