Providing geographic locations of a user's wireless device

• US 9,756,466 B1
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: McMullen, Michael P., Nelson, Rodney D., Schuler, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US15/154,561
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time. In response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, a request can be issued by a wireless provider to users of wireless devices to provide the geographic locations of their respective devices and their identities to one or more entities. Upon receiving an affirmative response to the request, the wireless provider communicates information to the entities allowing the entities to contact the users to solicit information regarding the occurrence of the event. A wireless provider may send a request for authorization to users of wireless devices to provide geographic locations when the wireless devices enter a predefined geographic area.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method for providing geographic locations of a wireless device associated with a user, the method comprising:

via a base station communicating a request for authorization to provide geographic locations of the wireless device in response to the occurrence of an event, wherein the request is an alert that includes a geographic boundary of the event and a time period for the requested geographic locations of the wireless device;

from a wireless device, receiving a response to the request for authorization;

when an affirmative response is received to the request for authorization, providing the geographic locations of the wireless device that provided the affirmative response to the request for authorization, wherein the geographic locations are provided as positions overlaid on a street map; and

in the absence of an affirmative response, soliciting an authorization from the user of the wireless device to disclose the geographic locations of the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is communicated to one or more wireless devices and presented to a user associated with each of the one or more wireless devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the event is the commission of a crime.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request for authorization is communicated at the request of one or more entities, and wherein information describing the event is included in the request for authorization.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more entities are law enforcement organizations.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the geographic locations are provided to the one or more entities that requested the communication of the request for authorization.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions for performing a method of providing locations of one or more users associated with wireless devices located within a predefined geographic boundary, the method comprising:

via a base station, communicating a request for authorization to provide geographic locations of the wireless device in response to the occurrence of an event, wherein the request is an alert that includes a geographic boundary of the event and a time period for the requested geographic locations of the wireless device;

from a wireless device, receiving a response to the request for authorization; and

providing geographic locations when an affirmative response is received to the request for authorization,

wherein when a user of the wireless device previously consented to disclosing the geographic locations to one or more entities in response to the occurrence of an event, the geographic locations are provided on a street map overlaid with positions for the wireless device that provided an affirmative response to the request for authorization, and

wherein when the user of the wireless device has not previously consented to the providing of geographic locations in response to the occurrence of an event, soliciting an authorization from the user of the wireless device to disclose the geographic locations of the wireless device.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the request is communicated to one or more wireless devices and presented to a user associated with each of the one or more wireless devices.

9. The media of claim 7, wherein the event is the commission of a crime.

10. The media of claim 7, wherein the request for authorization is communicated at the request of one or more entities, and wherein information describing the event is included in the request for authorization.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the one or more entities are law enforcement organizations.

12. The media of claim 11, wherein the geographic locations are provided to the one or more entities that requested the communication of the request for authorization.

13. A computer system for providing geographic locations of a wireless device associated with a user, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform the following;

via a base station, communicate a request for authorization to provide geographic locations of the wireless device in response to the occurrence of an event, wherein the request is an alert that includes a geographic boundary of the event and a time period for the requested geographic locations of the wireless device;

from one or more wireless devices, receive a response to the request for authorization; and

provide geographic locations when an affirmative response is received to the request for authorization,

wherein for each of the one or more wireless devices that provided an affirmative response to the request for authorization, providing the geographic locations as positions overlaid on a street map, and

wherein for each of the one or more wireless devices that did not provide an affirmative response, soliciting an authorization from a user of the one or more wireless devices to disclose the geographic locations.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the request is communicated to one or more wireless devices and presented to a user associated with each of the one or more wireless devices.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the event is the commission of a crime.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the request for authorization is communicated at the request of one or more entities, and wherein information describing the event is included in the request for authorization.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the one or more entities are law enforcement organizations.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the geographic locations are provided to the one or more entities that requested the communication of the request for authorization.