Sharing of location information in a networked computing environment

• US 9,906,907 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2015
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glympse
• Original Assignee: Glympse
• Inventors: Trussel, Bryan Gardner, Mercer, Jeremy, Miller, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US14/704,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 455457, 4554561, 4554562, 4554563, 4554042, 4554142
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• 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 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A system includes a server and a source client executable on a first electronic device in communication with the server. The server is configured to provide to a second electronic device in communication with the server access to location data implementable by a user interface associated with the second electronic device. The location data enables the user interface to display the geographical location of the first electronic device. The access to the location data is accessible to the second electronic device only during a time interval designated by a user of the first electronic device.

Claims

1. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a first electronic device, a request to create authorization data comprising a designation of a time interval;

in response to the request, generating the authorization data including pointing data configured to provide access to location data corresponding to a geographical location of the first electronic device,

wherein the pointing data is only valid during the time interval which was defined by a time value input into the first electronic device and which commences upon a recipient device accessing the location data;

providing the pointing data to a second electronic device;

receiving an indication that the pointing data was accessed by the second electronic device;

in response to receiving the indication that the pointing data was accessed, verifying that the pointing data is valid by checking the time interval,

wherein the time interval commenced upon an initial receipt of an indication that the pointing data was accessed by the second electronic device; and

in response to verifying that the pointing data is valid, sending, to the second electronic device, the location data,

wherein the location data is configured to allow a user interface of the second electronic device to display a representation of the geographical location of the first electronic device.

2. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving second location data indicating a location of the second electronic device, the second location data displayable on a user interface to indicate a geographical location of the second electronic device.

3. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the pointing data comprises a URL link, the URL link being provided to the second electronic device without requiring any security credentials or account creation, without requiring authentication of the second electronic device and without requiring authentication by a server.

4. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the pointing data is further only valid when a stop time or the end of a time interval has not been reached;

and

wherein the verifying that the pointing data is valid further comprises determining that the stop time or the end of a time interval has not been reached.

5. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second indication that the pointing data was accessed by the second electronic device;

in response to receiving the second indication that the pointing data was accessed, determining that the pointing data is invalid by determining that a current time is not within the time interval; and

in response to determining that the pointing data is invalid, sending, to the second electronic device, an indication that the geographical location of the first electronic device will not be provided.

6. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second indication that the pointing data was accessed by the second electronic device;

in response to receiving the second indication that the pointing data was accessed, determining that the pointing data is invalid by determining that a current time is not within the time interval; and

in response to determining that the pointing data is invalid, sending, to the second electronic device, an indication that the geographical location of the first electronic device will not be provided;

wherein the indication that the geographical location of the first electronic device will not be provided is associated with a last known location of the first electronic device before the time interval expired; and

wherein the last known location of the first electronic device before the time interval expired is configured to permit the second electronic device to render a map depicting the last known location of the first electronic device before the time interval expired.

7. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the pointing data is transferable;

wherein the providing of the pointing data to the second electronic device comprises providing the pointing data to a third electronic device that provides the pointing data to the second electronic device; and

wherein the pointing data can be used, within the time interval, from either or both the second electronic device or the third electronic device.

8. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the displaying, by the user interface of the second electronic, the representation of the geographical location of the first electronic device includes accentuating a location of interest, other than the geographical location of the first electronic device, based on a determined distance between the location of interest and the geographical location of the first electronic device.

9. A method implementable in an electronic system, the electronic system being coupled to a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the first electronic device, a request to share location data;

receiving an indication of a destination for the first electronic device;

receiving current location information specifying a geographical location of the first electronic device,

wherein the current location information stays current through at least one location update from the first electronic device;

in response to the request, generating pointing data configured to provide access to the location data,

wherein the location data is based on the current location information, and

wherein the pointing data is only valid when a history of the current location information indicates the first electronic device has not arrived at the destination since sending the request;

providing the pointing data to the second electronic device;

receiving an indication that the pointing data was accessed by the second electronic devices;

in response to receiving the indication that the pointing data was accessed, verifying that the pointing data is valid by the determining, base on the history of the current location information, that the first electronic device has not arrived at the destination since sending the request, and

in response to verifying that the pointing data is valid, sending, to the second electronic device, the location data,

wherein the location data is configured to allow a user interface of the second electronic device to display a representation of the geographical location of the first electronic device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving an authorization for the first location data to be viewed on the user interface of the second device, wherein the authorization is based on data specified by a first user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sending of the location data causes the second electronic device to perform communications with a user of the first electronic device based on one or more mappings between a location and a communication method to be use when the first electronic device is at the corresponding location.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the sending, to the second electronic device, of the location data occurs only after the electronic system receives a location update indicating an updated geographical location of the first electronic device that is a threshold distance away from the geographical location indicated in the location data to be sent.

13. A system, comprising:

a server having a hardware processor and memory coupled to the processor, wherein the server is in communication with a source device and a recipient device, wherein the server is configured to;

receive, from the source device, a request to share a geographical location of the source device;

receive an indication of a specified location;

receive current location information specifying the geographical location of the source device;

wherein the current location information stays current through at least one location update from the source device;

in response to the request generate pointing data configured to provide access to location data that is based on the current location information,

wherein the pointing data is only valid when the current location information indicates the source device is at least a threshold distance from the specified location;

provide the pointing data to recipient device;

receive an indication that the pointing data was accessed by the recipient device;

in response to receiving the indication that the pointing data was accessed, verify that the pointing data is valid by checking the current location information to determine that the source device is at least the threshold distance from the specified location; and

in response to verifying that the pointing data is valid, send to the recipient device, the location data,

wherein the location data is configured to allow a user interface of the recipient device to display a representation of the geographical location of the source device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is configured to provide the pointing data directly to the recipient device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the pointing data comprises a URL link, and wherein the server is configured to provide the URL link to the recipient device without requiring any security credentials or account creation, without requiring authentication of the recipient device and without requiring authentication by a server.

17. The system of claim 13,

wherein the pointing data is further only valid during a specified time interval that commences upon the recipient device accessing the location data;

and

wherein the verifying that the pointing data is valid further comprises determining that a current time is within the time interval.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to:

specify a frequency for the at least one location update from the source device based on a dynamic detection that another computing system has, within a threshold time, received an indication of the geographical location of the source device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to:

in relation to the sending of the location data to the recipient device, provide, to the source device, an indication that the location of the source device has been viewed.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to:

in relation to the sending of the location data to the recipient device, provide, to the source device, an indication that the location of the source device has been viewed, wherein the indication that the location of the source device has been viewed includes an identification of the recipient device or a user associated with the recipient device.

15. The system of claimed 13, wherein the pointing data comprise a selectable link to a URL from which the location data may be accessed.