Requesting a location of a user

• US 10,004,056 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2013
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Khan, Rubaiyat, Brush, Alice Jane, Eberhardy, Peter, Rogers, March, Ostojic, Bojana, Auer, Nathaniel Eric Breskin, Danhope, Stefanie, Welborn, Abigail, Larsen, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US13/919,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20130303190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

A user sends a location request to a user of a group that requests the user'"'"'s current location. For example, one family member may send a location request to another family member that is part of their family group for their current location. The user receiving the request may accept the location request or reject the location request. When the location request is reject, the requesting user is not provided with the current location information of the user. When the location request is accepted, the requesting user is provided with the current location information of the user. In addition to providing the location information to the requesting user, the location may also be shared with other members of the group. For example, a message may be sent to each of the family members that are part of the group that informs them that a member has updated their location.

Claims

1. A method for processing location requests among a defined group of users, comprising:

sending, from a first device of a first user of the defined group, a location request within the defined group of users to a second device of a second user of the defined group requesting a current location of the second user of the defined group;

determining via a sharing service when the location request from the first user is accepted via the second device by the second user of the defined group receiving the location request;

accessing one or more of permissions and filters configured within settings of the sharing service for specifying location information and the sharing service then controlling the operation of sharing applications on the first and second devices of the first and second users by determining the location information allowed to be shared with one or more users of the group of users in response to the location request;

in response to determining via the sharing service that the location request is accepted via the second device by the second user of the defined group, receiving, by the first device of the first user of the defined group, the location information of the second user of the defined group from the sharing service, the location information including the current location of the second user of the defined group; and

in response to receiving, by the first device of the first user of the defined group, the location information of the second user of the defined group, the sharing service automatically sharing the location information of the second user with other members of the defined group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the location information of the second user occurs after the location request is accepted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically sharing the location information with the other members of the group comprises updating a map view that shows an updated location of the second user that accepted the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically sharing the location information with the other members of the group comprises delivering the location information within a message to at least one other member in the group.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining when the location request is accepted comprises determining when a reply has been received from the second device of the second user indicating that the location request is accepted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the location information to the first user comprises sending:

the current location of the second user, and a time of the update to the current location of the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the location request to the second device of the second user comprises displaying a user interface element on a display of the second device of the second user that shows the location request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the location request to the second device of the second user comprises causing an icon on a home screen of the second device to be displayed indicating the location request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the location request to the second device of the second user comprises displaying the location request within a location application when the location application is currently in use.

10. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions for processing location requests among a defined group of members, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps comprising:

sending, from a first device of a first group member of the defined group, a location request within the defined group to a second device of a second group member of the defined group requesting a current location of the second group member;

receiving via a sharing service an acceptance of the location request via the second device by the second group member;

accessing one or more of permissions and filters configured within settings of the sharing service for specifying location information and the sharing service then controlling the operation of sharing applications on the first and second devices of the first and second group members by determining the location information allowed to be shared with one or more members of the group of members in response to the location request;

in response to the second group member accepting the location request via the second device, the first group member obtaining a current location of the second group member from the sharing service; and

in response to the first group member obtaining the current location of the second group member, the sharing service delivering the current location of the second group member to yet another member of the defined group of users.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein obtaining the location information of the second group member occurs after receiving the acceptance.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein delivering the current location of the second group member comprises updating a map view that shows the current location of the second group member.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein delivering the current location of the second group member comprises delivering the current location within a message.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein delivering the current location of the second group member comprises sending:

the current location of the second group member, and a time of the update to the current location of the second group member.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein sending the location request to the second group member comprises displaying a user interface element on a display of the second device of the second group member that shows the location request and includes an accept option to accept the location request.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein sending the location request to the second group member comprises displaying the location request within a location application.

17. A system for processing location requests among a defined group of users, comprising:

a processor and memory;

an operating environment executing using the processor; and

a location manager that is configured to perform actions comprising;

sending, from a first device of a first user of the defined group, a location request within the defined group to a second device of a second user of the defined group of users requesting a current location of the second user of the defined group;

receiving via a sharing service an acceptance of the location request from the second device of the second user of the defined group;

accessing one or more of permissions and filters configured within settings of the sharing service for specifying location information and the sharing service then controlling the operation of sharing applications on the first and second devices of the first and second users by determining the location information allowed to be shared with one or more users of the group of users in response to the location request;

in response to the second device of the second user of the defined group accepting the location request, receiving, by the first device of the first user of the defined group from the sharing service, the current location of the second user of the defined group; and

in response to receiving, by the first device of the first user of the defined group, the current location of the second user of the defined group, the sharing service automatically sharing the current location of the second user with yet another user that is associated with the defined group of users.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein automatically sharing the current location of the second user with yet another user comprises delivering the current location within a message.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein sending the location request to the second user comprises updating a display of a sharing application to show the location request.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising determining the current location after receiving the acceptance.