Location blocking service for wireless networks

• US 20040097243A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Enzmann, Mark J., Moton, Robert T. Jr., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,664,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

The invention disclosed is a location blocking service for use in a wireless network that tracks the location and identity of network users, such as networks complying with enhanced 911 standards. The service provides a network user with the ability to prevent the location of her wireless handheld device from being disclosed to parties other than the wireless network provider and PSAPs (Public Safety Answering Points). The network user blocks the forwarding of location information by signaling to the wireless handheld device when the location information originates from the wireless handheld device, or by signaling to the network when the location information originates from the wireless handheld device or the network. Primary components of the present invention include at least one user interface and at least one location block processor provisioned in the wireless handheld device and/or the wireless network. The user interface prompts the user of the handheld device to enter the commands that the send the signals to the device or network.

Claims

1. A method for blocking location information of a wireless handheld device that is used in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of network users, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving through a user interface a request to block the location information;

b) providing location information with at least one of a handheld location system in the wireless handheld device and a network-based location system in the wireless network;

c) removing the location information from a transmission from the wireless handheld device before the transmission is sent from the wireless network to a third party; and

d) forwarding the transmission without the location information to the third party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein only the wireless handheld device provides the location information of the wireless handheld device, and the step of removing the location information occurs before the transmission is sent from the wireless handheld device to the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the location information further comprises substituting dummy information for the location information and the step of forwarding the transmission comprises forwarding the dummy information to the third party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the location information comprises disabling a location system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to block the location information specifies conditions under which to block the location information, and the step of removing the location information comprises the steps of:

i) reading the conditions;

ii) evaluating the transmission to determine if the conditions are met; and

iii) removing the location information when the conditions are met.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the conditions are stored in a user profile, and the step of reading the conditions comprises consulting the user profile and determining what the conditions are.

7. A method for blocking location information of a wireless handheld device that is used in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of network users, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving through a user interface a request to block the location information of a transmission directed to a third party;

b) disregarding the request to block the location information if the third party is a public safety answering point such that the location information remains a part of the transmission;

c) removing the location information from the transmission if the third party is not a public safety answering point; and

d) forwarding the transmission to the third party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the public safety answering point is a 911 call center.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the location information is re moved from the transmission before the transmission is sent from the wireless network to the third party.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the location information is removed from the transmission before the transmission is sent from the wireless handheld device to the wireless network.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the request to block the location information applies to the transmission and subsequent transmissions, and the method further comprises the steps of:

e) receiving through the user interface a request to stop blocking the location information the subsequent transmissions; and

f) forwarding the subsequent transmissions to subsequent third parties.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the request to block the location information includes a request to block identity information and the step of removing the location information further comprises removing the identity information.

13. A system for blocking location information of a wireless handheld device that is used in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of network users, the system comprising:

a) a location system that provides the location information;

b) a user interface that accepts a request from a user to block the location information; and

c) a location block processor in communication with the user interface,

wherein the user interface, based on the request, directs the location block processor to block the location information in a transmission from the wireless handheld device, the location block processor removes the location information from the transmission, and the location block processor forwards the transmission to a third party.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the location system and the location block processor are provisioned in the wireless handheld device, and the location block processor removes the location information from the transmission before the transmission is sent to the wireless network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the location block processor is provisioned in the wireless network, and wherein the location block processor removes the location information from the transmission before the transmission is sent to the third party.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the location system and the location block processor are provisioned in the wireless network, and wherein the location block processor removes the location information from the transmission before the transmission is sent to the third party.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the location system is provisioned in both the wireless handheld device and the wireless network, and the location block processor is provisioned in the wireless network, and wherein the location block processor removes the location information from the transmission before the transmission is sent to the third party.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is provisioned in the wireless handheld device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface is a menu selection.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface is a key sequence.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is provisioned in the wireless network.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the user interface is an interactive voice response system.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the location block processor removes the location information by disabling the location system.

24. A wireless handheld device for use in a wireless network that tracks locations and identities of network users, the device comprising:

a) a location system that provides the location of the wireless handheld device;

b) a user interface that prompts a user to remove location information from transmissions generated by the wireless handheld device; and

c) a location block processor in communication with the location system and the user interface,

wherein the location block processor receives the location information from the location system, receives directions from the user interface to remove the location information from the transmissions, and removes the location information from the transmissions.

25. The wireless handheld device of claim 24, wherein the location system is a global positioning system.

26. The wireless handheld device of claim 24, wherein the location block processor overrides the directions to remove the location information when the transmissions are directed to a public safety answering point.

27. A wireless network that tracks locations and identities of network users comprising:

a) a plurality of wireless handheld devices;

b) a location system that provides location information on the plurality of wireless handheld devices;

c) a user interface that prompts users to enter commands to remove location information from transmissions generated by the plurality of wireless handheld devices; and

d) a location block processor in communication with the plurality of wireless handheld devices, the location system, and the user interface, wherein, in response to the commands, the location block processor removes the location information from the transmissions before the transmissions are forwarded to a third party.

28. The wireless network of claim 27, wherein the location system is a wireless access protocol location service.

29. The wireless network of claim 27, wherein the location system is global positioning systems provisioned on the plurality of wireless handheld devices.

30. The wireless network of claim 27, wherein the user interface is a menu system provided on the plurality of wireless handheld devices.

31. The wireless network of claim 27, wherein the user interface is an interactive voice response system provisioned in the wireless network.

32. The wireless network of claim 27, wherein the location block processor overrides the commands to remove the location information when the transmissions are directed to a public safety answering point.