Personal Location Code

• US 20080032702A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Cone, Charles Francis
• Granted Patent: US 7,957,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for receiving a request from a requester to locate a user. The request identifies a personal location code (PLC) for the user. It is determined if the request is allowed based on the PLC. If the request is allowed, the current location of the user is obtained based on the location of one or more devices associated with the user. The current location of the device is then provided to the requester.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a request from a requester to locate a user, the request identifying a personal location code (PLC) for the user;

determining if the request is allowed based on the PLC;

if the request is allowed, obtaining the current location of the user based on the location of one or more devices associated with the user; and

providing the current location of the device to the requestor.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where:

a PLC is a network-independent code for locating a user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the determining includes:

determining if a schedule allows use of the PLC at a time of the receiving.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the determining includes:

determining if the current location of the user is private.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the determining includes:

determining if the current location of the user is in a set of approved locations.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the determining includes:

determining if the PLC has expired.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the PLC is valid.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

limiting the current location of the user to a predetermined granularity.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

limiting the current location of the user to a predetermined description.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

charging or debiting an account associated with the PLC for the request.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where obtaining the current location of the user includes:

obtaining location information for two or more of the devices.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining a personal location code (PLC) for a user;

sending a request for the current location of the user to a user locator service, the request identifying the PLC;

receiving a response from the user locator service including the location of the user; and

updating the current location of the user.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

tracking the location of each user in the one or more users over time.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

tracking the time at each location for each user in the one or more users.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, where:

a PLC is a network-independent code for locating a user.

16. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a requester to locate a user, the request identifying a personal location code (PLC) for the user;

determining if the request is allowed based on the PLC;

if the request is allowed, obtaining the current location of the user based on the location of one or more devices associated with the user; and

providing the current location of the device to the requestor.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, where:

a PLC is a network-independent code for locating a user.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, where the determining includes:

determining if a schedule allows use of the PLC at a time of the receiving.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, where the determining includes:

determining if the current location of the user is private.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, where the determining includes:

determining if the current location of the user is in a set of approved locations.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, where the determining includes:

determining if the PLC has expired.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining if the PLC is valid.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

limiting the current location of the user to a predetermined granularity.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

limiting the current location of the user to a predetermined description.

25. The computer program product of claim 16, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

charging or debiting an account associated with the PLC for the request.

26. The computer program product of claim 16, where obtaining the current location of the user includes:

obtaining location information for two or more of the devices.

27. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a personal location code (PLC) for a user;

sending a request for the current location of the user to a user locator service, the request identifying the PLC;

receiving a response from the user locator service including the location of the user; and

updating the current location of the user.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

tracking the location of each user in the one or more users over time.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, further operable to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

tracking the time at each location for each user in the one or more users.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, where:

a PLC is a network-independent code for locating a user.