SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ROUTING, MAPPING, AND RELATIVE POSITION INFORMATION TO USERS OF A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20080170679A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Artax LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Networks In Motion Incorporated (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Sheha, Michael A., Sheha, Angie, Petilli, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.06
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing real-time position information of one party to another party by utilizing a conventional telecommunication network system such as the convention telephone network, a mobile telecommunications network, a computer network, or the Internet. More specifically, the preferred embodiments of the present invention allow a caller and a receiver of a telephone call to provide to and receive from each other position information related to the caller and/or receiver'"'"'s physical location, including address information, GPS coordinates, nearby fixed locations such as a parking structure, etc. Additionally, the preferred embodiments of the present invention allow a caller and receiver to retrieve routing instructions or maps for traveling to or from each other. In another embodiment of the present invention, a party may locate the position of another party via the entry of the other party'"'"'s unique identifier such as a phone number of the other party'"'"'s mobile phone. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the position information of a party may be concurrently delivered to another party'"'"'s computer terminal whereby the other party can process the information in further detail.

Claims

1. A method of providing position information of a first user to a second user of a telecommunication network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving first user information, said first user information including at least one of a first user identification information and a phone number information of the first user;

receiving second user information, said second user information including at least one of a second user identification information and a phone number information of the second user;

receiving first user position information, said first user position information indicating a real-time location of the first user;

accessing first user privacy information, said first user privacy information indicating a privacy setting of the first user, said privacy setting indicating a duration of time during which the first user grants permission to transmit the first user position information;

determining whether a current time is within the duration of time indicated by the privacy setting of the first user privacy information; and

if it is determined that the current time is within the duration of time indicated by the privacy setting of the first user privacy information, transmitting the first user privacy information to the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first user privacy information identifies a group of users who have permission to access the first user position information, and wherein said method further comprise the step of verifying whether the second user is permitted to access the first user position information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of time corresponds to the duration of a telecommunication event between the first and the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second user position information, said second position information indicating a real-time location of the second user;

determining a route of travel between the real-time location of the first user and the real-time location of the second user; and

transmitting to one of the first and the second user navigation information between the real-time location of the first user and the real-time location of the second user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of sending to one of the first and second user one of map data and point of interest data associated with the navigational information.

6. A system for providing position information of a first user to a second user of a telecommunication network, said system comprising:

means for receiving first user information, said first user information including at least one of a first user identification information and a phone number information of the first user;

means for receiving second user information, said second user information including at least one of a second user identification information and a phone number information of the second user;

means for receiving first user position information, said first user position information indicating a real-time location of the first user;

means for accessing first user privacy information, said first user privacy information indicating a privacy setting of the first user, said privacy setting indicating a duration of time during which the first user grants permission to transmit the first user position information;

means for determining whether a current time is within the duration of time indicated by the privacy setting of the first user privacy information; and

means for, if it is determined that the current time is within the duration of time indicated by the privacy setting of the first user privacy information, transmitting the first user privacy information to the second user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said first user privacy information identifies a group of users who have permission to access the first user position information, and wherein said system further comprise means for verifying whether the second user is permitted to access the first user position information.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the duration of time corresponds to the duration of a telecommunication event between the first and the second user.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for receiving a second user position information, said second position information indicating a real-time location of the second user;

means for determining a route of travel between the real-time location of the first user and the real-time location of the second user; and

means for transmitting to one of the first and the second user navigation information between the real-time location of the first user and the real-time location of the second user.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for sending to one of the first and second user one of map data and point of interest data associated with the navigational information.

11. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for performing a method of providing position information of a first user to a second user of a telecommunication network, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving first user information, said first user information including at least one of a first user identification information and a phone number information of the first user;

receiving second user information, said second user information including at least one of a second user identification information and a phone number information of the second user;

receiving first user position information, said first user position information indicating a real-time location of the first user;

accessing first user privacy information, said first user privacy information indicating a privacy setting of the first user, said privacy setting indicating a duration of time during which the first user grants permission to transmit the first user position information;

determining whether a current time is within the duration of time indicated by the privacy setting of the first user privacy information; and

if it is determined that the current time is within the duration of time indicated by the privacy setting of the first user privacy information, transmitting the first user privacy information to the second user.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said first user privacy information identifies a group of users who have permission to access the first user position information, and wherein said method further comprise the step of verifying whether the second user is permitted to access the first user position information.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the duration of time corresponds to the duration of a telecommunication event between the first and the second user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

receiving a second user position information, said second position information indicating a real-time location of the second user;

determining a route of travel between the real-time location of the first user and the real-time location of the second user; and

transmitting to one of the first and the second user navigation information between the real-time location of the first user and the real-time location of the second user.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said method further comprises the step of sending to one of the first and second user one of map data and point of interest data associated with the navigational information.