Web service for mobile device tracking

• US 7,647,164 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2004
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Computer Associates Think Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reeves, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiswanto; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/828,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20050251326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,092 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/206, 455/456, 455/433, 455/466, 455/404.2, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

A method and system for providing location data of a mobile device using a web service is provided. In one embodiment, a method for providing location data of a mobile device using a web service includes receiving location data associated with a mobile device, the mobile device operable to transmit a wireless signal including corresponding location data. A location request is received from a client using a web service. The location request comprising information identifying the mobile device and the client. A response to the location request is automatically communicated based on the location data associated with the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for providing location data of mobile devices using a web service comprising one or more network devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by the one or more network devices of the web service, first location data and second location data respectively associated with and transmitted by a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

receiving, by the one or more network devices of the web service, a monitoring request from a client, the monitoring request comprising information identifying the first mobile device and the client, and a criteria for alerting the client when the first mobile device is within a specified distance of the second mobile device based on the first location data and the second location data;

comparing, by the one or more network devices of the web service, the first location data and the second location data to determine whether the criteria has been satisfied; and

automatically communicating an alert, by the one or more network devices of the web service, to the client when the first location data and the second location data indicate that the criteria has been satisfied when the first location data and the second location data indicate that the first mobile device is within the specified distance of the second mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location data comprises a geographic location and a time stamp.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining request permissions that indicate whether the identified client may access the first location data associated with the first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, the criteria further comprising the first mobile device arriving at a location.

5. The method of claim 1, the criteria further comprising the first mobile device crossing a geographic perimeter.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to the client, by the one or more network devices of the web service, a route that the first mobile device travels between a first location and a second location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to the client, by the one or more network devices of the web service, a speed that the first mobile device travels over a period of time.

8. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon for providing location data of mobile devices using a web service, the instructions when executed on one or more computing devices configuring the one or more computing devices to:

receive first location data and second location data at the web service respectively associated with and transmitted by a first mobile device and a second mobile device;

receive a monitoring request from a client, the monitoring request comprising information identifying the first mobile device and the client, and a criteria for alerting the client when the first mobile device is within a specified distance of the second mobile device based on the first location data and the second location data;

compare the first location data and the second location data to determine whether the criteria has been satisfied; and

automatically communicate an alert to the client when the first location data and the second location data indicate that the criteria has been satisfied when the first location data and the second location data indicate that the first mobile device is within the specified distance of the second mobile device.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the location data comprises a geographic location and a time stamp.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the instructions when executed further configuring the one or more computing devices to:

determine request permissions that indicate whether the identified client may access the first location data associated with the first mobile device.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the criteria further comprising the first mobile device arriving at a location.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the criteria further comprising the first mobile device crossing a geographic perimeter.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the instructions when executed further configuring the one or more computing devices to:

transmit to the client a route that the first mobile device travels between a first location and a second location.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 8, the instructions when executed further configuring the one or more computing devices to:

transmit to the client a speed that the first mobile device travels over a period of time.

15. A system for providing location data of mobile devices using a web service, comprising:

memory configured to store information associated with a plurality of network devices in the enterprise network; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive first location data and second location data respectively associated with and transmitted by a first mobile device and a second mobile device,

receive a monitoring request from a client, the monitoring request comprising information identifying the first mobile device and the client, and a criteria for alerting the client when the first mobile device is within a specified distance of the second mobile device based on the first location data and the second location data,

compare the first location data and the second location data to determine whether the criteria has been satisfied, and

automatically communicate an alert to the client when the first location data and the second location data indicate that the criteria has been satisfied when the first location data and the second location data indicate that the first mobile device is within the specified distance of the second mobile device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first location data comprises a geographic location and a time stamp.

17. The system of claim 15, the one or more processors further configured to:

determine request permissions that indicate whether the identified client may access the first location data associated with the first mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, the criteria further comprising the first mobile device arriving at a location.

19. The system of claim 15, the criteria further comprising the first mobile device crossing a geographic perimeter.

20. The system of claim 15, the one or more processors further configured to:

transmit to the client a route that the first mobile device travels over a period of time.

21. The system of claim 15, the one or more processors further configured to:

transmit to the client a speed that the first mobile device travels between a first and a second location.

22. A method for providing location data of a mobile device using a web service comprising one or more network devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by the one or more network devices of the web service, location data associated with and transmitted by the mobile device, wherein the location data comprises a tolerance indicating a level of accuracy of the location data;

receiving, by the one or more network devices of the web service, a location request from a client, the location request comprising information identifying the mobile device and the client;

determining, by the one or more network devices of the web service, whether the client has permission to access the location data based at least in part on the identified mobile device and the client; and

providing the client with the location data when the client is determined to have permission to access the location data.

23. The method of claim 22, the method further comprising:

retrieving a polling configuration profile comprising one or more instructions that controls when to poll the mobile device for the location data; and

wherein said receiving, by the one or more network devices of the web service, location data further comprises the mobile device being polled for the location data according to the polling configuration profile.

24. The method of claim 22, the method further comprising:

when the client is determined to not have permission to access the location data, transmitting to the mobile device, by the one or more network devices of the web service, a permission request to access the location data by the client;

receiving, by the one or more network devices of the web service, a permission response from the mobile device responding to the permission request; and

providing, by the one or more network devices of the web service, the location data when the permission response indicates that the client has permission to access the location data.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the location data is generated by the mobile device using one of a plurality of location techniques, wherein each of the plurality of location techniques generate the location data using a different technique, and wherein the location data comprises a technique identifier that identifies the one of the plurality of location techniques that were used to generate the location data.