Location blocking service for wireless networks

• US 7,873,369 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Moton, Jr., Robert T., Enzmann, Mark J., Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US12/648,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20100151815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.4, 455/404.2, 455/445, 455/456.7
• 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 then send the signals to the device or network.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a location system configured to provide location information of a wireless handheld device operating in a wireless network;

a user interface configured to receive a request to block location information associated with the wireless handheld device from being transmitted to a third party, wherein the request to block the location information is associated with at least one condition comprising at least one of a time and a current user location;

a storage medium configured to store the condition under which the location information is to be blocked in a user profile; and

a location block processor in communication with the user interface, wherein the location block processor is configured to;

receive the request to block the location information;

disregard the request to block the location information if the third party is a public safety answering point (PSAP);

determine whether a transmission meets the condition; and

if the third party is not a PSAP, in response to determining that the transmission meets the condition;

block the location information from the transmission;

disable the location system that generates the location information; and

provide the transmission to the third party without any location information,

wherein the request to block the location information includes a request to block identity information and the instructions for disabling the location system further comprise instructions for removing the identity information from the transmission.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location system and the location block processor are provisioned in the wireless handheld device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the location block processor is provisioned in the wireless network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the location system and the location block processor are provisioned in the wireless network.

5. The system of claim 1, 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.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is provisioned in the wireless handheld device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is configured to receive the request via a menu selection.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is configured to receive the request via a key sequence.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is provisioned in the wireless network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface is an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

11. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of a wireless handheld device, the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of the wireless handheld device, cause the processor to perform a method for implementing a location blocking service in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of the wireless handheld device, a request to block location information associated with the wireless handheld device, wherein the request to block the location information is associated with at least one condition comprising at least one of a time and a current user location;

storing the condition under which the location information is to be blocked in a user profile;

determining whether a transmission meets the condition; and

in response to determining that the transmission meets the condition;

blocking the location information from being included in the transmission;

disabling a location system that generates the location information; and

forwarding the transmission without the location information to the wireless network;

wherein the request to block the location information includes a request to block identity information and the instructions for disabling the location system further comprise instructions for removing the identity information from the transmission.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the request to block the location information applies to the transmission and subsequent transmissions, and the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, a request to stop blocking the location information in the subsequent transmissions;

enabling the location system to generate the location information; and

forwarding the subsequent transmissions that include the location information to the wireless network.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for disabling the location system further comprise instructions for disabling a handheld location system in the wireless handheld device and disabling a network-based location system in the wireless network.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions for forwarding the transmission without the location information to the wireless network further comprise instructions for forwarding the transmission with dummy information instead of the location information.

15. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of a wireless handheld device, the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of the wireless handheld device, cause the processor to perform a method for implementing a location blocking service in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, via a user interface of the wireless handheld device, a request to block location information associated with the wireless handheld device from being transmitted to a third party, wherein the request to block the location information is associated with at least one condition comprising at least one of the following;

a time and a current user location;

storing the condition under which the location information is to be blocked in a user profile;

disregarding the request to block the location information if the third party is a public safety answering point (PSAP);

determining whether a transmission meets the at least one condition;

if the third party is not a PSAP and, in response to determining that the transmission meets the condition;

blocking the location information from the transmission;

disabling a location system that generates the location information; and

providing the transmission to the third party without any location information;

wherein the request to block the location information includes a request to block identity information and the instructions for disabling the location system further comprise instructions for removing the identity information from the transmission.

16. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the request to block the location information applies to the transmission and subsequent transmissions, and the tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, further comprising:

receiving, via the user interface, a request to stop blocking the location information in the subsequent transmissions;

enabling the location system to generate the location information; and

forwarding the subsequent transmissions that include the location information to subsequent third parties.

17. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for disabling the location system further comprise instructions for disabling a handheld location system in the wireless handheld device and disabling a network-based location system in the wireless network.

18. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for providing the transmission to the third party without any location information further comprise instructions for providing the transmission with to the third party with dummy information instead of the location information.