System and method for anonymous location based services

• US 8,060,389 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US11/207,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 705 6- 44
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Provided is a fully automated web service with location based services generally involved in transmission of situational location dependent information to automatically located mobile receiving data processing systems. The web service communicates with a receiving data processing system in a manner by delivering information to the device when appropriate without the device requesting it at the time of delivery. There are varieties of configurations made by different user types of the web service for configuring information to be delivered, and for receiving the information. The web service maximizes anonymity of users, provides granular privacy control with a default of complete privacy, and supports user configurable privileges and features for desired web service behavior and interoperability. The web service is fully automated to eliminate human resources required to operate services. Integrated with the web service are enhanced location based services providing map solutions, alerts, sharing of novel services between users, and complete user control for managing heterogeneous device interoperability through the web service.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors, comprising:

registering an account for a first user with a web service;

registering an account for a second user with said web service;

receiving from said first user a request granting a location based services privilege to said second user, where said request is made through a user interface of said web service;

receiving a situational location of said first user from a mobile device associated with said first user; and

enabling said second user to perform a location based service action on said first user in accordance with said situational location and said location based services privilege, where the location based service action is performed by processing the location based services privilege according to a preference specified by the first user, the preference allowing the second user to access the first user'"'"'s configuration data for performing the location based service action.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to determine whether said first user is located nearby said second user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to determine the whereabouts of said first user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to view reports of the whereabouts of said first user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to view the historical travels of said first user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling automated delivery of content to said first user which has been configured with said situational location by said second user for delivery at the future travels of said first user to said situational location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to said second user when said first user arrives to said situational location configured by said second user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to said second user when said first user departs said situational location configured by said second user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to said second user when said first user arrives to a location nearby said second user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to said second user when said first user departs from a location nearby said second user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to send a broadcast message to said first user wherein said broadcast message includes a plurality of recipient users.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to automatically receive copies of content deliveries made to said first user, said content deliveries delivered by said situational location.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to automatically receive intercepted content deliveries destined to said first user, said content deliveries delivered by said situational location.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said location based services privilege is configurable for enabling said second user to act on behalf of said first user when using said location based services.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining a situational location of said first user includes determining the Global Positioning System coordinate whereabouts of said first user.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining a situational location of said first user includes triangulating the whereabouts of said first user.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining a situational location of said first user includes sensing the whereabouts of said first user through being in range of a sensor at a known location.

18. A method performed by one or more processors, comprising:

automatically registering membership accounts to a plurality of users for a web service wherein there are a plurality of eligible receiving mobile devices associated to said membership accounts;

configuring a plurality of deliverable content records configured by said plurality of users to said web service;

receiving a situational location of said devices from said devices; and

sending content of said deliverable content records to said devices based on said situational location of said devices and unique identifiers associated with said devices, where sending content to said devices is based on a preference specified by at least one user of said devices to allow other users of said devices access to the at least one user'"'"'s configuration data stored by the web service for governing the sending of the content.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said content of said deliverable content records includes an alert to the whereabouts of a device.

20. The method of claim 18 further including receiving from said plurality of users requests for defining location based service privileges between said plurality of users.

21. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

registering an account for a first user with a service;

registering an account for a second user with said service;

receiving from said first user a request granting a location based services privilege to said second user, where said request is made through a user interface of said service;

receiving a situational location of said first user from a mobile device associated with said first user; and

enabling said second user to perform a location based service action on said first user in accordance with said situational location and said location based services privilege, where the location based service action is performed by processing the location based services privilege according to a preference specified by the first user, the preference allowing the second user to access the first user'"'"'s configuration data for performing the location based service action.

22. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

automatically registering membership accounts to a plurality of users for a service wherein there are a plurality of eligible receiving mobile devices associated to said membership accounts;

configuring a plurality of deliverable content records configured by said plurality of users to said service;

receiving a situational location of said devices from said devices; and

sending content of said deliverable content records to said devices based on said situational location of said devices and unique identifiers associated with said devices, where sending content to said devices is based on a preference specified by at least one user of said devices to allow other users of said devices access to the at least one user'"'"'s configuration data stored by the web service for governing the sending of the content.

23. A method performed by one or more processors of a mobile device, comprising:

registering an account for a service for a first user;

sending a request to said service granting a location based services privilege to a second user of said service;

sending a situational location of said mobile device to said service; and

receiving a location based service action from the second user in accordance with said situational location and said location based services privilege, where the location based service action is performed by processing the location based services privilege according to a preference specified by the first user, the preference allowing the second user to access the first user'"'"'s configuration data for performing the location based service action.

24. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

registering an account for a service for a first user;

sending a request to said service granting a location based services privilege to a second user of said service;

sending a situational location of said mobile device to said service; and

receiving a location based service action from the second user in accordance with said situational location and said location based services privilege, where the location based service action is performed by processing the location based services privilege according to a preference specified by the first user, the preference allowing the second user to access the first user'"'"'s configuration data for performing the location based service action.