Providing notice and receiving consent to obtain location information of a mobile device

• US 8,275,358 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2012
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macropoint LLC (The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Macropoint LLC (The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Adelson, Bennett H.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG-HURST, KATHY W
• Application Number:
  US13/409,281
• Time in Patent Office: 208 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/413, 455/415, 455/418, 455/404.2, 370/310, 370/328, 370/338, 701/32.3, 701/32.4, 701/32.5, 701/400, 701/451
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32

Abstract

A system for receiving user consent to obtaining location information of a mobile device includes a communications interface configured for communication with a mobile device, a validation logic configured to identify the mobile device at least in part by obtaining an identifier associated with the mobile device, and a notification logic configured to communicate a signal including data representing an automated voice message. The automated voice message provides a notice or the location of a notice including information indicating to the user of the mobile device that consenting to the obtaining of the location information of the mobile device would result in the location information of the mobile device being disclosed. The communications interface is configured to transmit the automated voice message to the mobile device, and to receive from the mobile device data indicating the user consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for receiving consent from a user of a mobile device to obtaining location information of the mobile device, the method comprising:

participating in a telephone call with the mobile device;

within the telephone call, identifying the mobile device at least in part by obtaining an identifier associated with the mobile device;

transmitting to the mobile device during the telephone call an automated voice message communicating to the user of the mobile device at least one of;

a notice including information indicating that consenting to the obtaining of the location information of the mobile device would result in the location information of the mobile device being disclosed, and

a location at which to find the notice, wherein the location at which to find the notice is represented by a web address corresponding to a website where, during the telephone call, the user can find the notice indicating to the user that consenting to the obtaining of the location information of the mobile device would result in the location information of the mobile device being disclosed; and

receiving from the mobile device during the telephone call a signal including data indicating consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone call is a toll free call and the identifying the mobile device includes obtaining a telephone number associated with the mobile device via automatic number identification (ANI).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically transmitting an automated voice message communicating to the user via the mobile device a notification message indicating that the location information of the mobile device is currently being disclosed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving from the mobile device a signal including data indicating consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device includes at least one of:

receiving data indicating that the user of the mobile device has performed an action on the mobile device; and

receiving a voice command from the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal including data received from the mobile device indicating the user consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device corresponds to an SMS message including the term “

share”

.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving from the user consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device, transmitting a signal including data representing a request for the location information of the mobile device, wherein the request includes the identifier associated with the mobile device; and

receiving a signal including data indicating the location information of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating the location information to an obtaining party, wherein the communicating includes at least one of;

transmitting a signal including data representing the location information of the mobile device to the obtaining party, and

exposing an application programming interface (API) from which the obtaining party can access the location information of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

communicating the location information of the mobile device to a freight service provider for the freight service provider to have access to location information of freight carried by a vehicle carrying the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating to the user via a second automated voice message information indicating that consent to obtain the location information is revocable via the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device a signal including data indicating revocation of the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein signal including data indicating revocation of the consent corresponds to an SMS message including the term “

hide”

.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the revocation is temporary, and wherein the receiving from the mobile device the signal including data indicating revocation of the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device includes data indicating at least one of:

a time until which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device is revoked, and

an interval of time during which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device is revoked;

wherein consent is unrevoked at the time until which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device is revoked or upon expiration of the interval of time during which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device is revoked.

13. A computer implemented method for receiving from a user of a mobile device a revocation of consent to obtain location information of the mobile device, the method comprising:

participating in a telephone call with the mobile device;

within the telephone call, identifying the mobile device at least in part by obtaining an identifier associated with the mobile device;

communicating to the user via an automated voice message transmitted to the mobile device during the telephone call information indicating that consent to obtain the location information is revocable via operation of the mobile device; and

receiving from the mobile device during the telephone call a signal including data indicating revocation of the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the telephone call is a toll free call and the identifying the mobile device includes obtaining a telephone number associated with the mobile device via automatic number identification (ANI).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving from the mobile device a signal including data indicating revocation of the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device includes receiving data indicating that an action was performed on the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein signal including data indicating revocation of the consent corresponds to an SMS message including the term “

hide”

.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving from the mobile device a signal including data indicating revocation of the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device includes receiving a voice command from the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the revocation is temporary, and wherein the receiving from the mobile device a signal including data indicating revocation of the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device includes data indicating at least one of:

a time until which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device is revoked, and

an interval of time for which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device has been revoked;

wherein consent is unrevoked at the time until which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device is revoked or upon expiration of the interval of time for which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device has been revoked.

19. A system for receiving user consent to obtaining location information of a mobile device, the system comprising:

a communications interface configured to participate in a telephone call with the mobile device;

a validation logic configured to, within the telephone call, identify the mobile device at least in part by obtaining an identifier associated with the mobile device; and

a notification logic configured to communicate during the telephone call an automated voice message including at least one of;

a notice including information indicating to the user of the mobile device that consenting to the obtaining of the location information of the mobile device would result in the location information of the mobile device being disclosed, and

a location at which to find the notice, wherein the location at which to find the notice is represented by a web address corresponding to a website where, during the telephone call, the user of the mobile device can find the notice including information indicating to the user of the mobile device that consenting to the obtaining of the location information of the mobile device would result in the location information of the mobile device being disclosed;

wherein the communications interface is configured to transmit during the telephone call the automated voice message to the mobile device, and

wherein the communications interface is further configured to, during the telephone call, receive from the mobile device data indicating the user consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate with a toll free number, and wherein the validation logic is configured to identify the mobile device at least in part by obtaining a telephone number associated with the mobile device via automatic number identification (ANI).

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the notification logic is further configured to periodically generate a notification message indicating that the location information of the mobile device is being disclosed, and wherein the communications interface is further configured to periodically communicate the notification message to the mobile device.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the data indicating the user consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device includes at least one of:

data indicating that an action was performed on the mobile device, and

a voice command from the mobile device.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the data received from the mobile device indicating the user consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device corresponds to an SMS message including the term “

share”

.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications interface is further configured to, upon receipt of the data indicating the user consent for obtaining the location information of the mobile device, transmit a request for the location information of the mobile device, wherein the request includes the identifier associated with the mobile device, and wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive the location information of the mobile device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the communications interface is further configured to communicate the location information to an obtaining party by at least one of:

transmitting the location information of the mobile device to the obtaining party, and

exposing an application programming interface (API) from which the obtaining party can access the location information of the mobile device.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the communications interface is further configured to communicate the location information of the mobile device to a freight service provider for the freight service provider to have access to location information of freight carried by a vehicle carrying the mobile device.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the notification logic is further configured to communicate a second automated voice message indicating that consent to obtain the location information is revocable via the mobile device, and wherein the communications interface is configured to communicate to the mobile device the second automated voice message.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications interface if further configured to receive revocation of the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein revocation of the consent corresponds to an SMS message including the term “

hide”

.

30. The system of claim 28, the communications interface is further configured to receive data indicating at least one of:

a time until which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device is revoked, and

an interval of time during which the consent to obtain the location information of the mobile device has been revoked.