Position privacy in an electronic device

• US 8,717,231 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NorthStar Systems LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Platt Technology Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Harris, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US12/902,042
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.21, 342/357.25, 342/357.4, 342/357.75, 701/409, 701/412, 701/426, 701/468, 455/404.2, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 342/357.21
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3644 Landmark guidance, e.g. using POIs or conspicuous other objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/01 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems transmitting time-stamped messages, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System], GLONASS [Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System] or GALILEO
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0036 of measured values, i.e. measurement on mobile and position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0054 of actual mobile position, i.e. position calculation on base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/68 using passive jamming, e.g. by shielding or reflection shielding of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic field H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/90 related to allowing or preventing navigation or positioning, e.g. GPS
• 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: 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 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A privacy enhancement device for electronic device such as a cellular telephone. The privacy enhancement device may include a jammer which may produces false information, e.g. false information indicative of pseudo ranges. In addition, the navigation information used on the position detecting device may be locally stored versions of dynamically changing information. The navigation operation may be carried out using a Web service.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

means for detecting information indicative of a current location of the apparatus;

means for determining the current location based, at least in part, on the detected information;

means for transmitting current location information;

means for enabling a privacy mode, wherein the current location information is prevented from being transmitted in response to the privacy mode being enabled; and

means for communicating in the privacy mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile communication device, and wherein the mobile communication device is configured to communicate while the transmission of the current location information is being prevented.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the means for enabling further comprises means for disabling the privacy mode, and wherein the mobile communication device is configured to communicate while the current location information is being transmitted.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for detecting information comprises means for identifying an emergency situation, and wherein the current location of the apparatus is determined in response to identifying the emergency situation.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for identifying an emergency situation, wherein said means for detecting comprises means for detecting the information indicative of the current location of the apparatus in response to identifying the emergency situation.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for detecting positional information associated with the apparatus, and wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining the current location based on both the positional information and the detected information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said means for detecting positional information is configured to receive information from a non-satellite source indicative of global positioning information that provides simulated information indicative of global positioning information.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for detecting global positioning system (GPS) information associated with the apparatus, wherein the detected information comprises non-GPS information, and wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining the current location based on both the GPS information and the non-GPS information.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for detecting information comprises means for identifying an emergency situation, and wherein the current location information is prevented from being transmitted prior to detecting the emergency situation.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected information comprises map information.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected information comprises points of interest.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing the current location of the apparatus, wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining a new location of the apparatus; and

means for displaying navigational instructions from the new location to the current location.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for displaying comprises means for displaying the navigational instructions in response to receiving a user input.

4. A memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

detecting information indicative of a current location of a mobile communication device;

determining the current location based, at least in part, on the detected information;

transmitting current location information;

enabling a privacy mode associated with the mobile communication device; and

preventing the current location information from being transmitted in response to the privacy mode being enabled, wherein the mobile communication device is able to communicate in the privacy mode.

5. The memory device of claim 4, wherein the mobile communication device is able to communicate while the current location information is prevented from being transmitted.

6. The memory device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending the detected information over a network; and

receiving a response over the network which includes additional information associated with the detected information, wherein said determining the current location comprises determining the current location based, at least in part, on the additional information.

7. The memory device of claim 4, wherein the detected information is sent over the network at intervals set by a distance of movement of the mobile communication device.

8. The memory device of claim 4, wherein the additional information comprises global positioning system (GPS) information and simulated GPS information.

9. The memory device of claim 4, wherein the additional information comprises mapping information and points of interest.

20. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a mobile communication device, information indicative of a current location of the mobile communication device;

determining, by the mobile communication device, the current location based, at least in part, on the detected information;

transmitting, by the mobile communication device, current location information;

enabling, by the mobile communication device, a privacy mode associated with the mobile communication device; and

preventing, by the mobile communication device, the current location information from being transmitted in response to the privacy mode being enabled, wherein the mobile communication device is able to communicate in the privacy mode.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sending the detected information over a network; and

receiving a response over the network which includes additional information associated with the detected information, wherein said determining the current location further comprises determining the current location based on the additional information.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising identifying an emergency situation, wherein the current location of the apparatus is determined in response to identifying the emergency situation.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting positional information associated with the mobile communication device, wherein the current location is determined based on both the positional information and the detected information indicative of the current location.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting global positioning system (GPS) information associated with the mobile communication device, wherein the detected information comprises non-GPS information, and wherein the current location is determined based on both the GPS information and the non-GPS information.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

storing the current location of the mobile communication device;

determining a new location of the mobile communication device; and

displaying navigational instructions from the new location to the current position location.