Methods and systems for sharing position data and tracing paths between mobile-device users
First Claim
1. A method of sharing position data between a first device associated with a first user and a second device associated with a second user, the position data including first position data indicating a first location of the first device and second position data indicating a second location of the second device, the method comprising:
- communicating with the first device to authenticate the first device as a subscriber to a location-sharing service;
receiving, from the first device, a request for a token, the token to allow the first device to authorize a position-sharing relationship between the first and second devices;
sending the requested token to the first device, thereby allowing the first device to share the token with the second device;
receiving, from the second device, an assent to share the second position data, the assent including the requested token;
receiving the second position data from the second device;
calculating a path between the first position and the second position, the path including waypoints;
transmitting the path to the first device and the second device;
receiving updated position data from one of the first device and the second device;
recalculating the path based on the updated position data; and
transmitting the recalculated path to the first device and the second device.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application that communicates with a remote Buddy Watch Server. The server gets or maintains position data for the wireless devices. When the server receives a request from a first device to set up a position-sharing relationship between it and a second device, the server calculates a path between the devices and transmits the path to each device. One or both users can then approach the other along the path. During this process, the server can receive updated position data from one or both devices, and if necessary recalculate the path based on the updated data.
2274 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method of sharing position data between a first device associated with a first user and a second device associated with a second user, the position data including first position data indicating a first location of the first device and second position data indicating a second location of the second device, the method comprising:
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communicating with the first device to authenticate the first device as a subscriber to a location-sharing service; receiving, from the first device, a request for a token, the token to allow the first device to authorize a position-sharing relationship between the first and second devices; sending the requested token to the first device, thereby allowing the first device to share the token with the second device; receiving, from the second device, an assent to share the second position data, the assent including the requested token; receiving the second position data from the second device; calculating a path between the first position and the second position, the path including waypoints; transmitting the path to the first device and the second device; receiving updated position data from one of the first device and the second device; recalculating the path based on the updated position data; and transmitting the recalculated path to the first device and the second device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A server for sharing position data between first and second devices associated with respective first and second users, the position data including first position data indicating a first location of the first device and second position data indicating a second location of the second device, the server comprising
server-side storage storing a list of people, the list including the first user; -
an interface to communicate with the first and second devices, the interface receiving the first and second position data; wherein the server, via the interface; receives a request from the first device for a token, the token to allow the first device to authorize a position-sharing relationship between the first and second devices; sends the requested token to the first device, thereby allowing the first device to share the token with the second device; receives the requested token and the second position data from the second device; calculates a path between the first position and the second position, the path including waypoints; transmits the path to the first device and the second device; receives updated position data from one of the first device and the second device; recalculates the path based on the updated position data; and transmits the recalculated path to the first device and the second device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
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receiving, from a first device, first position data identifying a first position of the first device; receiving, from the first device, a request for a token, the token to authorize a position-sharing relationship between the first device and a second device; sending the requested token to the first device, thereby allowing the first device to share the token with the second device; receiving the requested token and second position data from the second device, the second position data identifying a second position of the second device; calculating a path between the first position and the second position, the path including waypoints; transmitting the path to the first device and the second device; receiving updated position data from one of the first device and the second device; recalculating the path based on the updated position data; and transmitting the recalculated path to the first device and the second device. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification