Method and system for mobile device selectively reporting of GPS position information to others

• US 8,805,416 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• 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): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERRERA, DIEGO D
• Application Number:
  US12/014,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,371 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• 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. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile communication device, information about a current location of the mobile communication device, wherein the information about the current location includes global positioning system (GPS) information;

detecting, by the mobile communication device, signal interference;

generating, by the mobile communication device, an indication of the signal interference;

communicating, by the mobile communication device, with a remote source over a wireless network, wherein said communicating comprises sending both the indication of the signal interference and the GPS information from the mobile communication device to the remote source;

receiving, by the mobile communication device, navigation information from the remote source in response to sending both the indication of the signal interference and the GPS information, wherein the navigation information comprises data for plotting a course on a map including the current location of the mobile communication device; and

displaying, by the mobile communication device, the map based on the navigation information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information is associated with a direction of travel, and wherein the method comprises deleting or ignoring, by the mobile communication device, information that is not associated with the direction of travel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information comprises additional information about an area around the current location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information comprises first mapping information associated with a first time centered around a first local position, and wherein the method comprises receiving, by the mobile communication device, additional navigation information comprising second mapping information associated with a second time centered around a second location different than the first local position.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first mapping information is associated with a first direction of travel from the second local position to the first local position, and wherein the second mapping information is associated with a second direction of travel from the first local position to the second local position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the GPS information is communicated in XML format and comprises one or more different XML tags that indicate a type of the additional information being communicated by the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal interference comprises failure to detect a signal over a time period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the signal is an expected signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal inference is indicative of a noise signature associated with the current location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal interference is indicative of a signal power of one or more signals received by the mobile communication device.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, position information from a mobile communication device, wherein the position information includes global positioning system (GPS) information and additional information about a local position of the mobile communication device other than the GPS information, wherein the additional information comprises an indication of signal interference detected at the mobile communication device;

determining, by the server, navigation information associated with the local position based on both the GPS information and the indication of signal interference, wherein the navigation information comprises data for plotting a course on a map including the local position of the mobile communication device; and

transmitting, by the server, the navigation information to the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, new position information indicating a new position of the mobile communication device; and

transmitting, by the server, new navigation information associated with the new position to the mobile communication device responsive to receiving the new position information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the navigation information comprises transmitting first mapping information at a first time associated with the local position, and wherein transmitting the new navigation information comprises transmitting second mapping information at a second time associated with the new position.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the additional information further comprises information about at least one base station which is communicating with the mobile communication device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the additional information further comprises information associated with a local transponder.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the navigation information comprises comparing the indication of signal interference with interference signatures in a database of environmental factors.

17. A method comprising:

acquiring, by a communication device, a plurality of items of information representing a current location of the communication device, wherein the plurality of items of information comprises global positioning system (GPS) information and environmental information associated with the current location, and wherein the environmental information is acquired by one or more sensory input devices of the communication device;

communicating, by the communication device, the plurality of items of information, including the GPS information and the environmental information associated with the current location, to a remote server;

receiving, by the communication device, current position information in response to communicating the plurality of items of information, wherein the current position information comprises data for plotting a course on a map including the current location of the communication device; and

displaying, by the communication device, the map based on the current position information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication device comprises a camera and wherein the environmental information comprises image data captured by the camera.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication device comprises a microphone and wherein the environmental information comprises sound data captured by the microphone.

20. A system, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a communication from a cellular telephone over a cellular telephone network, wherein the communication comprises global positioning system (GPS) information and environmental information about a current position of the cellular telephone, and wherein the environmental information is acquired by one or more sensory input devices of the cellular telephone;

a database configured to store local information associated with the current position;

and a processing device configured to;

process the GPS information and the environmental information;

retrieve the local information from the database in response to processing the GPS information and the environmental information;

generate mapping information associated with the current position, wherein the mapping information comprises for plotting a course on a map including the current position of the cellular telephone; and

cause the mapping information to be transmitted to the cellular telephone.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing device is further configured to generate new mapping information associated with a new position of the cellular telephone.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mapping information is generated at a first time associated with the current position, and wherein the new mapping information is generated at a second time associated with the new position.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the mapping information comprises navigation instructions from the current position to the new position in a first direction of travel, and wherein the new mapping information comprises navigation instructions from the new position to the current position in a second direction of travel.

24. A system comprising:

a mobile communication device located at a current position;

a base station configured to receive wireless communications from the mobile communication device, wherein the wireless communications comprise (GPS) information and additional information about the current position of the mobile communication device, and wherein the additional information comprises an indication of signal interference detected at the mobile communication device; and

a remote processor configured to;

communicate with the mobile communication device via the base station, wherein in response to receiving data from the mobile communication device, the remote processor is further configured to;

generate navigation information associated with the current position of the mobile communication device, wherein the navigation information comprises data for plotting a course on a map including the current position of the mobile communication device; and

transmit the navigation information for displaying the map on the mobile communication device.

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

generating location data associated with a current position of a mobile communication device based on one or more global positioning system (GPS) signals;

detecting signal interference at the mobile communication device;

generating an indication of the detected signal interference;

transmitting the location data and the indication of the detected interference to a remote processing device; and

receiving navigation information associated with the current position, wherein the navigation information comprises data for plotting a course on a map including the current position of the mobile communication device.

26. The memory device of claim 25, further comprising receiving supplemental information associated with the current position of the mobile communication device, wherein the supplemental information is received from a first remote source, and wherein the navigation information is received from a second remote source.

27. The memory device of claim 26, wherein the first remote source comprises a base station in communication with the mobile communication device.

28. The memory device of claim 27, wherein the supplemental information comprises an identity of the base station.

29. The memory device of claim 27, wherein the second remote source comprises a network server associated with the mobile communication device.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining a current location of the apparatus;

means for displaying navigation instructions;

means for wirelessly communicating information about the current location to a remote processing device, wherein the information about the current location comprises global positioning system (GPS) information and environmental information about the current location other than the GPS information, and wherein the environmental information comprises visual or auditory sensory input acquired by the apparatus; and

means for wirelessly receiving the navigation instructions associated with the current location, wherein the navigation instructions data for plotting a course on a map including the current location of the apparatus.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the data for plotting the course on the map is generated by the remote processing device.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for acquiring the UPS information.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for acquiring the environmental information.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining a new location of the apparatus, wherein the means for wirelessly communicating comprises means for wirelessly communicating updated information about the new location to the remote processing device, and wherein the means for wirelessly receiving comprises means for wirelessly receiving updated navigation instructions associated with the new location.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the means for displaying comprises means for displaying the navigation instructions to find the new location and for displaying the updated navigation instructions for returning to the current location.