Accessing location-based content

• US 8,812,705 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2013
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Gang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US14/054,067
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Systems and methods for accessing location-based content include retrieving, via a web browser, a list of one or more trusted online services. The retrieved list may be used to determine whether an online service from which content is to be requested. If so, the location of the requesting device may be provided to the service in conjunction with the content request.

Claims

1. A method of accessing location-based content comprising:

retrieving, by a web browser executing on a client device, a list of one or more trusted online services from a memory of the client device;

receiving an instruction to access content available from an online service;

determining, by the web browser executing on the client device, that the online service associated with the instruction is in the list of one or more trusted online services;

requesting, by the web browser, the content from the online service; and

sending, by the web browser, a location of client device to the online service in conjunction with the request for the content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the location of the client device prior to sending the location to the online service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

lowering the precision of the location of the client device prior to sending the location to the online service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the web browser, a list of online services that have been preapproved as trustworthy;

providing the list of preapproved online services for display by the client device;

receiving, via a user interface device, a selection of one or more online services from the displayed list of preapproved online services; and

storing the selected one or more preapproved online services in the list of one or more trusted online services.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a reason that a preapproved online service needs the location of the client device for display with the list of preapproved online services.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an instruction to access content available from an online service comprises:

executing a content tag embedded in a webpage configured to cause the web browser to request third-party content from the online service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the location of the client device to the online service comprises:

embedding, by the web browser, the location of the client device into the request for the content from the online service.

8. A system for accessing location-based content comprising one or more processors operable to:

retrieve, by a web browser executing on a client device, a list of one or more trusted online services from a memory of the client device;

receive an instruction to access content available from an online service;

determine, by the web browser executing on the client device, that the online service associated with the instruction is in the list of one or more trusted online services;

request, by the web browser, the content from the online service; and

send, by the web browser, a location of the client device to the online service in conjunction with the request for the content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

encrypt the location of the client device prior to sending the location to the online service.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

lower the precision of the location of the client device prior to sending the location to the online service.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

receive, at the web browser, a list of online services that have been preapproved as trustworthy;

provide the list of preapproved online services for display by the client device;

receive, via a user interface device, a selection of one or more online services from the displayed list of preapproved online services; and

store the selected one or more preapproved online services in the list of one or more trusted online services.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are operable to:

provide a reason that a preapproved online service needs the location of the client device for display with the list of preapproved online services.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are operable to receive an instruction to access content available from an online service by executing a content tag embedded in a webpage configured to cause the web browser to request third-party content from the online service.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are operable to send the location of the client device to the online service by embedding, by the web browser, the location of client device into the request for the content from the online service.

15. A computer-readable memory having machine instructions stored therein that are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

retrieving, by a web browser executing on a client device, a list of one or more trusted online services from a memory of a client device;

receiving an instruction to access content available from an online service;

determining, by the web browser executing on the client device, that the online service associated with the instruction is in the list of one or more trusted online services;

requesting, by the web browser, the content from the online service; and

sending, by the web browser, a location of the client device to the online service in conjunction with the request for the content.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

encrypting the location of the client device prior to sending the location to the online service.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

encrypting the location of the client device prior to sending the location to the online service;

lowering the precision of the location of the client device prior to sending the location to the online service.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, at the web browser, a list of online services that have been preapproved as trustworthy;

providing the list of preapproved online services for display by the client device;

receiving, via a user interface device, a selection of one or more online services from the displayed list of preapproved online services; and

storing the selected one or more preapproved online services in the list of one or more trusted online services.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a reason that a preapproved online service needs the location of the client device for display with the list of preapproved online services.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein receiving an instruction to access content available from an online service comprises:

executing a content tag embedded in a webpage configured to cause the web browser to request third-party content from the online service.