Emergency text messaging

• US 8,929,854 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Artax LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Ung, Dara
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US13/659,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/404.1, 455/466, 455/403, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A location privacy configuration module enables location determination to emergency services only relating to an emergency text message or emergency text message session. An emergency text message transmitted to an emergency number is routed to an emergency text message server, which initiates an emergency text indicator for each emergency text message, and requests location information for the emergency texting device by transmitting the emergency text indicator and a location request to a location determination server. Location of the emergency texting device may be obtained without acquiring customer authorization for location determination. The originating text messaging device acknowledges receipt of the emergency text indicator/location request combination and checks the location privacy setting configured thereon. Location determination is permitted if configured to permit location determination if emergency text messaging.

Claims

1. A method of providing location privacy to an emergency text messaging wireless device, comprising:

receiving, at an emergency texting device, a location request message including an emergency text indicator from a network-based emergency text message server;

determining a privacy configuration of said emergency texting device indicates location determination by said emergency text messaging wireless device is restricted even in response to said location request including said emergency text indicator; and

denying GPS location information from said emergency texting device in response to said location request message including said emergency text indicator.

3. The method of providing location privacy to an emergency text messaging wireless device according to claim 1, wherein:

said location privacy setting in said emergency texting device further denies said GPS location information for non-emergency location requests.

2. A method of providing location privacy to an emergency text messaging wireless device, comprising:

receiving a location request message including an emergency text indicator within an emergency text message, said emergency text indicator indicating that an associated location request is in association with said emergency text message, and that no consent need be sent to an emergency texting device that originated said emergency text message during a location determination process to locate said emergency texting device;

determining that a location privacy setting in said emergency texting device indicates location determination by said emergency texting device is restricted even in response to said location request including said emergency text indicator; and

denying GPS location information from said emergency texting device in response to said location request message including said emergency text indicator.