System and method for anonymous location based services

• US 8,930,233 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil, Frantzy
• Application Number:
  US13/373,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20120270567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 705 4- 44
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/011 Identifying the radio environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

Provided is a fully automated web service with location based services generally involved in transmission of situational location dependent information to automatically located mobile receiving data processing systems. The web service communicates with a receiving data processing system in a manner by delivering information to the device when appropriate without the device requesting it at the time of delivery. There are varieties of configurations made by different user types of the web service for configuring information to be delivered, and for receiving the information. The web service maximizes anonymity of users, provides granular privacy control with a default of complete privacy, and supports user configurable privileges and features for desired web service behavior and interoperability. The web service is fully automated to eliminate human resources required to operate services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

registering an account for a first user with a web service, the first user associated with a first device;

registering an account for a second user with the web service, the second user associated with a second device;

receiving, at the web service, from the first user device a request granting a location based services privilege to the second user that allows the second user to receive location tracking information associated with the first user device;

receiving, at the web service, a situational location of the first user device;

receiving a request at the web service from the second user device requesting location tracking information associated with the first user device;

in response to receiving the request, determining that the second user has been granted the location based services privilege by the first user; and

transmitting location tracking information associated with the first user device to the second user device in accordance with the location based services privilege, where transmitting location tracking information associated with the first device is performed by processing the location based services privilege according to a preference specified by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling the second user device to determine whether the first user device is located nearby the second user device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling the second user device to determine the whereabouts of the first user device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling the second user device to receive information describing the historical travels of the first user device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling automated delivery of content to the first user device which has been configured with the situational location by the second user for delivery at the future travels of the first user device to the situational location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device arrives to the situational location configured by the second user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device departs the situational location configured by the second user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device arrives to a location nearby the second user device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device departs from a location nearby the second user device.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

registering an account for a first user with a web service, the first user associated with a first device;

registering an account for a second user with the web service, the second user associated with a second device;

receiving, at the web service, from the first user device a request granting a location based services privilege to the second user that allows the second user to receive location tracking information associated with the first user device;

receiving, at the web service, a situational location of the first user device;

receiving a request at the web service from the second user device requesting location tracking information associated with the first user device;

in response to receiving the request, determining that the second user has been granted the location based services privilege by the first user; and

transmitting location tracking information associated with the first user device to the second user device in accordance with the location based services privilege, where transmitting location tracking information associated with the first device is performed by processing the location based services privilege according to a preference specified by the first user.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling the second user device to determine whether the first user device is located nearby the second user device.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling the second user device to determine the whereabouts of the first user device.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling the second user device to receive information describing the historical travels of the first user device.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling automated delivery of content to the first user device which has been configured with the situational location by the second user for delivery at the future travels of the first user device to the situational location.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device arrives to the situational location configured by the second user.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device departs the situational location configured by the second user.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device arrives to a location nearby the second user device.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the location based services privilege is configurable for enabling delivery of an automated alert to the second user device when the first user device departs from a location nearby the second user device.