Location privacy selector

• US 9,204,294 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Kasad, Farhad, Lockeby, Camron
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US13/679,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20130130654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/412.2, 455/567, 455/41.2, 455/456.1, 455/574, 455/456.3, 455/418, 455/457, 455/550.1, 455/556.2, 348/14.02, 715/773, 715/847, 715/769, 707/710, 707/14.16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A wireless device capable of being located over a network by a requesting party comprises a phone, and a display to display a visually-continuous location privacy slider having at least five stops. Each of the at least five stops corresponds to a given combination of settings within the phone relating to a privacy of reporting of location of the wireless device to a requesting device.

Claims

1. A wireless device locatable over a communication network, comprising:

a display to display a visual location privacy selector having at least five stops;

wherein each of said at least five stops corresponds to a given location privacy setting for a wireless device associated with a privacy reporting of location information, said location privacy setting including location information not allowed, location information given without notification, notify when location information given, notification of location information when location information request authorized, and location information given if no response to authorization request.

2. A wireless device locatable over a communication network according to claim 1, wherein:

said location privacy selector is a visually-continuous location privacy selector.

3. A wireless device locatable over a communication network according to claim 1, further comprising:

a phone.

4. A wireless device locatable over a communication network according to claim 1, wherein:

said location information is requested by a requesting party device.

5. A wireless device locatable over a communication network according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least five stops correspond to a given combination of settings for individual location functions defined by a Location Privacy Checking Protocol (PCP) standard.

6. A wireless device locatable over a communication network according to claim 1, wherein:

said communication network is a wireless network.

7. A method of implementing a desired level of location privacy on a wireless device, comprising:

establishing a first location privacy setting for an application operable on a wireless device when a visual location privacy selector is set on a first stop of said visual location privacy selector corresponding to location information not allowed to a requesting device;

establishing intermediary location privacy settings for said application when said visual location privacy selector is set on any of a plurality of central stops of said visual location privacy selector corresponding respectively to;

location information given to said requesting device without notification, notify when location information given to said requesting device, and notification of location information given when location request by said requesting device is authorized; and

establishing a highest location privacy setting for said application when said visual location privacy selector is set at a last stop on said visual location privacy selector corresponding to location information is given when no response to authorization request is received.

8. A method of implementing a desired level of location privacy on a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said visual location privacy selector is a visually-continuous, linear location privacy selector.

9. A method of implementing a desired level of location privacy on a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said wireless device includes a phone.

10. A method of implementing a desired level of location privacy on a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said location information is requested by a requesting party device.

11. A method of implementing a desired level of location privacy on a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said location information is requested by a network location-based services server.

12. A method of implementing a desired level of location privacy on a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said first stop, said plurality of central stops, and said last stop correspond to a given combination of settings for individual location functions defined by a Location Privacy Checking Protocol (PCP) standard.

13. A method of implementing a desired level of location privacy on a wireless device according to claim 7, wherein:

said location information of said wireless device is requested via a wireless network.