Systems and methods for locating cellular phones and security measures for the same

• US 9,635,540 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mullen Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey D. Mullen
• Inventors: Mullen, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US10/400,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20040203923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 5,145 Days
• Field of Search: 4554041, 4554042, 455410, 4554561-4563, 455457
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/14 between corresponding nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

Systems and methods for locating a cellular phone are provided. More particularly, systems and methods are provided that allow the location of a requested user'"'"'s cellular phone to be provided to a requesting user'"'"'s device (e.g., a second cellular phone) based on access rights defined by the requested user. Location descriptions may be provided at a multitude of levels. For example, if a cellular phone, or an identity associated to (e.g., logged into) a cellular phone, has been given access rights to a cell phone'"'"'s exact location for an indefinite amount of time, that cell phone can receive, on command, the exact location of the approved cell phone. Other levels of location information that can be granted include, for example, proximities, states, and countries.

Claims

1. A method of mobile-to-mobile locating, said method comprising:

requesting a location of a first wireless device by a second wireless device from a server located remotely from said first and second wireless devices;

determining that said second wireless device does not have location access rights for said first wireless device;

asking said second wireless device if said location access rights are to be requested from said first wireless device after determining that said second wireless device does not have said location access rights for said first wireless device;

requesting that said location access rights be assigned for said second wireless device by said first wireless device;

assigning said location access rights on said server to said second wireless device by said first wireless device;

storing said location access rights on said server;

determining said access rights assigned by said first wireless device to said second wireless device on said server; and

providing said location from said server to said second wireless device dependent upon said access rights.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second wireless devices are cellular phones.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said location access rights include the ability to obtain said location, wherein said location is provided to said second wireless device from said server even when said first wireless device is OFF.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said location access rights comprise a plurality of access levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said location is used to provide a location marker on a map on said second wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said location is used to provide directions from said second wireless device to said location on said second wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said location is used to provide directions from said second wireless device to said location and a travel time on said second wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a second location of said first wireless device and using said location and said second location to determine how fast said first wireless device is traveling.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said location access rights comprise a plurality of levels of access rights, at least one of said plurality of levels of access rights comprise the exact location of said first wireless device, and another one of said plurality of levels of access rights comprise an approximate location of said first wireless device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said access rights comprise a plurality of levels of access rights, at least one of said plurality of levels of access rights comprise an approximate location of said first wireless device, and said approximate location comprises a city or state.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting said location of said first wireless device by a non-wireless device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a second location from a non-wireless device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a login and password from said second wireless device to identify said second wireless device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said location of said first wireless device is requested by receiving input, in the form of a telephone number of said first wireless device, on said second wireless device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising using said first wireless device to modify said location access rights for said second wireless device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the ability to use said first wireless device to delete said location access rights for said second wireless device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering information about said location such that only a portion of the information is passed to said second wireless device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising alerting said second wireless device when said first wireless device is within a distance of second wireless device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said first wireless device from an identifier list.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said first wireless device from an identifier list wherein said identifier list comprises a list of telephone numbers.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said first wireless device from an identifier list wherein said identifier list comprises a list of user profiles.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting a second location from said first wireless device from a non-wireless device, wherein said non-wireless device does not comprise a positioning system.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said location is provided by a positioning system.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a first dating matching profile by said first wireless device;

providing a second dating matching profile by said second wireless device;

obtaining a second location, wherein said second location is the location of said second wireless device; and

utilizing said location, said second location, said first dating matching profile, and said second dating matching profile to provide an alert.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a compass in said second wireless device.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein a directional arrow is utilized to display the location of said first wireless device relative to said location of said second wireless device on said second wireless device.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a compass in said second wireless device, wherein said compass is utilized to display the direction that said second wireless device is traveling in.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting location alerts associated with said first wireless device on said second wireless device.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein said location access rights are only assigned for a period of time.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising alerting said second wireless device when said first wireless device enters a geographic area.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein said server stores a history of locations for said first wireless device.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein said server stores a history of locations for said first wireless device and said history is utilized to provide an approximate location of said first wireless device when said first wireless device is turned OFF.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on said second wireless device the opportunity to request said location access rights from said first wireless device.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein said first wireless device is requested to manually allow said location access rights for said second wireless device every time said second wireless device requests said location.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said location access rights is the ability to not allow said second wireless device to access said location.