# US 10,375,519 B2 · Identifying and locating users on a mobile network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,519 B2 - Document ID: US10375519B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/219,239 - Filed: 2016-07-25 - Published: 2017-01-26 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-23 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Raghu Pai; Timothy S. Hurley; Patrice Olivier Gautier; Karthik Narayanan; Murthy Parthasarathi; Maxime Veron - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375519B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - G01S 5/0072: {Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems} - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 64/006: {with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination} - H04L 69/28: Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols - H04W 64/00: Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A system and method of locating “friends” having mobile devices connected to a network and associated with a user account is disclosed. The method includes sending a request to a mobile device, the mobile device determining its present geographic location and responding to the requestor with this information. This information may be in the form of a coordinate location such as a GPS location or it may be in the form of a name that the mobile device owner assigned to a particular area (e.g., “home”). Having this location information, a user is able to view the location of the friend that is associated with the mobile device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a first mobile device, a request for sharing location information with a second mobile device, the request being associated with an expiration time, the request specifying a geographic area; receiving, by the first mobile device through a user interface of the first mobile device, a user input accepting the request; upon receiving the user input: estimating a location of the first mobile device; determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area; and in response to determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the second mobile device prior to the expiration time, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, to the second mobile device directly from the first mobile device or through a server, a notification that the first mobile device is in the geographic area; and presenting, on the user interface, a first portion indicating a location where the first mobile device may encounter the second mobile device and a second portion indicating the expiration time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the request specifies a user associated with a third mobile device, the user interface indicates a third identifier of the user associated with the third mobile device, and in response to determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the third mobile device prior to the expiration time, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, by the first mobile device to the third mobile device, the location of the first mobile device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the user interface further indicates whether the user associated with the third mobile device has accepted an invitation for sharing the location information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the expiration time specifies a time limit beyond which the first mobile device and the second mobile device stop sharing the location information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the location information comprises receiving, by the first mobile device from the second mobile device, a location of the second mobile device, the location of the second mobile device being submitted by the second mobile device in response to determining that the location of the second mobile device is in the geographic area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein sharing the location information comprises sharing, between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, a map of the geographic area. ### Claim 7 A system, comprising: one or more processors; and at least one non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving, by a first mobile device, a request for sharing location information with a second mobile device, the request being associated with an expiration time, the request specifying a geographic area; receiving, by the first mobile device through a user interface of the first mobile device, a user input accepting the request; upon receiving the user input: estimating a location of the first mobile device; determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area; and in response to determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the second mobile device prior to the expiration time, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, to the second mobile device directly from the first mobile device or through a server, a notification that the first mobile device is in the geographic area; and presenting, on the user interface, a first portion indicating a location where the first mobile device may encounter the second mobile device and a second portion indicating the expiration time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the request specifies a user associated with a third mobile device, the user interface indicates a third identifier of the user associated with the third mobile device, and in response to determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the third mobile device prior to the expiration time, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, by the first mobile device to the third mobile device, the location of the first mobile device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface further indicates whether the user associated with the third mobile device has accepted the an invitation for sharing the location information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the expiration time specifies a time limit beyond which the first mobile device and the second mobile device stop sharing the location information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein sharing the location information comprises receiving, by the first mobile device from the second mobile device, a location of the second mobile device, the location of the second mobile device being submitted by the second mobile device in response to determining that the location of the second mobile device is in the geographic area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein sharing the location information comprises sharing, between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, a map of the geographic area. ### Claim 13 At least one non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving, by a first mobile device, a request for sharing location information with a second mobile device, the request being associated with an expiration time, the request specifying a geographic area; receiving, by the first mobile device through a user interface of the first mobile device, a user input accepting the request; upon receiving the user input: estimating a location of the first mobile device; determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area; and in response to determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the second mobile device prior to the expiration time, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, to the second mobile device directly from the first mobile device or through a server, a notification that the first mobile device is in the geographic area; and presenting, on the user interface, a first portion indicating a location where the first mobile device may encounter the second mobile device and a second portion indicating the expiration time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein: the request specifies a user associated with a third mobile device, the user interface indicates a third identifier of the user associated with the third mobile device, and in response to determining that the location of the first mobile device is in the geographic area, sharing the location information between the first mobile device and the third mobile device prior to the expiration time, wherein sharing the location information comprises submitting, by the first mobile device to the third mobile device, the location of the first mobile device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory storage device of claim 14, wherein the user interface further indicates whether the user associated with the third mobile device has accepted the an invitation for sharing the location information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein the expiration time specifies a time limit beyond which the first mobile device and the second mobile device stop sharing the location information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The non-transitory storage device of claim 13, wherein sharing the location information comprises receiving, by the first mobile device from the second mobile device, a location of the second mobile device, the location of the second mobile device being submitted by the second mobile device in response to determining that the location of the second mobile device is in the geographic area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising: presenting, using the user interface, a location of the second mobile device, and a time at which the location of the second mobile device was determined.