US 6,662,014 B1Granted

Location privacy manager for a wireless communication device and method therefor

AssigneeSBC Properties, L.P.

InventorPatrick Jay Walsh

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Rules of communication are established between a wireless communication device (102) and a remote source (108). Communications between the wireless communication device (102) and the remote source (108) are managed to prohibit at least one of an identity and a location of the wireless communication device (102) from being known to the remote source (108) responsive to the established rules of communication. The steps of establishing and managing may be implemented in a wireless communication device (102), a wireless communication network (104), and/or a location privacy manager (106). The rules of communication preferably include a password generated by the remote source (108), an identity of the remote source (108), an identity of a location privacy manager (106), and/or masking of the identity of the wireless communication device (102). The wireless communication device (102) is preferably a cellular telephone device. The remote source (108) is preferably a location-enabled service, such as, for example, a map service, a people finder service, or a remote party.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A method, performed by a wireless communication device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for location information associated with the wireless communication device;
determining whether the request is received from a location privacy manager or a location-enabled service;
determining whether or not the wireless communication device is registered to operate with the location privacy manager responsive to the step of determining that the request is received from the location privacy manager;
sending the location information to the location privacy manager responsive to the step of determining that the wireless communication device is registered to operate with the location privacy manager;
rejecting the request from the location privacy manager responsive to the step of determining that the wireless communication device is not registered to operate with the location privacy manager;
determining whether or not an identity of the location-enabled service is acceptable to the wireless communication device responsive to the step of determining that the request is received from the location-enabled service;
sending the location information to the location-enabled service responsive to the step of determining that the identity of the location-enabled service is acceptable to the wireless communication device;
and
rejecting the request from the location-enabled service responsive to the step of determining that the identity of the location-enabled service is not acceptable to the wireless communication device.

6 more elements

A method, performed by a wireless communication network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for location information associated with the wireless communication device;
determining whether the request is received from a location privacy manager or a location-enabled service;
determining whether or not the wireless communication device is registered to operate with the location privacy manager responsive to determining that the request is received from the location privacy manager;
sending a request for the location information to the wireless communication device responsive to determining that the wireless communication device is registered to operate with the location privacy manager;
receiving the location information from the wireless communication device responsive to the step of sending the request;
sending the location information to the location privacy manager responsive to the step of receiving the location information;
rejecting the request from the location privacy manager responsive to determining that the wireless communication device is not registered to operate with the location privacy manager;
determining whether or not an identity of the location-enabled service is acceptable to the wireless communication device responsive to determining that the request is received from the location-enabled service;
sending a request for the location information to the wireless communication device responsive to determining that the identity of the location-enabled service is acceptable to the wireless communication device;
receiving the location information from the wireless communication device responsive to the step of sending the request;
sending the location information to the location-enabled service responsive to the step of receiving the location information;
and
rejecting the request from the location-enabled service responsive to determining that the identity of the location-enabled service is not acceptable to the wireless communication device.

10 more elements

A method, performed by a location privacy manager, comprising the steps of:

determining whether a location-enabled service is pulled by a wireless communication device or pushed to the wireless communication device by the location-enabled service;
receiving a request from the wireless communication device for the location-enabled service responsive to the step of determining that the location-enabled service is pulled by a wireless communication device from the location-enabled service;
masking an identity of the wireless communication device from the location-enabled service responsive to the step of receiving;
requesting location information from the wireless communication device responsive to the step of masking the identity;
receiving the location information from the wireless communication device responsive to the step of requesting the location information;
sending the location information to the location-enabled service without the identity of the wireless communication device responsive to the step of receiving the location information;
receiving a response from the location-enabled service responsive to the step of sending the location information;
matching the response from the location-enabled service to the identity of the wireless communication device responsive to the step of receiving the response;
forwarding the response from the location-enabled service to the wireless communication device responsive to the step of matching, without the location-enabled service knowing the identity of the wireless communication device;
receiving a request for location information associated with the wireless communication device from the location-enabled service responsive to the step of determining that the location-enabled service is pushed to the wireless communication device by the location-enabled service;
determining whether or not an identity of the location-enabled service is acceptable to the wireless communication device responsive to the step of determining that the request is received from the location-enabled service;
sending a request for the location information to the wireless communication device responsive to determining that the identity of the location-enabled service is acceptable to the wireless communication device;
receiving the location information from the wireless communication device responsive to the step of sending the request;
sending the location information to the location-enabled service responsive to the step of receiving the location information;
and
rejecting the request from the location-enabled service responsive to determining that the identity of the location-enabled service is not acceptable to the wireless communication device.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/497,955Filed 4 Feb 2000
Granted: 9 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H04W 12/02
Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity: protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable…
H04L 63/0492
Wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload: by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field…
H04L 63/102
For controlling access to devices or network resources: entity profiles
H04L 67/52
Network services: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal