Anonymous location service for wireless networks

A method for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks the geographical location and identity of wireless network devices, the method comprising:

• receiving the identity of a wireless network device operating in the wireless network;
• receiving geographical location information of the wireless network device;
• substituting a dummy identification for the identity of the wireless network device;
• and
• forwarding the geographical location information and the dummy identification of the wireless network device to a web site through a global computer network,
• wherein the forwarding further comprises receiving a message from the web site requesting communication with wireless devices in a particular geographical location;
• reading the geographical location information of the wireless network device;
• and
• forwarding the geographical location information and the dummy identification of the wireless network device to the web site only if the geographical location information matches the particular location.

A method for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks the geographical location and identity of network devices, the method comprising:

• receiving geographical location information and identity of a network device operating in the wireless network;
• providing the geographical location and the identity to a first web site, the first web site receiving content;
• receiving a request for content from the first web site including the geographical location and the identity;
• generating a dummy identification and substituting the dummy identification for the identity;
• recording an association between the dummy identification and the identity;
• forwarding to a second web site a modified request for content including the geographical location and the dummy identification, the second web site providing content;
• receiving from the second web site a content that references the dummy identification;
• determining the identity of the network device using the dummy identification and the recorded association;
• replacing the dummy identification referenced in the content with the identity of the network device;
• and
• forwarding the content including the geographical location and the identity of the network device.

A system for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks geographical locations and identities of network users, the system comprising:

• a proxy server having memory storage;
• a plurality of web sites in communication with the proxy server over a global computer network;
• a plurality of handheld devices in communication with the proxy server over the wireless network;
• and
• a geographical location system in communication with the proxy server,
• wherein the proxy server receives the geographical locations of the network users from the location system, receives the identities of the network users from the plurality of handheld devices, translates the identities of the network users into dummy identifications, and forwards the geographical locations of the network users and the dummy identifications to the plurality of web sites.

A proxy server for providing an anonymous location service for use in a wireless network that tracks geographical locations and identities of network users, the proxy server comprising:

• a wireless communication link with a plurality of wireless handheld devices;
• a communication link with a global computer network;
• and
• a memory storage,
• wherein the proxy server receives, as part of data messages, the geographical locations and the identities of the plurality of wireless handheld devices,
• wherein the proxy server generates dummy identifications and substitutes the dummy identifications for the identities,
• wherein the proxy server records the dummy identifications and their associated identities in the memory storage,
• and wherein the proxy server forwards the data messages with the geographical locations and dummy identifications to web sites via the global computer network.