Multi-level database management system and method for an object tracking service that protects user privacy

A method for tracking locations of a plurality of mobile objects associated with one or more wireless location information sources that provide mobile object locations which allows a plurality of users of a tracking service provider having an administrator with a first level of administrative privilege of controlling user membership in groups to track the plurality of mobile objects, the mobile device tracking service being provided by the administrator to the plurality of users in the groups who track the plurality of mobile devices, the method being executed in a database management system that interfaces with one or more databases that identify the plurality of mobile objects by corresponding object identification codes (OID codes) and the plurality of users by corresponding user identification codes (UID codes) to determine which users are allowed to be recipients of certain notification information when events based on the mobile object locations occur, wherein one or more users are not allowed to be recipients of the certain notification information when such events occur, said method comprising:

• a. checking the first level of administrative privilege of the administrator before controlling user membership in one or more groups specified by the administrator, said groups including a group identified by a group ID code (GID code) of users of the plurality of users who are identified by corresponding UID codes, wherein the group includes 1) an authorized user other than the administrator identified by an authorized user ID code (AUID code) having a second level of administrative privilege given by the administrator to authorized user to control conveyance of notifications in the group, wherein the administrator having the first level of administrative privilege does not exercise the second level of administrative privilege given to the authorized user, and 2) a second user identified by a second user ID code (SUID code) different from the AUID code and 3) a mobile object identified by an OID code different from the AUID code and SUID code;
• and
• b. checking the second level of administrative privilege of the authorized user based on the AUID code before providing one or more users interfaces to the authorized user to specify:
• i. an event condition based on the mobile object locations that causes a group event to occur;
• and
• ii. an information access code comprising an access list that identifies one or more users of the plurality of users by corresponding UID codes including the SUID code of the second user who are recipients of a notification information when the group event occurs such that any user of the plurality of users who is not identified on the access list is not a recipient of the notification information when the group event occurs;
• and
• c. checking a first level of access control based on the UID codes to determine which users of the plurality of users can receive the notification information when the group event occurs;
• and
• d. checking a second level of access control based on the information access code before sending the notification information when the database management system determines that the group event has occurred;
• the notification information being sent to the one or more recipients identified on the access list including the second user to protect user privacy such that only identified users of the plurality of users on the access list can receive the notification information.

A method that uses a wireless system having an administrator for tracking locations of a plurality of mobile objects received from one or more location information sources over a wireless location network that provides the mobile object locations to a database management system that determines which users of a plurality of users of a tracking service provider are privileged to receive notification information when events that are based on the locations of the mobile objects occur, wherein one or more users are not privileged to receive such notification information when the events occur, the method being executed in the database management system interfacing with the wireless location network and a database that identifies the plurality of the users by corresponding user identification codes and the plurality of the mobile objects by corresponding object identification codes, said method comprising the steps of:

• a. configuring one or more centralized or distributed servers of the tracking service provider to interface with the database management system to identify groups of users of the plurality users who the track mobile objects under at least three different levels of access control, including:
• i. a first level of access control of the administrator of the tracking service provider identified by an administrator ID code (AID code), the administrator having a first level of administrative privilege to control user membership in the group by specifying authorized users;
• ii. a second level of access control of an authorized user other than the administrator identified by an authorized user ID code (AUID code), the authorized user having a second level of administrative privilege given by the administrator to control conveyance of a notification to the group, wherein the administrator having the first level of administrative privilege does not exercise the second level of administrative privilege given to the authorized user, and
• iii. a third level of access control of a second user identified by a second user ID code (SUID code) specified by the authorized user identified by the AUID code before the second user receives the notification information;
• b. checking the first level of access control based on the AID code before identifying a group by a group ID code (GID code) that includes the authorized user, the second user and a mobile object identified by a mobile object identification code (OID code);
• and
• c. checking the second level of access control based on the AUID code before allowing the authorized user to use the second level of administrative privilege to specify 1) an event condition based on the mobile object's locations that causes a group event to occur and 2) an information access code comprising an access list that identifies one or more users who are privileged to be recipients of a notification information when the group event occurs such that any user who is not identified on the access list is not a recipient of the notification information when the group event occurs and 3) identify the SUID code on the access list;
• and
• d. determining the mobile object's locations based on the OID code;
• e. determining whether the group event occurred based on the event condition and the mobile object's locations;
• and
• f. checking the third level of access control based on the SUID code before sending the notification information to the second user when the group event occurs such that only identified users of the plurality of users on the access list can receive the notification.