Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Zoned or cellular telephone system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-30
2004-01-06
Tran, Sinh (Department: 2681)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Zoned or cellular telephone system
C455S433000, C455S445000, C455S432300, C455S414100, C455S414200, C455S414300, C379S142020, C379S142100, C379S142170, C379S246000, C379S247000, C379S127030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675017
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wireless networks, and in particular, to wireless networks that track the location and identity of wireless network devices.
2. Background of the Invention
Enhanced wireless 911 (E911) services help ensure that wireless telephones provide 911 call centers, or Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), with vital information necessary to locate and identify a caller in an emergency. To comply with E911 standards promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), wireless network providers will soon be required to track the location and identity information of all wireless callers, with the purpose of providing such information to emergency personnel when a caller dials 911 from a wireless telephone. The FCC's wireless E911 rules require certain Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) carriers to begin transmission of enhanced location and identity information in two phases. Phase I requires carriers to transmit a caller's telephone number and general location to a PSAP. Phase II requires carriers to provide more precise location information to the PSAP.
Under the FCC rules, wireless networks and the corresponding wireless handheld devices, such as cellular telephones, will provide both the identity and location of the caller to a 911 dispatcher. To provide a caller's identity, the wireless handheld device will furnish a mobile identification number (MIN), indicating in most instances the telephone number of the device. The wireless network and wireless handheld devices will provide the location of callers using a network-based location system (e.g., triangulation), global positioning systems (GPSs) within the handheld devices, or a combination of the two systems.
In emergency situations, quickly communicating this location and identity information is an invaluable, life-saving tool. Indeed, although the location and identity information is generally perceived as private information, the public policy behind the E911 regulations favors disclosing such private information in hopes of administering the aid a caller needs in an emergency. However, outside of emergencies, most wireless device users view their location and identity information as intimately private, and express strong reservations against involuntary and automatic disclosures of such information.
For users of wireless network devices, concerns over privacy are well founded, especially when considering the increasing convergence of wireless communication networks with global computer networks. Wireless networks are now routinely in communication with the global computer network, providing network users with expanded services such as Internet access through their wireless handheld devices. Through this same link, wireless network providers can provide third parties, such as advertising web sites, with the identity and location information that the network provider is (or will be) required to monitor. (As used herein, third party refers to a participant in a transmission other than the wireless handheld device and the wireless network with which the device communicates.) Consequently, third parties would be able to identify a network user and track that user's every movement. Although these third parties may claim that such information merely enables them to profile customers and to present more individualized products or services, a significant portion of network users would agree that such practices are a clear invasion of privacy, ripe for abuse.
FIG. 1
illustrates a typical system architecture linking a wireless network
110
to a global computer network
112
. As shown, wireless network
110
is in communication with a plurality of web sites
114
through global computer network
112
, and is in wireless communication with a plurality of wireless handheld devices
116
. Common examples of wireless handheld devices include cellular telephones, cellular telephones with text messaging capabilities, personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the Palm Pilot VII™, and interactive text pagers. To comply with E911 standards, wireless network
112
is also in communication with a PSAP
118
.
When a wireless handheld device is in operation, wireless network
110
tracks the location and identity of the device. The plurality of wireless handheld devices
116
provide wireless network
110
with their identities, typically as MINs. For tracking location, the system could have individual location systems
120
in the wireless handheld devices
112
, a network-based location system
122
within wireless network
110
, or could use a combination of both systems
120
and
122
. As an example, a typical network-based location system would be a system that calculates triangulation across cell sites or cell sectors. A typical example of a suitable individual location system would be a GPS.
In the future, because wireless network
110
will already be monitoring the locations and identities of the wireless handheld devices
112
for emergency purposes, network service providers will presumably attempt to capitalize on the mandated service by providing the locations and identities to web sites
114
. Among other possible applications, web sites
114
will use the valuable information to direct targeted advertisements to the handheld devices
112
. For example, web sites
114
may wish to locate wireless handheld devices near a retail store, and send those devices an advertisement encouraging the network users to visit the store. Although the wireless network provider and web site may view this exchange of location information as a legitimate business use, many network users would object.
Thus, in a wireless network that tracks the locations and identities of network handheld devices, the wireless network controls to whom the information is provided, and the recipient of that information ultimately controls how the information is used. As such, network users will understandably question their level of privacy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a location blocking service for use in wireless networks that track the locations and identities of network users, such as networks complying with the E911 standards. The location blocking service provides a network user with the ability to prevent the location of her wireless handheld device from being disclosed to parties other than the wireless network provider and PSAPs. As such, the network user retains control of her privacy, deciding when and to whom location information will be forwarded.
In wireless networks that track the locations and identities of network users, the location information originates from either a wireless handheld device (e.g., GPS) or the wireless network (e.g., a network-based location system such as triangulation). Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the network user blocks the forwarding of location information in one of two ways: 1) by signaling to the wireless handheld device, if the location information originates from the wireless handheld device, or 2) by signaling to the network, if the location information originates from the wireless handheld device or the network. A signal to the wireless handheld device directs the device not to forward the location information to the network. A signal to the network directs the network not to forward outside of the network location information received from the wireless handheld device. In each case, the direction provides that location information must never be sent, regardless of any requests for location information from external sources, such as web sites in communication with the wireless network through the global computer network.
The primary components of the present invention include a user interface and at least one location block processor. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the primary components include a user interface and a location block device processor provisioned in the wireless handheld device, and a location block netwo
Enzmann Mark J.
Moton, Jr. Robert T.
Zellner Samuel N.
BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
Nguyen David
Shaw Pittman LLP
Tran Sinh
LandOfFree
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