Location blocking service from a web advertiser
View Patent ↗Location-blocking and identity-blocking services that can be commercially offered by a service provider, e.g., a cellular service provider or a web advertiser. In the identity-blocking service, the service provider may disclose the current physical location of a mobile subscriber (i.e., a cellular phone operator) to a third party (e.g., a web advertiser) subscribing to the identity-blocking service. However, the service provider may not send any identity information for the mobile subscriber to the third party. On the other hand, in the location-blocking service, the service provider may disclose the mobile subscriber's identity information to the third party, but not the current physical location of the mobile subscriber. Blocking of the mobile subscriber's identity or location information may be desirable for privacy reasons, to comply with a government regulation, or to implement a telecommunication service option selected by the mobile subscriber.
1. A server that executes software code to perform operations comprising a: receiving an identity of a user of a device that is in communication with the server over a network, the device comprising a processing and control unit; receiving information that indicates a location of the device; identifying, in a database, a user-specific preference associated with the user, wherein the database stores user-specific advertisements, the user-specific preference, and location-specific preferences; identifying a location-specific preference in the database, the location-specific preference being associated with the location of the device; selecting, from the database, a user-specific advertisement based on the user-specific, preference and the location-specific preference; receiving an activation of a location blocking option; and sending the user-specific advertisement to the device without the information that indicates the location of the device, wherein the user-specific advertisement does not include a reference to the location of the device.
2. The server of claim 1 , wherein the device further includes a global positioning system receiver.
3. The server of claim 2 , wherein the processing and control unit transmits the location to the server.
4. The server of claim 1 , wherein the processing and control unit transmits the identity of the user to the server.
5. The server of claim 1 , wherein the processing and control unit transmits a location-blocking option to the server.
6. The server of claim 5 , wherein the processing and control unit receives the user-specific advertisement.
7. The server of claim 1 , wherein the processing and control unit transmits a criterion to the server.
8. A system comprising: a server in communication with a database via a network, wherein the database stores user-specific advertisements, user-specific preferences, and location-specific preferences; and software code that, when executed by the server, causes the server to perform operations comprising receiving an activation of a location blocking option from a wireless device in communication with the network, receiving an identity of a user of the wireless device, receiving information that indicates a location of the wireless device, selecting a user-specific advertisement based on an identified user-specific preference in the database and an identified location-specific preference in the database, sending the user-specific advertisement to the wireless device, without the information that indicates the location of the wireless device, wherein the user-specific advertisement does not include a reference to the location of the wireless device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the software code, when executed by the server, causes the server to perform operations further comprising:
extracting the identity of the user from a message transmitted by the wireless device.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the network comprises one network selected from a group of networks comprising a service provider network and the Internet.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the software code, when executed by the server, causes the server to perform operations further comprising:
receiving a criterion from the wireless device; and
storing the criterion in the database.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the software code, when executed by the server, causes the server to perform operations further comprising:
utilizing the criterion when selecting the user-specific advertisement.
13. A method comprising: receiving, by a server comprising a processor, activation of a location blocking option from a wireless device associated with a user; selecting, by the server, an advertisement from a database that contains a plurality of user-specific advertisements, the selecting being based on a location of the wireless device, a user-specific preference, and a location-specific preference; and sending the advertisement to the wireless device, without information that indicates the location of the wireless device, wherein the advertisement does not include a reference to the location of the wireless device.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the advertisement is sent via a communications network, and wherein the communications network comprises one network selected from a group of networks comprising a service provider network and the Internet.
15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving a criterion from the wireless device.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing the criterion in the database.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the selecting is further based on the criterion.