System and method for privacy-enabled mobile locator services with dynamic encounter horizon
View Patent ↗A method and system for managing awareness information relating to a mobile device's visibility with respect to other buddy devices, the system comprising; the mobile device, a mobile application listing one or more buddies, an application listener which tracks the one or more buddies zoom operations and radar zoom factors, and a server, the server comprising an encounter manager, an approach manager and a notification marshalling system.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first device, a notification that a second device is capable of detecting a location of the first device;
receiving, as an input at the first device, a visibility designation, wherein the visibility designation specifies a desired visibility of the first device by the second device; and
providing the visibility designation to a server that is in communication with the first device and the second device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visibility designation controls privacy of the first device by preventing the second device from receiving the location of the first device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visibility designation prevents the second device from receiving an identity of a user of the first device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visibility designation identifies a time at which the second device is able to receive the location of the first device.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the time is specific to the second device.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a distance designation at the first device, wherein the distance designation includes a threshold distance at which the first device is to receive the notification, and wherein the threshold distance comprises a distance between the first device and the second device.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing the distance designation to the server.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising implementing an automated visibility designation based on one or more previously received visibility designations.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is triggered based on a zoom operation or a pan operation performed on a map screen of the second device.
10. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
a receiver operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive a notification that a device is capable of detecting a location of the apparatus;
an interface operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive a visibility designation, wherein the visibility designation specifies a desired visibility of the apparatus by the device; and
a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor and configured to provide the visibility designation to a server that is in communication with the apparatus and the device.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the visibility designation controls privacy of the apparatus by preventing the device from receiving the location of the apparatus.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the interface is further configured to receive a distance designation, wherein the distance designation includes a threshold distance at which the apparatus is to receive the notification, and wherein the threshold distance comprises a distance between the apparatus and the device.
13. A method comprising:
determining, at a server, that a second device is capable of detecting a location of a first device;
providing a notification to the first device that the second device is capable of detecting the location of the first device;
receiving, at the server, a visibility designation from the first device, wherein the visibility designation specifies a desired visibility of the first device by the second device; and
controlling visibility of the first device by the second device based on the visibility designation.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the visibility designation prevents the second device from receiving an identity of a user of the first device.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the visibility designation identifies a time at which the second device is able to receive the location of the first device.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the time is specific to the second device.
17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving a distance designation from the first device, wherein the distance designation includes a threshold distance at which the first device is to receive the notification, and wherein the threshold distance comprises a distance between the first device and the second device.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the notification is triggered based on a zoom operation or a pan operation performed on a map screen of the second device.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining that the second device is going to detect the location of the first device is based on a location of the second device, a bearing of the second device, and a velocity of the second device.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second device is associated with a person or entity known by a user of the first device.