Finding nearby users without revealing own location
US8213617B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 22, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 22, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04W12/63
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method can be implemented in a portable device operating in a wireless communication network. The method is for securely reporting an indication of a current geographic location of the portable device to a server without revealing the current geographic location of the portable device to the server, where the server is communicatively coupled to the communication network. The method includes generating a pseudo-random value using a signal from an environment in which the portable device operates, generating a location descriptor based on the current geographic location of the portable device, applying a cryptographic function to a combination of the pseudo-random value and the location descriptor to generate a secure location indicator for the portable device, and causing the secure location indicator to be electronically transmitted to the server via the communication network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.