Patent · US Active

Finding nearby users without revealing own location

US8737607B2 · kind B2 · utility

4Cited by
12References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 26, 2012
Grant dateMay 27, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 25, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W12/63
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A first and second secure location indicators are electronically received at one or more servers from a first portable computing device and a second portable computing device, respectively, operating in a wireless communication network. Each of the secure location indicators is generated using the location of the corresponding portable computing device, and neither secure location indicator reveals the location of the corresponding portable computing device to the one or more servers. The first secure location indicator is compared to the second secure location indicator at the one or more servers and, in response to determining that the first secure location indicator is identical to the second secure location indicator, an indication of physical proximity of the second portable computing device is electronically transmitted to the first portable computing device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.