Patents
US 8989778 B2: Secure and private location sharing for location-aware mobile communication devices
- Granted
- 2015-03-24
- Filed
- 2007-07-30 application 11881836
- Type
- Utility · 53 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
Embodiments of a location sharing network manager process are described. The process is executed on a server computer coupled to a plurality of mobile communication devices over a wireless network. Each mobile device is a location-aware mobile communication device. The process determines the geographic location of a mobile communication device operated by a user within an area, displays a map representation of the area around the mobile communication device on a graphical user interface of the mobile communication device, and superimposes on the map the respective locations of one or more other trusted users of mobile communication devices coupled to the mobile communication device over the network. A security component allows users to establish trusted relationships by requiring mutual consent and disclosure of identifier and phone number information for each trusted user. Location information can be blocked among trusted users or obfuscated on the display of the mobile devices of the other users.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg150324.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Dot Corporation 13 patents | US company or organization | Monrovia, CA | GREEN DOT CORPORATION Federal lobbying client EXACT high confidence: identical full name and state GREEN DOT CORP SEC filer FUZZY low confidence: same name (legal endings aside), one of each nationally | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel H. Altman | Menlo Park, CA | 12 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Nicholas T. Sivo | Palo Alto, CA | 8 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Mark Jacobstein | San Francisco, CA | 6 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Brian R. Knapp | Mountain View, CA | 4 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| James Potter | Mountain View, CA | 2 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Thomas B. Pernikoff | Mountain View, CA | 6 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| H04W | Wireless communication networks | H04W4/029 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| H04L | Transmission of digital information, e.g. telegraphic communication | H04L63/102 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| H04M | Telephonic communication | H04M1/7243 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-10 | Release of security interest Release of security interest | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT signed 2024-10-10 | GREEN DOT CORPORATION MONROVIA, CA | 68870/246 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2019-10-11 | Security interest Security interest Notice of grant of security interest in patents | GREEN DOT CORPORATION signed 2019-10-10 | WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT CHARLOTTE, NC | 50712/158 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2019-10-11 | Release of security interest Termination and release of security interest in patents | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT signed 2019-10-10 | GREEN DOT CORPORATION PASADENA, CA | 50711/799 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2014-10-29 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | LOOPT, INC. signed 2012-12-28 | LOOPT, LLC DOVER, DE | 34095/506 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2014-10-27 | Security interest Security interest Notice of grant of security interest in patents | GREEN DOT CORPORATION signed 2014-10-23 | BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT DALLAS, TX | 34060/392 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2014-06-20 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | LOOPT, LLC signed 2014-05-09 | GREEN DOT CORPORATION MONROVIA, CA | 33151/91 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
| 2007-12-06 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | JACOBSTEIN, MARK signed 2007-07-26 ALTMAN, SAMUEL H. signed 2007-12-03 KNAPP, BRIAN R. signed 2007-12-03 PERNIKOFF, THOMAS B. signed 2007-12-03 POTTER, JAMES F. signed 2007-12-03 SIVO, NICHOLAS T. signed 2007-12-03 | LOOPT, INC. MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA | 20209/191 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.