Location Presence Management via Contextual Data Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Location-based services in mobile social networking and instant messaging environments face challenges due to privacy concerns, battery drain, and bandwidth limitations, limiting user adoption and effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A method that allows users to share location contextual information using generic or user-specified location names, graphical indicators, and category information, enabling location-based presence status without sharing precise location coordinates, and implementing efficient updating mechanisms for large contact lists.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If users share precise location coordinates for location-based presence services, then location accuracy and service functionality are improved, but privacy concerns and security risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation accuracyVSAvoidprivacy concerns

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary location information (presence status, category, graphical indicator) from the complete location data (precise coordinates), allowing location-based services to function while removing the privacy-risking precise coordinate information that users would otherwise have to share

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different quality levels of location information sharing to different contexts and users. Instead of uniformly sharing precise coordinates or no location information at all, the system allows users to share differentiated location data (e.g., category information with some contacts, graphical indicators with others) based on local relationship contexts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If mobile devices continuously update presence information for all contacts in real-time, then location-based presence status is improved, but battery consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereal-time presence updatingVSAvoidbattery drain

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements partial updating by sending presence information only to a subset of contacts (buddy list) rather than all contacts, and only when location changes occur. This reduces the frequency and scope of updates, thereby reducing battery consumption while maintaining adequate presence information delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses event-triggered periodic updates where presence information is transmitted only when specific conditions are met (location change detected), rather than continuous periodic updates. This creates an efficient update rhythm that balances real-time presence information with energy conservation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Ease of operation

If mobile devices deliver mapping information and location data over mobile networks, then location display capability is improved, but bandwidth consumption and data costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocation display capabilityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses lightweight, minimal data structures for location information transmission (presence status, category, graphical indicator) instead of heavy mapping data. This disposable-like approach uses minimal bandwidth for each transmission, making location information sharing economically viable over mobile networks without requiring continuous or extensive data transfers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS8958830B2Location based presence and privacy management

Publication Date: 2015.02.17 MPANION LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A method and system for providing location based presence status and enhancing location privacy management in a mobile, instant messaging or social networking environment. A user specifies or saves their favorite locations (e.g. home, work, school, or particular business or point of interest locations), and specifies or selects names and/or categories to be shared for each user-specified location. In addition, the system provides multiple sharing levels for sharing multiple types of location contextual information. When user's current location corresponds to user-specified locations, location based presence status is provided to specified contacts according to the sharing level settings, and provides user the option to share location contextual information without sharing location coordinates of the user. When user is driving, location based presence status is updated accordingly, and when user is at other business or POI locations, corresponding location contextual information is shared based on user's settings for each sharing level.