Push-to-Talk Location Sharing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) services, users cannot conveniently obtain the geographical location of the talking party without asking, which is time-consuming and inconvenient, especially in group communications where others may be inadvertently informed.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating the capability to automatically include geographical location information in messages when the talk button is pressed, allowing users to receive this information when needed, with user-controlled options to enable or disable location sharing to maintain privacy and anonymity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If geographical location information is automatically included in PoC messages, then users can conveniently obtain location information without asking, but privacy protection and user control become compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic location information transmission by allowing users to control whether their location is included in PoC messages through a configurable parameter. This enables the system to adapt between automatic location sharing (when enabled) and location privacy protection (when disabled), resolving the contradiction between convenience and privacy protection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a controllable parameter that changes the behavior of location information transmission. When this parameter is set to enable location sharing, location data is automatically included in messages; when disabled, location information is excluded. This parameter-based control resolves the contradiction by allowing users to switch between convenience and privacy protection modes
2Loss of information
If geographical location information is sent in every PoC message, then location awareness is maximized, but network traffic increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively including location information only when the user has enabled the feature and when it is actually needed for the communication context. This avoids the excessive action of sending location data in every single PoC message, thereby reducing unnecessary network traffic while maintaining adequate location awareness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary configuration by setting a user-controlled parameter that determines whether location information should be included in messages. This preliminary setup avoids the need to repeatedly negotiate or determine location sharing preferences during actual communications, reducing overhead traffic while ensuring location awareness is provided when desired
Data Source
AI summary
A method and terminal device are provided which effect the steps of receiving a message indicating that a user of another terminal device has pressed a talk button, the message including a geographical location of the other terminal device, or any information derived therefrom; and indicating the geographical location of the other terminal device to a user of the terminal device. A further method and terminal device are provided which effect the steps of: in response to a user of a terminal device pressing a talk button, writing information describing the geographical location of the terminal device, or any information derived therefrom, into a message; and sending the message to another terminal device or to a communications network.