Secure witness or criminal participant location or position and time recording information apparatus, systems and method

Abstract

An apparatus, system or method for use of encrypted or confidential location or position, time, and unique identifier information (LPTI Information) comprising mobile device encoded unique identifiers (UIs), to register the presence of one or more persons in a retail or service store or outlet, vehicle, financial, educational, governmental, transportation, shipping, cargo, residential, vacation, travel, power generation or distribution, water or food supply or storage, or data storage location or position, for use in identifying potential suspects, conspirators, participants or witnesses for criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity for use by law enforcement or a court, and which information is kept encrypted until authorized access is granted to law enforcement or a court by issuance or a warrant or other appropriate legal authorization.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for collecting confidential or encrypted location or position/time/identifier information (LPTI Information) comprising a mobile unique identifier (UID), time, and location or position data, the LPTI Information representing or corresponding to the presence of a mobile device and associated person as a potential or suspected suspects, conspirators, participants or witnesses in criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity in the relative vicinity of determined one or more installation points, the method comprising:
 (a) assigning to one or more of an ID or a time information scanner a transmitter fixed identifier specific thereto;   (a) assigning to each of the ID or time information scanners a transmitter variable identifier which is specific to each ID or time information scanner and is a variable value, and   (b) storing: (i) the fixed and variable identifier data, and (ii) the communicated or associated location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information data from said one or more scanners, said information data representing or corresponding to the presence of a mobile device and associated person as a potential or suspected suspects, conspirators, participants or witnesses in criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity in the relative vicinity thereof, using a storage device and the identifier and information data stored or accessed as encoded, encrypted or secured data, either separate from, including or associated with, the UID-Information management server, or a related server,   
       wherein the encrypted or confidential mobile device LPTI information data is decrypted and accessible by law enforcement or a court upon issuance of a warrant or upon legally accepted basis for access in the investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, or appeal of an alleged crime, tort, regulation violation, law violation, ordinance violation, or prohibited activity. 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said relative vicinity of said criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity occurs in or near a retail, service, or business location or position or is associated with the use or operation of a vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said relative vicinity of said criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity occurs in or near a financial, educational, governmental, transportation, shipping, cargo, residential, business, vacation, travel, power generation or distribution, water or food supply or storage, or data storage location or position or is associated with the use or operation of a vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ID-time-location or position management server:
 (i) assigns to the determined area a large area location or position identifier specific thereto associated with the mobile device ID-time scanner,   (ii) assigns to the determined scanner installation point a local location or position identifier specific thereto associated with the mobile device ID-time scanner,   (iii) assigns to the ID-time scanner a transmitter fixed identifier specific thereto,   (iv) assigns to the ID-time scanner a transmitter variable identifier which is specific to this ID or time information scanner and is a variable value, and   (v) stores the assigned large area identifier, local location or position identifier, transmitter identifier, and transmitter variable identifier, and communicated or associated location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information representing or corresponding to the presence of a mobile device and associated person as a potential or suspected suspects, conspirators, participants or witnesses in criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity in the relative vicinity of the one or more scanners, and stored or accessed as encoded, encrypted or secured, into a storage device, either separate from, including or associated with the ID-time-location or position management server, or a related server.   
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the ID or time information (ID-time) scanner:
 (i) stores its own transmitter fixed identifier, its own transmitter variable identifier, and a large area location or position identifier assigned to an area in which an installation point of the transmitter itself is located, into a storage unit,   (ii) performs a transmitter variable identifier concealing process on the transmitter variable identifier to conceal the transmitter variable identifier stored therein, and   (iii) generates the ID or location or position identifier comprising the concealed variable identifier and the large area location or position identifier, and   (iv) transmits one or more of the above identifiers, optionally with location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information representing or corresponding to the presence of a mobile device and associated person as a potential or suspected suspects, conspirators, participants or witnesses in criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity in the relative vicinity of the one or more scanners, to the ID-time-location or position management server and stored or accessed as encoded, encrypted or secured.   
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the ID-time-location or position management server:
 (i) stores into the storage device a transmitter activation identifier management table for managing a correlation among initial values of the transmitter fixed identifier and transmitter variable identifier of the ID or time information scanner and the large area location or position identifier and local location or position identifier of an installation point,   (ii) performs a concealing process on the transmitter variable identifier and stores into the storage device a transmitter identifier management table for managing a correlation among a generated concealed variable identifier and the large area location or position identifier and local location or position identifier of an installation point,   (iii) storing or stores into the storage device a location or position identifier management table for managing a correlation among the large area location or position identifier and local location or position identifier of an installation point and the location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information of the installation point,   (iv) extracts a concealed variable identifier from the ID or location or position identifier received from the ID or time information scanner, and   (v) converts the received ID or location or position identifier into the large area location or position identifier and the local location or position identifier of an installation point, with the extracted identifier as a secured, encrypted or encoded key.   
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the converted of the large area location or position identifiers, local location or position identifiers, location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information are provided or communicated to the server, and stored or accessed as encoded, encrypted or secured data, and the secured data is converted or accessible with an encryption key with reference to the location or position identifier management table, which secured data information is stored or accessed as encoded, encrypted or secured data comprising location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information representing or corresponding to the presence of a mobile device and associated person as a potential or suspected suspects, conspirators, participants or witnesses in criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity in the relative vicinity of the one or more said scanners. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein the secured data is recorded or stored on at least one scanner, location or position identifier, server or storage device. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the ID or location or position identifier comprises the steps of:
 (i) calculating on a computer a top hash value from each element of the second hash information sequence;   (ii) calculating on a computer the extracted hash value combined with a large area location or position identifier stored therein and generating the ID or location or position identifier;   (iii) repeatedly transmitting using an electronic transmitter the generated ID or location or position identifier a determined first number of times at a determined first time interval;   (iv) calculating on a computer a next hash value of the second hash information sequence and   (vi) repeating steps (i) to (iv) to generate and transmit the ID or location or position identifier as described above, wherein the ID number is generated, accessed, stored or provided in an encoded, encrypted or secured form that is accessible to law enforcement or a court when authorized to do so, such as under a warrant or other legal basis.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for recording and encrypting location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information, comprising
 a. one or more of a mobile device ID-time scanner installed at one or more installation points and optionally transmitting a specific ID or location or position variable or fixed identifiers; and   b. an ID-time-location or position management server receiving the transmitted ID, time, or location or position identifier and converting the same into location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information representing or corresponding to the presence of a mobile device and associated person(s) as a potential or suspected suspects, conspirators, participants or witnesses in criminal, regulated, tort, or prohibited activity in the relative vicinity of one or more installation points,   wherein the encrypted or confidential mobile device LPTI information data is decrypted and accessible by law enforcement or a court upon issuance of a warrant or upon legally accepted basis for access in the investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, or appeal of an alleged crime, tort, regulation violation, law violation, ordinance violation, or prohibited activity.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said apparatus manages location or position, time record and mobile device identification number that are provided, recorded, accessed, or stored in an encrypted, secured, or encoded form) information in an area having a determined extent where installation points for one or a plurality of ID or time information scanners are set, the location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information system comprising:
 (i) the ID or time information scanner being installed at the each set installation point and transmitting a specific ID or location or position identifier;   (ii) a mobile communication terminal provided with a location or position function including an ID or location or position identifier receiving unit configured to receive the transmitted ID or location or position identifier,   (iii) a program execution unit configured to execute a client program of a location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information application, and   (iv) a wired or wireless communication unit for mobile communications; and   (v) a mobile communication server including a wireless communication unit for mobile communication with the mobile communication terminal, and a network communication unit configured to communicate with a network;   (vi) an application server including a network communication unit configured to communicate with the network and a program execution unit configured to execute a server program of a location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information application; and   (vii) a ID-time-location or position management server including a network communication unit configured to communicate with the network for receiving the transmitted ID or location or position identifier via the mobile communication terminal provided with a location or position function and the mobile communication server, and   (viii) an ID or time information scanner identifier decoding processing unit configured to convert the received ID or location or position identifier into location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information representing the determined installation point,   
       wherein the ID-time-location or position management server stores, accesses, communicates, or stores the mobile ID information in an encrypted, secure or encoded form that is accessible by law enforcement or a court upon issuance of a warrant or upon legally accepted basis for access in the investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, or appeal of an alleged crime. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising a location or position charge process comprising the steps of:
 (i) searching the charge information management table, with the large area location or position identifier extracted through the conversion and decoding, the transmitter fixed identification number, the mobile communication company identification number, and the service company identification number as a search key, if the mobile terminal location or position request is received and converted and decoded into location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information, and one selected from
 a. creating a charge information record wherein the number of times of location or position of the charge information record is incremented by one, and writing back the charge information record to the charge information management table, if there is a charge information record matching the search key; OR 
 b. creating the charge information record, and setting the number of times of location or position of the created charge information record to one and storing the created charge information record into the charge information management table, if there is a charge information record matching the search key; 
   (ii) reading each record of the charge information management table at a determined time interval;   (iii) for the each large area location or position identifier, summing a total of the number of times of location or position of the read record to calculate the number of times of location or position for each large area location or position, and applying a determined charge function to the calculated number of times of location or position and transmitting a location or position charge request for an area owner;   (iv) for the each mobile communication company identifier, summing a total of the number of times of location or position of the read record to calculate the number of times of location or position for each mobile communication company, and applying a determined charge function to the calculated number of times of location or position and transmitting a location or position charge request for a mobile communication company; and   (v) for the each application service company identifier, summing a total of the number of times of location or position of the read record to calculate the number of times of location or position for each application service company, and applying a determined charge function to the calculated number of times of location or position, and transmitting a location or position charge request for a service company.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the ID-time-location or position management server
 (i) stores, for the each mobile communication terminal, a mobile communication terminal identifier management table for storing a result of a transmitter identifier decoding process, which is performed in response to a mobile terminal location or position request transmitted by the mobile communication terminal, into the storage device,   (ii) stores a record comprising a mobile communication terminal identifier, a mobile communication company identifier, a large area location or position identifier, a local location or position identifier, the location or position request occurrence time, a transmitter fixed identifier, and location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information into the mobile communication terminal identifier management table, and   (iii) each time the ID-time-location or position management server receives the mobile terminal location or position request and starts a transmitter identifier decoding process, with reference to the mobile communication terminal identifier management table, and with the identifier of a mobile communication terminal which transmitted the location or position request, as a search key, the ID-time-location or position management server then:
 a. obtains a decoding result of a mobile terminal location or position request, which the communication terminal issues immediately before, as search result, and extracts the location or position request occurrence time of the immediately preceding location or position request and the location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information, and 
 b. compares the location or position occurrence time, which is a result of the decoding process of the received new location or position request, with the location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information, and, if a change in the location or position, time record and mobile device identification number information, the change being equal to or greater than a determined distance, is detected with a determined time difference, then with regard to an ID or time information scanner which transmitted a concealed variable identifier included in the received new location or position request, the ID-time-location or position management server invalidates a record in the transmitter identifier management table in which the ID or time information scanner is registered. 
   
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein said financial location or position is selected from an automated teller machine, a bank, a lending company, a check cashing company, a credit union, an investment company, or financing company. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein said residential location or position is selected from a home, rental property, a vacation home, a condominium, an apartment, a townhouse, 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein said transportation location or position is selected from an airport, a train station, a bus station, a subway station, a taxi or limousine station or stand, a shipping or cargo port or dock, a trucking or railway stop or distribution center, or a cargo stop, port or distribution center. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein said educational location or position is selected from a primary school, a secondary school, a college, a university, a vocational school, a health services school or university, a computer training school, a retail or services school. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein said method is provided at a business or residential location or position using a wireless or Ethernet internet connection provided by a cable, satellite, telephone, TV, wireless, or fiber optic product, service, or security system provider. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein said security system provider provides security services to an occupant, owner or leasee at said residential or business location or position.