Method for serving location information access requests

Abstract

The present invention relates to processing location information access requests. An identifier of a sender of a received location information access request is determined, and the identifier is compared to identifiers in a contact storage. Location access control information and/or supplementary contact information associated with an entry having a matching identifier in the contact storage is then retrieved.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
 store contact entries in an internal storage, an external storage, or a combination thereof of at least one data processing device; 
 receive a location information access request for the at least one data processing device, wherein the location information access request comprises an identifier corresponding to at least one contact entry of the contact entries; 
 retrieve a privacy profile associated with the at least one contact entry based, at least in part, on matching the identifier; and 
 transmit the location information of the data processing device to the at least one contact entry based, at least in part, on the privacy profile, 
 wherein the privacy profile indicates sharing of the location information is allowed for the at least one contact entry. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the matching of the identifier further comprises the apparatus to cause:
 compare the identifier included in the location information access request to the identifier corresponding to the at least one contact entry; and   determine the identifier included in the location information access request matches the identifier corresponding to the at least one contact entry.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 store one or more privacy profiles or reference to the one or more privacy profiles for the contact entries in the internal storage, the external storage, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the identifier utilized to store the one or more privacy profiles is different from the identifier utilized to retrieve the privacy profile. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein at least one user of the data processing device creates, reviews, modifies, or a combination thereof the one or more privacy profiles. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the privacy profile applies to a single entity, a plurality of entities, or a combination thereof of the contact entries. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the location information comprises current location of the data processing device. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the privacy profile comprises one or more access control rules for transmitting the location information in response to the location information access request. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises preset username and password combination, a mobile subscriber international ISDN number (MSISDN), a device identifier, an IP address, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the contact entries comprises contact information of one or more users of the data processing device. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 storing contact entries in an internal storage, an external storage, or a combination thereof of at least one data processing device;   receiving a location information access request for the at least one data processing device, wherein the location information access request comprises an identifier corresponding to at least one contact entry of the contact entries;   retrieving a privacy profile associated with the at least one contact entry based, at least in part, on matching the identifier; and   transmitting the location information of the data processing device to the at least one contact entry based, at least in part, on the privacy profile,   wherein the privacy profile indicates sharing of the location information is allowed for the at least one contact entry.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the matching of the identifier further comprises:
 comparing the identifier included in the location information access request to the identifier corresponding to the at least one contact entry; and   determining the identifier included in the location information access request matches the identifier corresponding to the at least one contact entry.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing one or more privacy profiles or reference to the one or more privacy profiles for the contact entries in the internal storage, the external storage, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the identifier utilized to store the one or more privacy profiles is different from the identifier utilized to retrieve the privacy profile. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein at least one user of the data processing device creates, reviews, modifies, or a combination thereof the one or more privacy profiles. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the privacy profile applies to a single entity, a plurality of entities, or a combination thereof of the contact entries. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the location information comprises current location of the data processing device. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform:
 storing contact entries in an internal storage, an external storage, or a combination thereof of at least one data processing device;   receiving a location information access request for the at least one data processing device, wherein the location information access request comprises an identifier corresponding to at least one contact entry of the contact entries;   retrieving a privacy profile associated with the at least one contact entry based, at least in part, on matching the identifier; and   transmitting the location information of the data processing device to the at least one contact entry based, at least in part, on the privacy profile,   wherein the privacy profile indicates sharing of the location information is allowed for the at least one contact entry.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the matching of the identifier further comprises the apparatus to cause to perform:
 comparing the identifier included in the location information access request to the identifier corresponding to the at least one contact entry; and   determining the identifier included in the location information access request matches the identifier corresponding to the at least one contact entry.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform:
 storing one or more privacy profiles or reference to the one or more privacy profiles for the contact entries in the internal storage, the external storage, or a combination thereof.