Geolocation of a mobile device in the course of a law enforcement operation

Abstract

A geolocation system enables law enforcement officers to geolocate a mobile phone, or target device, during the course of police business. In a consented geolocation request, an officer requests, via the geolocation system, that the user of a target device be prompted to grant the officer permission to geolocate the target device. If the user allows the request, the officer may, in turn, geolocate the target device with the geolocation system. In a surreptitious geolocation request, the officer circumvents any request for user permission to grant the officer permission to geolocate the target device. Instead, the officer utilizes the geolocation system to generate a surreptitious request package which contains the necessary legal and situational information required to geolocate the target device without the user's consent. Once a submitted request is registered, the officer may geolocate the target device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer based method comprising:
 receiving a request to locate a target device associated with a user from a monitoring device associated with an officer, the request including properties identifying a transmitting number of the target device and the user of the target device; 
 automatically processing the request to locate the target device in accordance with a set of rules governing the legality of locating the target device during the course of a law enforcement operation, the processing in accordance with the set of rules comprising, at least in part:
 generating a first text message prompting the user of the target device for a response, the first text message indicating the request properties; 
 transmitting the first text message to the target device; and 
 parsing a second text message received from the target device to determine whether the user of the target device consents to the request to locate the target device; 
 
 registering the location request with a location interface associated with the target device, the location interface identifying location information for the target device; and 
 automatically transmitting a location of the target device to the monitoring device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically processing the request in accordance with the set of rules further comprises:
 automatically generating a legal document for authorizing the request to locate the target device; and 
 transmitting a prompt to the monitoring device requesting information to complete a field of the legal document in response to a rule in the set of rules governing the legality of locating the target device. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein automatically generating a legal document for authorizing the request to locate the target device further comprises:
 identifying fields in the legal document; and 
 automatically populating one or more fields with the request properties. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein automatically generating a legal document for authorizing the request to locate the target device further comprises:
 identifying fields in the legal document; 
 authenticating login credentials of the officer, the login credentials associated with information identifying the officer; and 
 automatically populating one or more fields with the information identifying the officer. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein automatically processing the request in accordance with the set of rules further comprises:
 identifying supporting legal documentation for authorizing the officer to locate the target device in response to a rule in the set of rules governing the legality of locating the target device; 
 transmitting a prompt to the monitoring device requesting the supporting legal documentation; and 
 generating a location request package including the legal document and the supporting documentation, the location request package registered with the location interface associated with the target device. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein registering the location request with a location interface associated with the target device comprises:
 identifying a communications service provider associated with the target device; 
 registering the request to locate the target device with a location interface of the communications service provider; and 
 transmitting a geolocation request for the location of the target device, the geolocation request comprising the transmitting number of the target device. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically transmitting a location of the target device to the monitoring device comprises:
 receiving coordinates indicating the location of the target device; 
 marking a map with the location of the target device; and 
 transmitting the map to the target device. 
 
     
     
       8. A system comprising:
 a server comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code, the computer program code when executed performing steps comprising:
 receiving a request to locate a target device associated with a user from a monitoring device associated with an officer, the request including properties identifying a transmitting number of the target device and the user of the target device; 
 automatically processing the request to locate the target device in accordance with a set of rules governing the legality of locating the target device during the course of a law enforcement operation, the processing in accordance with the set of rules comprising, at least in part:
 generating a first text message prompting the user of the target device for a response, the first text message indicating the request properties; 
 transmitting the first text message to the target device; and 
 parsing a second text message received from the target device to determine whether the user of the target device consents to the request to locate the target device; 
 
 registering the location request with a location interface associated with the target device, the location interface identifying location information for the target device; and 
 automatically transmitting a location of the target device to the monitoring device. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein automatically processing the request in accordance with the set of rules further comprises:
 automatically generating a legal document for authorizing the request to locate the target device; and 
 transmitting a prompt to the monitoring device requesting information to complete a field of the legal document in response to a rule in the set of rules governing the legality of locating the target device. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein automatically generating a legal document for authorizing the request to locate the target device further comprises:
 identifying fields in the legal document; and 
 automatically populating one or more fields with the request properties. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 9 , wherein automatically generating a legal document for authorizing the request to locate the target device further comprises:
 identifying fields in the legal document; 
 authenticating login credentials of the officer, the login credentials associated with information identifying the officer; and 
 automatically populating one or more fields with the information identifying the officer. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 9 , wherein automatically processing the request in accordance with the set of rules further comprises:
 identifying supporting legal documentation for authorizing the officer to locate the target device in response to a rule in the set of rules governing the legality of locating the target device; 
 transmitting a prompt to the monitoring device requesting the supporting legal documentation; and 
 generating a location request package including the legal document and the supporting documentation, the location request package registered with the location interface associated with the target device. 
 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 8 , wherein registering the location request with a location interface associated with the target device comprises:
 identifying a communications service provider associated with the target device; 
 registering the request to locate the target device with a location interface of the communications service provider; and 
 transmitting a geolocation request for the location of the target device, the geolocation request comprising the transmitting number of the target device. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 8 , wherein automatically transmitting a location of the target device to the monitoring device comprises:
 receiving coordinates indicating the location of the target device; 
 marking a map with the location of the target device; and 
 transmitting the map to the target device.