Methods and systems for sharing position data and tracing paths between mobile-device users

摘要

A system for exchanging GPS or other position data between devices for purposes of group activities, child location monitoring, work group coordination, dispatching of employees etc. Cell phones and other wireless devices with GPS receivers have loaded therein a Buddy Watch application that communicates with a remote Buddy Watch Server. The server gets or maintains position data for the wireless devices. When the server receives a request from a first device to set up a position-sharing relationship between it and a second device, the server calculates a path between the devices and transmits the path to each device. One or both users can then approach the other along the path. During this process, the server can receive updated position data from one or both devices, and if necessary recalculate the path based on the updated data.

主权项

1. A method of sharing position data between a first device associated with a first user and a second device associated with a second user, the position data including first position data indicating a first location of the first device and second position data indicating a second location of the second device, the method comprising:
communicating with the first device to authenticate the first device as a subscriber to a location-sharing service; receiving, from the first device, a request for a token, the token to allow the first device to authorize a position-sharing relationship between the first and second devices; sending the requested token to the first device, thereby allowing the first device to share the token with the second device; receiving, from the second device, an assent to share the second position data, the assent including the requested token; receiving the second position data from the second device; calculating a path between the first position and the second position, the path including waypoints; transmitting the path to the first device and the second device; receiving updated position data from one of the first device and the second device; recalculating the path based on the updated position data; and transmitting the recalculated path to the first device and the second device.