Apple's 'Friend Locator' app could allow remote iPhone tracking
Friends could more easily find each other, or parents could track their child's location with a new push-based location service proposed by Apple similar to Google Latitude.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released a new application this week from Apple entitled "Push-Based Location Update." The proposed invention relies on a new iPhone application entitled "Friend Locator" that would allow users of Apple's smartphone to willingly share their location with others.
In the proposed invention, location is shared through updates requested by Apple's push notification service. Users have the ability to automatically share their location via GPS, or manually send an update.
A push update for a user's current location can also be triggered by the owner of another device, who may be requesting the information. This would rely on the the "Friend Locator" iPhone application illustrated in the patent filing.
Signing in with an e-mail address and password, users could access the Friend Locator application that would contain a virtual "Friend List." From here, friends could be tracked based on their name, distance or "visibility," meaning whether the user has turned off location sharing.
Within this application, someone's name could be selected, and their location would show up as a digital "push pin" on a map. From here, directions to the person's location could be obtained.
Users could also choose what information is shared or kept private, such as their home address, mobile number, or current location. The Friend Locator app would also give users the ability to hide their current location from a single, specific user.
The patent application was filed on June 17, 2009, and was made public this week. The proposed invention is credited to Richard Williamson, Christopher Blumenberg, Seejo Pylappan, and Howard James.
The described service is essentially Apple's own take on Google Latitude, which also shares friends' locations and directions to their current spot. But Apple's method would be a native application that could be accessed with an iTunes account login.
The Google Latitude application was initially refused from the iPhone App Store, because Apple was concerned the software could "create user confusion" with the preloaded Maps app. But the Google Latitude app eventually appeared on the App Store earlier this month, allowing users to see where their friends are and share their current location in the background via GPS.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released a new application this week from Apple entitled "Push-Based Location Update." The proposed invention relies on a new iPhone application entitled "Friend Locator" that would allow users of Apple's smartphone to willingly share their location with others.
In the proposed invention, location is shared through updates requested by Apple's push notification service. Users have the ability to automatically share their location via GPS, or manually send an update.
A push update for a user's current location can also be triggered by the owner of another device, who may be requesting the information. This would rely on the the "Friend Locator" iPhone application illustrated in the patent filing.
Signing in with an e-mail address and password, users could access the Friend Locator application that would contain a virtual "Friend List." From here, friends could be tracked based on their name, distance or "visibility," meaning whether the user has turned off location sharing.
Within this application, someone's name could be selected, and their location would show up as a digital "push pin" on a map. From here, directions to the person's location could be obtained.
Users could also choose what information is shared or kept private, such as their home address, mobile number, or current location. The Friend Locator app would also give users the ability to hide their current location from a single, specific user.
The patent application was filed on June 17, 2009, and was made public this week. The proposed invention is credited to Richard Williamson, Christopher Blumenberg, Seejo Pylappan, and Howard James.
The described service is essentially Apple's own take on Google Latitude, which also shares friends' locations and directions to their current spot. But Apple's method would be a native application that could be accessed with an iTunes account login.
The Google Latitude application was initially refused from the iPhone App Store, because Apple was concerned the software could "create user confusion" with the preloaded Maps app. But the Google Latitude app eventually appeared on the App Store earlier this month, allowing users to see where their friends are and share their current location in the background via GPS.
Comments
Could also be useful for business that want to keep track of where their delivery trucks are for example - tied into other scanner and or credit card scanning etc - could make the iPhone the keystone (or would it be capstone? or cornerstone? or foundation?) of a complete Business Suite for anyone who has people, goods or services that are delivered to the end user.
With proper coding and websites etc - you could track not only the delivery progress of you next FedEx package but also your pizza.
where are all the cries of the Orwellian future this will usher in?
I'd have to wait and see exactly how this is implemented. If a given user can be tracked without knowing or opting out, then I certainly will raise my voice in cry against it.
If it's a matter of turing the app on on my end and selecting who can track me, then I would personally decline but not be terribly concerned about the privacy of those who elect to broadcast their location.
Although nice, is this really patent-able? Or should this be patent-able?
Sure. The catch is whether it should be the mere idea or the way it is handled. If you look at it, this is almost exactly Google Latitude in idea. Which will led to a fight over who had the idea first etc. Apple might have grounds to say they did and shut down Google Lat. Or if the tech and UI are handled differently they could say they only care about how they do it. Or Google could pull out their earlier patent and try to sue Apple. Or if one side does try to hit the other, the courts could say only the how is protected by their patents and that is different.
personally I feel like the issue with patents is that for a time, and not so long ago, mere ideas and very broad ones, were granted protection. I don't agree with the move. I feel that there should be tech in the patent, either coding or a real plan of implementation with UI etc. You can't copyright an story idea, only the characters, plot etc. I feel like patents should be handled the same way.
And then there is my feeling about letting folks file in whatever district they wish. I think that should be nixed and they should have to file in the district where they or another party is located.
This could instantly destroy every online dating service in existence.
Not at all. The point of a dating service is to meet people you on't know. Unlike this app and GL which requires you to enter the person into the system and they have to approve you seeing them
If anything this would be a compliment to those systems
I'd have to wait and see exactly how this is implemented.
So after reading the article, you figure they are lying and are waiting for them to release this app so you can rip it apart and seeing if it is really sending your location to the gov't et al without your approval or not.
Not at all. The point of a dating service is to meet people you on't know. Unlike this app and GL which requires you to enter the person into the system and they have to approve you seeing them
If anything this would be a compliment to those systems
It should be relatively easy to locate any person in your proximity who would be a match for your description or have Apple's Genius match you with someone based on your preferences... heck, just pulling data from Facebook and proximity should be able to do it.
What I want is an app that when I trigger it from my phone, will fire up the GPS in the target phone, get a fix, report back, and then go back to sleep. And do it pronto. Hopefully Apple's version of this won't suck.
A lot like Google's latitude, but different enough that people will say they did it better, and eventually say they did it first
And will be ok with it since it's Apple
So after reading the article, you figure they are lying and are waiting for them to release this app so you can rip it apart and seeing if it is really sending your location to the gov't et al without your approval or not.
Um, first of all I'm responding to "Where are all the cries of the Orwellian future this will usher in?", which I figured could wait until we had the app in our hands. Secondly, the article describes a patent filing, so we have no way of knowing the particulars of Apple's implementation, or if they will ever implement this at all, so there's nothing to accuse of "lying" in the sense you mean.
I don't really expect Apple to make iPhones constantly broadcast their position to anyone who wants to know, and certainly not make that feature remotely switchable by another party. I was just saying that, were that to be the case, I would certainly join in with "cries of the Orwellian future."
The point of that, since you seem a little, uh, resistant to the tone, is to gently imply such fears are overblown. Along the lines of responding to cries of "Witch!" by suggesting we wait until the accused is seen flying about before we indulge in any burnings.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/frien...389212154?mt=8
I'm glad this wasn't around when I grew up.
This app is a helicopter parent's wet dream.
I'm glad this wasn't around when I grew up.
1] drop cell phones off at the library
2] go wherever you damn well please fore a few hours
3] go back to the library to pick up your phones.
1] drop cell phones off at the library
2] go wherever you damn well please fore a few hours
3] go back to the library to pick up your phones.
4) Try to explain why a homeless guy is carrying around your phone to your parents.
You can even lie
Once you get used to the unusual navigation (you need to push things left, right, up or down instead of tapping) it is blazing fast and fun to use, I've even installed it on my iPod Touch, so that the nanny can tell us where she is and what the baby's doing...