Logging location and time data associated with a credential

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9300646-B1
Application number	US-201313848196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 21, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

Location information of a client device associated with a credential is determined to be tracked. The credential has been granted to a user of the client device by a credential granting authority to indicate a status of the user with the credential. Known location data that indicates known locations is maintained. The credential data is associated with each of the known locations, and geographic data for each of the known locations. A location of the client device associated with the credential and a particular time associated with the location is determined. A subset of the known location data that defines one or more locations that are known for the credential is accessed from the known location data. The location of the client device associated with the credential is compared with geographic data included in the accessed subset of the known location data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a client device associated with a credential, data indicating a request to track location information of the client device, the credential having been granted to a user of the client device by a credential granting authority to indicate a status of the user with the credential granting authority;
in response to receiving the data indicating the request to track location information of the client device, determining to track location information of the client device associated with the credential;
maintaining known location data that indicates known locations, credential data that indicates one or more credentials that are associated with each of the known locations, and geographic data for each of the known locations;
determining a location of the client device associated with the credential and a particular time associated with the location;
comparing the location of the client device associated with the credential with geographic data included in the known location data;
based on the comparison of the location of the client device associated with the credential with the geographic data included in the known location data, determining that the location of the client device associated with the credential matches geographic data for a particular known location included in the known location data;
accessing, from the known location data, particular credential data that indicates one or more credentials that are associated with the particular known location;
comparing the particular credential data of the particular known location with the credential of the client device;
based on the comparison of the particular credential data of the particular known location with the credential of the client device, determining that the credential of the client device corresponds to one of the one or more credentials of the particular credential data of the particular known location; and
based on the determination that the location of the client device associated with the credential matches geographic data for the particular known location and the determination that the credential of the client device corresponds to one of the one or more credentials of the particular credential data of the particular known location, generating a log entry that indicates that the credential arrived at the particular known location at the particular time.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
detecting that the client device associated with the credential has left the particular known location at a later time; and
determining an amount of time that the client device associated with the credential was at the particular known location based on the particular time and the later time,
wherein generating the log entry comprises generating a log entry that indicates presence of the credential at the particular known location for the determined amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the log entry occurs on the client device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the log entry occurs on a server system that is located remote from the client device.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
accessing locations of the client device tracked by the client device over a period of time during which the client device lost connectivity with the server system, the accessed locations having been cached on the client device with time information for the period of time during which the client device lost connectivity with the server system;
comparing the accessed locations of the client device with geographic data included in the known location data;
based on the comparison of the accessed locations of the client device with geographic data included in the known location data, determining which of the accessed locations of the client device matches a known location included in the known location data;
comparing credential data of the accessed locations of the client device that match the known location with the credential of the client device;
based on the comparison of the credential data of the accessed locations of the client device that match the known location with the credential of the client device, determining that the credential of the client device corresponds to one of the one or more credentials of the credential data of the accessed locations of the client device that match the known location,
wherein generating the log entry comprises generating log entries that indicate presence of the credential at known locations within the period of time during which the client device lost connectivity with the server system based on the determination of which of the accessed locations of the client device matches a known location included in the known location data and the determination that the credential of the client device corresponds to one of the one or more credentials of the credential data of the accessed locations of the client device that match the known location.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining a new location of the client device associated with the credential and a new time associated with the new location;
comparing the new location of the client device associated with the credential with geographic data included in the known location data;
based on the comparison of the new location with geographic data included in the known location data, determining that the new location of the client device associated with the credential is unknown; and
based on the determination that the new location of the client device associated with the credential is unknown, sending a warning message.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein sending the warning message comprises identifying another client device that is associated with the credential granting authority and sending the warning message to the identified client device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein sending the warning message comprises:
identifying a supervisor credential that was issued by the credential granting authority and that identifies a supervisor of the user, the credential granting authority being an employer of the user and the supervisor;
based on the supervisor credential, identifying a supervisor client device that is associated with the supervisor; and
based on identifying the supervisor credential and the supervisor client device, sending the warning message to the supervisor client device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the warning message includes a selectable option to contact the client device through the supervisor client device.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein sending the warning message comprises:
determining a difference between the new time and a time when the client device associated with the credential was last determined to be at a known location;
comparing the difference to a threshold period of time;
determining that the difference exceeds the threshold period of time based on the comparison of the difference to the threshold period of time; and
sending the warning message based on the determination that the difference exceeds the threshold period of time.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the log entry comprises generating a log entry that indicates presence of the credential at an unknown location at the new time.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the warning message includes a selectable option to add the new location to the known location data.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a location of the client device associated with the credential and a particular time associated with the location comprises:
receiving data indicating the credential has

Assignees

• Microstrategy Inc

Inventors

• Saylor Michael J
• Chen Gang

Classifications

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G07C9/27

  with central registration · CPC title

• G07C2209/08

  With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations · CPC title

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• H04L63/08 Primary

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title