Patents by Inventor John R. Schuler

John R. Schuler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10075843
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for validating the identity or authority of a user of a wireless device to consent to providing geographic locations of their respective wireless device to a third-party application. Upon receiving a request to validate the authority of a user to consent to providing of geographic locations, the user is automatically redirected to a validation service portal. The validation service portal verifies the identity or authority of the user to consent by requiring the user to provide identification information. The identification information is compared to identification information in one or more databases to determine if the user has the authority to consent. An indication is provided by the validation service portal to the third-party application of whether the user has the authority to consent. The third-party application then initiates location-based services based on the indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: John R. Schuler, Rodney Dewaine Nelson, Michael Patrick McMullen, Geetha R. Thati
  • Patent number: 9756466
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time. In response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, a request can be issued by a wireless provider to users of wireless devices to provide the geographic locations of their respective devices and their identities to one or more entities. Upon receiving an affirmative response to the request, the wireless provider communicates information to the entities allowing the entities to contact the users to solicit information regarding the occurrence of the event. A wireless provider may send a request for authorization to users of wireless devices to provide geographic locations when the wireless devices enter a predefined geographic area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Michael P. McMullen, Rodney D. Nelson, John R. Schuler
  • Patent number: 9706353
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time. In response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, a request can be issued by a wireless provider to users of wireless devices to provide the geographic locations of their respective devices and their identities to one or more entities. Upon receiving an affirmative response to the request, the wireless provider communicates information to the entities allowing the entities to contact the users to solicit information regarding the occurrence of the event. A wireless provider may send a request for authorization to users of wireless devices to provide geographic locations when the wireless device enters a predefined geographic area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Michael P. McMullen, Rodney D. Nelson, John R. Schuler
  • Patent number: 9392402
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the geographic location associated with events depicted in media. The geographic locations can be provided by creators of the media, or by users who view the media. The geographic locations can then be stored in a database on a server. A determination can be made as to whether the geographic locations are within a predefined distance of the geographic location of a wireless device. A set of events located within the predefined distance can be presented to a user of the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Michael P. McMullen, Rodney D. Nelson, John R. Schuler
  • Patent number: 9369841
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time. In response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, a request can be issued by a wireless provider to users of wireless devices to provide the geographic locations of their respective devices and their identities to one or more entities. Upon receiving an affirmative response to the request, the wireless provider communicates information to the entities allowing the entities to contact the users to solicit information regarding the occurrence of the event. A wireless provider may send a request for authorization to users of wireless devices to provide geographic locations when the wireless device enters a predefined geographic area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Michael P. McMullen, Rodney D. Nelson, John R. Schuler
  • Patent number: 8855307
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for validating the identity or authority of a user of a wireless device to consent to providing geographic locations of their respective wireless device to a third-party application. Upon receiving a request to validate the authority of a user to consent to providing of geographic locations, the user is automatically redirected to a validation service portal. The validation service portal verifies the identity or authority of the user to consent by requiring the user to provide identification information. The identification information is compared to identification information in one or more databases to determine if the user has the authority to consent. An indication is provided by the validation service portal to the third-party application of whether the user has the authority to consent. The third-party application then initiates location-based services based on the indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: John R Schuler, Rodney Dewaine Nelson, Michael Patrick McMullen, Geetha R Thati
  • Patent number: 8838131
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the identity of a user associated with a wireless device located near a geographic location at a specific time. In response to the occurrence of an event at a geographic location, a request can be issued by a wireless provider to users of wireless devices to provide the geographic locations of their respective devices and their identities to one or more entities. Upon receiving an affirmative response to the request, the wireless provider communicates information to the entities allowing the entities to contact the users to solicit information regarding the occurrence of the event. A wireless provider may send a request for authorization to users of wireless devices to provide geographic locations when the wireless device enters a predefined geographic area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: John R. Schuler, Rodney D. Nelson, Michael P. McMullen
  • Patent number: 8787935
    Abstract: In a communication system, a wireless communication device receives and processes a text message including a location request code and a communication code. In response to the location request code, the wireless communication device transfers a location query indicating the communication code. An authorization computer system receives the location query and processes the communication code to determine if the location request should be authorized. If the location request should be authorized, the authorization computer system transfers a location authorization. The wireless communication device processes the location authorization, and in response, transfers geographic location information using the communication code to control delivery of the geographic location information to a location receiving system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Rodney Dewaine Nelson, Michael P. McMullen, John R. Schuler
  • Patent number: 8700007
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for determining the geographic location associated with events depicted in media. The geographic locations can be provided by creators of the media, or by users who view the media. The geographic locations can then be stored in a database on a server. A determination can be made as to whether the geographic locations are within a predefined distance of the geographic location of a wireless device. A set of events located within the predefined distance can be presented to a user of the wireless device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: John R. Schuler, Rodney D. Nelson, Michael P. McMullen
  • Patent number: 8565430
    Abstract: A method, system, and medium are provided for validating the identity or authority of a user of a wireless device to consent to providing geographic locations of their respective wireless device to a third-party application. Upon receiving a request to validate the authority of a user to consent to providing of geographic locations, the user is automatically redirected to a validation service portal. The validation service portal verifies the identity or authority of the user to consent by requiring the user to provide identification information. The identification information is compared to identification information in one or more databases to determine if the user has the authority to consent. An indication is provided by the validation service portal to the third-party application of whether the user has the authority to consent. The third-party application then initiates location-based services based on the indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: John R. Schuler, Rodney D. Nelson, Michael P. McMullen, Geetha R. Thati
  • Patent number: 8487762
    Abstract: A server may detect a threshold number of mobile stations (e.g., total mobile stations or mobile stations belonging to a predefined group) currently located at an area, such as by determining that a number of mobile stations currently located at an area is greater than a desired maximum number of mobile stations or less than a desired minimum number of mobile stations. The threshold number may be determined based on a typical number of mobile stations located at the area. In response to detecting the threshold number of mobile stations, the server may obtain data recorded by surveillance equipment located at the area (including data recorded by mobile stations temporarily acting as surveillance equipment,) which data represents activity at the area. To obtain the data, the server may instruct the surveillance equipment to begin recording data. The server may then output the received data for receipt by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Michael P. McMullen, Rodney D. Nelson, John R. Schuler
  • Patent number: 8249625
    Abstract: A method and system for routing position-determining requests to position-determining platforms. The method includes receiving into a position-determining system a position-determining request specifying a given processing-duration within a given range. The processing-duration defines a maximum amount of time that the system should spend determining position and thereby defines a corresponding granularity of position-determination by the system. All processing-durations in the given range, although different from each other, define the same corresponding granularity of position-determination by the system. The method further includes the system selecting, based on which processing-duration of the range the given processing-duration is, a position-determining platform of the plurality to process the received position-determining request. The method then includes routing the received position-determining request to the selected position-determining platform for processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Sprint Spectrum L.P.
    Inventors: Bryce A. Jones, Rodney D. Nelson, Mike P. McMullen, John R. Schuler
  • Publication number: 20110070865
    Abstract: In a communication system, a wireless communication device receives and processes a text message including a location request code and a communication code. In response to the location request code, the wireless communication device transfers a location query indicating the communication code. An authorization computer system receives the location query and processes the communication code to determine if the location request should be authorized. If the location request should be authorized, the authorization computer system transfers a location authorization. The wireless communication device processes the location authorization, and in response, transfers geographic location information using the communication code to control delivery of the geographic location information to a location receiving system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventors: Rodney Dewaine Nelson, Michael P. McMullen, John R. Schuler