Patent ID: 7100204
Filing Date: 2006-08-29
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. A processor-implemented method for managing an interface between a site wishing to discover a physical location of a network user and a locator broker that maintains a user's privacy preference, comprising: the locator broker acquiring the user's physical location from at least one locator source; determining if the user is registered with the locator broker; if the user is registered, checking the user's privacy preference; selectively releasing the user's physical location to the site based on the user's privacy preference; wherein if the user is not registered with the locator broker, automatically releasing the user's physical location to the site; wherein if the user is registered with the locator broker, automatically withholding the user's physical location from the site; and the locator broker mapping addresses in a hierarchical network to hierarchical physical addresses.