Patent ID: 7822823

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for sharing current location information among users by using relationship information stored in a database, the method comprising: (a) receiving a message sent from a sender's communication device, the message containing self-declared location information indicating a physical location of the sender at the time the sender sent the message determined without the aid of automatic location determination technology; (b) determining from the message the sender's identity and based on the sender's identity and the relationship information stored in the database, determining a plurality of users associated with the sender and who have agreed to receive messages from the sender, each of the plurality of users having a communication device; (c) wherein the message sent from the sender's communication device does not contain an indication of said plurality of users; and (d) sending a notification message to the communication devices of, among the users, only the determined users, the notification message containing the sender's self-declared location information.