Patent ID: 8224353

Claim:
A computer-implemented method implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions, the computer-implemented method comprising: maintaining current location data and demographic data of a plurality of mobile device users; maintaining, for each of the plurality of mobile device users, permissions that specify amounts of personal information of the mobile device user which may be shared with business entities, wherein the personal information corresponds to at least current location data and demographic data; receiving a query specified by a business entity, said query specifying demographic and current location criteria for identifying mobile device users satisfying at least a portion of the received query, wherein the demographic criteria corresponds to an age range, specified gender, or one or more specified interests, and wherein the location criteria corresponds to a distance range from a specified point, or a velocity range; responding to the received query by using the current location data and demographic data to identify a subset of said mobile device users that satisfy the specified demographic and current location criteria; generating a set of abstracted information based on the identified subset of mobile device users and based on the permissions of each mobile device user, the abstracted information including: filtered identities of the subset of mobile device users, generalized demographic data matching specified demographic criteria provided by the business entity, the generalized demographic data corresponding to a number of mobile device users that satisfy the specified demographic criteria without revealing demographic data of any individual mobile device user, and generalized current location data matching specified current location criteria provided by the business entity, the generalized current location criteria corresponding to a number of mobile device users that satisfy the specified current location criteria without revealing current location data of any individual mobile device user; providing the set of abstracted information to the business entity responsive to the received query, the set of abstracted information regarding said subset of mobile device users without revealing identities of said users to the business entity, such that the business entity can determine substantially in real time whether to provide an offer to the subset of users; over a specified period of time, repeatedly determining a number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose current location data no longer satisfies the specified current location criteria, and if the determined number is above a specified expiration notification number, providing an expiration notification to the business entity, the expiration notification reflecting the determined number of the identified subset of mobile device users whose current location data no longer satisfies the specified current location criteria.