Systems for providing security features in mobile devices

• US 20060258385A1
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hovestadt, Guido
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/520
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A mobile communication unit having at least one operating mode comprising a security unit for enabling/disabling at least one operating mode, whereas the security unit is designed in such a way that at least one operating mode is temporarily disabled for the user of the mobile communication system. A checkpoint communicating unit may be used to control the operating mode of the mobile communication unit. The checkpoint communicating unit may include a status extracting unit for generating a request for a security status of the operating mode or operating modes of the mobile communication unit. The checkpoint may also include a lookup table containing at least the operating mode or operating modes to be disabled in the mobile communication unit. A comparison unit may be provided for comparing the security status received from the mobile communication unit to the disabling status stored in the lookup table.

Claims

1. A mobile communication unit having at least one operating mode, the mobile communication unit comprising:

a security unit for security the at least one operating mode, where the security unit temporarily disables the at least one operating mode for the user of the mobile communication system.

2. The mobile communication unit of claim 1 where the security unit prevents the user from enabling the at least one operating mode for a predetermined amount of time.

3. The mobile communication unit of claim 1 where the security unit prevents the user from enabling the at least one operating mode within a predetermined area.

4. The mobile communication unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a command receiving unit for receiving a security command from an external communication unit, where when the mobile communication unit receives a disabling command from the external communication unit, the security unit disables the operating mode in such a way that said operating mode cannot be enabled by the user of the mobile communication unit.

5. The mobile communication unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a disabling confirmation unit which confirms a disabling status of at least one operating mode of the communication unit.

6. The mobile communication unit of claim 1 further comprising:

an operating mode status acquiring unit for acquiring the security status of said at least one operating mode.

7. The mobile communication unit of claim 1 further comprising:

a storage unit for storing at least a first part of an enabling code used for re-enabling a disabled operating mode.

8. The mobile communication unit of claim 1 where the operating mode of the communication unit comprises at least one of the following operating modes:

a photo operating mode, a video operating mode, a data recording operating mode, a media data reproducing mode, a noise generating mode.

9. The mobile communication of claim 1 further comprising:

an encrypting/decrypting unit for encrypting/decrypting data received from the outside or data sent to the outside.

33. A security system comprising the mobile communication unit of claim 1 and the checkpoint communication unit of claim 10.

10. A checkpoint communication unit for controlling the operating mode of a mobile communication unit, the checkpoint communication unit comprising:

a status extracting unit for generating a request for a security status of at least one operating mode of the mobile communication unit;

a look up table containing at least the operating modes to be disabled and a disabling status for the operating modes to be disabled;

a comparison unit for comparing the security status received from the mobile communication unit to the disabling status stored in the look up table; and

a command generating unit for generating a disabling command for the mobile communication unit when the security status of the communication unit comprises the information that one operating mode to be disabled is enabled at the mobile communication unit.

11. The checkpoint communication unit of claim 10 further comprising an interface for exchanging data with a mobile communication unit.

12. The checkpoint communication unit of claim 10 further comprising a storage unit for storing at least a second part of an enabling code for enabling an operating mode of the mobile communication unit.

13. The checkpoint communication unit of claim 10 further comprising an encrypting/decrypting unit for encrypting/decrypting data received from the outside or sent to the outside.

14. A method for controlling the operating mode of a mobile communication unit, the communication unit comprising at least one operating mode, the method:

extracting a disabling/enabling status of the at least one operating mode; and

comparing the security status of the at least one operating mode of the mobile communication unit to a look up table containing a predetermined disabling status of said different operating modes.

15. The method of claim 14 where the steps of extracting and comparing are performed by a checkpoint, the method further comprising:

informing the user of the checkpoint if the security status extracted from the mobile communication unit is not in correspondence to the disabling status stored in the look-up table.

16. The method of claim 14 where the steps of extracting and comparing are performed by a checkpoint, and where the checkpoint changes the operating mode of the mobile communication unit which is not in accordance with the predetermined disabling status of the look up table.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

retrieving the disabled operating modes of the mobile communication unit;

transmitting a list of disabled operating modes to the checkpoint;

checking, by the checkpoint, whether the disabled operating modes contained in the look up table are also marked as disabled in the list transmitted from the mobile communication unit; and

determining the operating mode of the mobile communication unit which is not in accordance with the predetermined disabling status of the look-up table.

18. The method of claim 14 where the checkpoint enables the different operating modes of the mobile communication unit which have been disabled by the checkpoint by sending an enabling command to the first communication unit.

19. The method of claim 18 where the operating modes which have been disabled by the checkpoint are automatically enabled after a predetermined amount of time.

20. The method of claim 18 where the checkpoint transmits a second part of an enabling code to the mobile communication unit, the mobile communication unit using a first part of an enabling code stored in the mobile communication unit together with the second part for re-enabling the operating mode which was disabled by the checkpoint.

21. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining whether the mobile communication unit is located within a predetermined geographical area;

determining if the mobile communication unit has left said predetermined geographical area; and

enabling the operating modes of the mobile communication unit, which have been previously disabled.

22. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

authenticating the user of the mobile communication unit.

23. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

authenticating the checkpoint unit to the mobile communication unit.

24. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining the operating modes of the mobile communication unit and the respective security status.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting the security status of the operating modes to the checkpoint.

26. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

requesting, by the mobile communication unit, the list of operating modes to be disabled.

27. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

coming to a mutual agreement about the way of disabling the operating modes.

28. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

confirming the disabling status by the user of the mobile communication unit.

29. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

depositing an enabling code on the mobile communication unit and on the checkpoint.

30. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

confirming the disabling of operating functionalities to the checkpoint.

31. The method of claim 14 where the mobile communication unit and the checkpoint use encryption techniques during data exchange.

32. The method of claim 14 where the checkpoint transmits the enabling command to the mobile communication unit via a telecommunication network.