Geographical network initiated wireless device feature control

• US 20070087764A1
• Filed: 10/19/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Buckley, Adrian, Estable, Luis, Alfano, Nicholas, Plestid, Trevor, Islam, Khaledul
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for applying feature controls to features on a wireless device while the mobile is in a geographic area is provided. The wireless device receives instructions from a wireless network indicating which feature controls to apply. The wireless device determines that its position is within the geographic area and applies the feature controls.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a wireless device receiving a message from a wireless network indicating that a feature control applies in a geographic area;

the wireless device determining that the wireless device is in the geographic area; and

the wireless device applying the feature control to a feature on the wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless network is a WAN (Wide Area Network).

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, before the receiving:

the wireless device acquiring the wireless network;

the wireless device receiving a configuration message, said configuration message including the message indicating that the feature control applies in the geographic area;

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

the wireless device obtaining a feature control configuration sequence number from the wireless network; and

the wireless device storing the configuration sequence number in a memory on the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the wireless device periodically determining the current location of the wireless device and turning off the feature control if the wireless device leaves the geographic area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises the wireless device obtaining a current position from a GPS (Global Positioning System).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises the wireless device obtaining a current position by AFLT (Advanced Forward Link Trilateration).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step includes receiving bounding boxes for regions where feature controls are to be turned on and regions where feature controls are to be turned off.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step further comprises:

the wireless device creating an error region for the wireless device;

the wireless device retrieving a bounding box for a region in which feature controls are to be implemented;

the wireless device performing a comparison to determine whether the error region intersects with the bounding box in which a feature is to be turned off.

10. A wireless device configured to implement the method of claim 1.

11. A computer readable medium with computer readable code stored thereon, said computer readable code comprising instruction for causing a wireless device to implement the method of claim 1.

12. A method comprising:

a wireless device receiving instructions to apply a feature control to a feature on the wireless device if it connects to a wireless network, said wireless network defined by a geographic area; and

the wireless device applying the feature control to the feature upon connecting to the wireless network.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the wireless network is a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiving is implemented during initialisation of the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiving comprises receiving a list of wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) to which the wireless device is permitted to connect.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the list of wireless LANs contains data regarding feature controls allowed for each wireless LAN.

17. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein the receiving comprises receiving account information, said account information comprising a list of LANs (Local Area Networks) to which the wireless device is permitted to connect.

18. A wireless device configured to implement the method of claim 12.

19. A computer readable medium with computer readable instructions thereon for causing a wireless device to implement the method of claim 12.

20. A system comprising:

a wireless network defining a geographic area, said wireless network configured to send a message to a wireless device indicating that a feature control applies in the wireless network;

the wireless device configured to determine that the wireless device is in the wireless network, to receive the message from the wireless network, and to apply the feature control to the feature.

21. A system comprising:

a wireless network configured to send a message to a wireless device indicating that a feature control applies in a geographic area;

the wireless device configured to receive the message from the wireless network, to determine that the wireless device is within the geographic area and to apply the feature control to the feature.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a PDE (Position Determining Entity) as a component of the wireless network, said PDE configured to determine the position of the wireless device, wherein said wireless device communicates with said PDE to obtain the position of the wireless device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said PDE communicates with a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite to determine the position of the wireless device.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said wireless device is GPS (Global Positioning System) capable and determines that the wireless device is within the geographic area by obtaining a current position from a GPS satellite.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said wireless network defines geographic areas as bounding boxes for feature control, and wherein said wireless device includes an error region for a location for the wireless device, said wireless device determining whether said error region intersects a bounding box for feature control.