BUNDLE LOCATION SPECIFIED IN TERMS OF GPS COORDINATES

• US 20080010015A1
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: RAO, RUKMINI, LUKE, TIMOTHY P.
• Application Number:
  US11/428,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files

Abstract

Provided is a method for determining the actual physical location of a software application by integrating a software application, or bundle, with GPS technology. A software developer or provider creates a software bundle and defines geographical limits for the bundle. The bundle periodically queries a GPS locator associated with the computing system to determine the GPS coordinates of the computing system. If the system determines that the GPS coordinates are outside of the defined geographical limits for the bundle, the system disables the bundle. In addition, the software may be configured to transmit coordinates to a server in addition to or instead of disabling the application. The transmission of coordinates can be executed either periodically or only when a violation of the rental agreement is detected. A “GPS” bundle may be modular such that a GPS module can be included into any appropriate application to provide the claimed functionality.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a software module, comprising:

defining a computer software application bundle;

defining geographical parameters corresponding to the bundle;

retrieving from a global positioning satellite (GPS) system geographical location information corresponding to the bundle;

comparing the defined geographical parameters and the geographical location information;

setting a status of the bundle based upon the comparison of the geographical parameters and the geographical location information; and

controlling the bundle based upon the value of the status.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the status to disabled when the comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical location information is outside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the status to enabled when the comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical location information is inside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical parameters define a plurality of geographical areas.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographical parameters define a particular geographical location and a maximum distance from the particular geographical location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the bundle is an OSGi package.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a message when the comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical is outside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.

8. A system for controlling a software module, comprising:

a computer software application bundle;

geographical parameters corresponding to the bundle;

logic for querying a global positioning satellite (GPS) system to retrieve geographical location information corresponding to the bundle;

logic for comparing the geographical parameters and the geographical location information;

logic for setting a status corresponding to the bundle based upon the comparing of the geographical parameters and the geographical location information; and

logic for controlling the bundle based upon the value of the status.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising setting the status to a value of disabled when the logic for comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical location information is outside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising setting the status to a value of enabled when the logic for comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical location information is inside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the geographical parameters define a plurality of geographical areas.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the geographical parameters define a particular geographical location and a maximum distance from the particular geographical location.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the bundle is an OSGi package.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising transmitting a message when the logic for comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical location information is outside of a boundary determined by the geographical parameters

15. A computer programming product for controlling a software module, comprising:

a memory;

a computer software application bundle, stored on the memory;

geographical parameters corresponding to the bundle, stored on the memory;

logic, stored on the memory, for retrieving from a global positioning satellite (GPS) system geographical location information corresponding to the bundle;

logic, stored on the memory, for comparing the defined geographical parameters and the geographical location information; and

logic, stored on the memory, for setting a status of the bundle based upon the comparison of the geographical parameters and the geographical location information.

16. The computer programming product of claim 15, further comprising logic, stored on the memory, for disabling the bundle when the comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical location information is outside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.

17. The computer programming product of claim 15, further comprising logic, stored on the memory, for enabling the bundle when the comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical location information is inside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.

18. The computer programming product of claim 15, wherein the geographical parameters define a plurality of geographical areas.

19. The computer programming product of claim 15, wherein the geographical parameters define a particular geographical location and a maximum distance from the particular geographical location.

20. The computer programming product of claim 15, further comprising logic, stored on the memory, for transmitting a message when the comparing reveals that a location corresponding to the geographical is outside of a boundary corresponding to the geographical parameters.