METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING INFORMATION IN USER TERMINAL

• US 20110247064A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Jin-Wook
• Application Number:
  US13/075,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20110247064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp

Abstract

A terminal includes: an input unit receiving setting data including time data and position data; a storage unit storing the received setting data; a position information generating unit generating position information of the terminal; a determination unit comparing the position data with the generated position information to determine whether to limit functions of the terminal or not, at a time corresponding to the time data; and a controller controlling to limit at least one function of the terminal according to the determination outcome.

Claims

1. A terminal for protecting information, comprising:

an input unit receiving setting data including time data and position data;

a storage unit storing the received setting data;

a position information generating, unit generating a position information of the terminal;

a determination unit comparing the position data with the generated position information to determine whether to limit functions of the terminal at a time specified in the time data; and

a controller controlling to limit at least one function of the terminal according to the determination outcome.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein when the determination unit determines to limit the functions of the terminal, the controller performs at least one of:

limiting all functions of the terminal except a call and message receiving function;

limiting an output for a predetermined data;

limiting a call connection relating to a predetermined number or a predetermined communication function; and

requesting a functional limitation of the terminal to a service system.

3. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising a message processor transmitting a message including the generated position information to another terminal specified in the setting data.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein upon receiving a functional restoration message from a service system, the controller controls to restore the at least one function of the terminal.

5. The terminal of claim 4, further comprising a message processor detecting a value in a predetermined field of the functional restoration message by parsing the functional restoration message.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the setting data further comprises an authentication information corresponding to the terminal;

and

the controller restores the at least one function of the terminal when an authentication data inputted by a user matches the authentication information in the setting data.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the position information generating unit comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiving unit generating the position information.

8. The terminal apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position information generating unit comprises a base station information processor generating the position information by using at least one adjacent base station information.

9. A service system for protecting information, comprising:

an authentication information managing unit storing and managing an authentication information for restoring a function of a terminal;

a message generating unit generating a message including a control information that represents the function restoration of the terminal;

a transceiver receiving an input authentication information and transmitting the message to the terminal; and

an authentication information determining unit determining whether authentication is successful or not by comparing the stored authentication information with the received input authentication information,

wherein the message generating unit generates the message according to the determination outcome.

10. The service system of claim 9, wherein the control information is a value that a predetermined field of the message represents the restored function of the terminal.

11. A method for protecting information of a terminal, the method comprising:

maintaining a storage unit storing setting data including time data and position data;

generating a position information of a terminal;

determining whether to limit functions of the terminal by comparing the position data with the generated position information at a time specified in the time data stored in the storage unit; and

controlling to limit at least one function of the terminal according to the determination outcome.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein limiting the at least one function of the terminal comprises at least one of:

limiting all functions of the terminal except a call and message receiving function;

limiting an output for predetermined data;

limiting a call connection relating to a predetermined number or a predetermined communication function; and

requesting a functional limitation of the terminal to a service system.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting a message including the generated position information to another terminal specified in the setting data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the comparison step comprises determining whether a current location of the terminal falls within a predetermined distance range from a location specified by the position data.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, wherein upon receiving a functional restoration message from a service system, controlling to restore the at least one function of the terminal in response to the functional restoration request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein restoring the at least one function of the terminal comprises detecting a value in a predetermined field of the functional restoration message by parsing the functional restoration message.

19. The terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller limit the at least one function when a current location of the terminal does not fall within a predetermined distance range from a location specified by the position data.

17. A terminal for restoring a limited function, comprising:

a storage unit storing setting data including time data and position data;

a position information generating unit generating a position information of the terminal;

a controller controlling to limit at least one function of the terminal when the generated position information is not included in the position data at a time specified by the time data; and

a transceiver receiving a functional restoration message including a control information from a service system.

wherein the controller controls to restore the at least one function of the terminal according to the control information.

18. The terminal of claim 17, wherein the setting data further comprises a basic contact information, and the terminal further comprising a message processor transmitting a message including the generated position information to another terminal specified in the setting data.

20. A method for restoring a limited function in a terminal, the method comprising:

maintaining a storage unit storing setting data including time data and position data;

generating a position information of a terminal;

controlling to limit at least one function of the terminal when the generated position information is not included in the position data at a time specified in the time data;

receiving a functional restoration message including control information from a service system; and

controlling to restore the at least one function of the terminal according to the control information.