SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING AND/OR LIMITING USE OF A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20130035063A1
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: FISK, Frank C., RAMANATHAN, Sri, TERRY, Matthew A., TREVATHAN, Matthew B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A system and a method for preventing and/or limiting use of mobile devices are provided. The method includes receiving, by a mobile device, a message indicating that the mobile device is in a certain location, and determining a user-configured security policy of the mobile device based on the certain location. The method further includes at least one of disabling and enabling, by the mobile device, one or more functions of the mobile device based on the determined user-configured security policy.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a message indicating that the mobile device is in a certain location, wherein the message includes both location information and a state of events currently occurring at the certain location;

determining a user-configured security policy of the mobile device based on the certain location information and the state of events; and

at least one of disabling and enabling, by the mobile device, one or more functions of the mobile device based on the determined user-configured security policy,

wherein the user-configured security policy is located on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-configured security policy comprises:

at least one event associated with the location;

the one or more functions of the mobile device; and

an indication whether each of the one or more functions is to be disabled or enabled when the mobile device is in the location and the event is occurring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is an area of a transmitter comprising at least one of:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitter; and

a near field communication (NFC) transmitter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitter is operable to create a short range field detectable by the mobile device in an area of the short range field.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a security manager to determine the user-configured security policy, the security manager comprising one or more user-configured security policies of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more user-configured security policies are at least one of:

password-protected;

managed by a user of the mobile device via the security manager; and

managed by a third party via the security manager.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the security manager is implemented in the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the security manager is implemented in a carrier network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of events includes at least one of a velocity of the certain location currently occurring and an indication of whether an emergency has been currently detected at the certain location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the user-configured security policy comprises at least one event associated with the location; and

the determining of the user-configured security policy comprises matching the at least one event of the user-configured security policy to the state of events currently occurring from the message.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request for an initial user-configured security policy of the mobile device at a startup of the mobile device; and

sending a shutdown message at a shutdown of the mobile device, to reset the user-configured security policy of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the user-configured security policy comprises:

determining one or more user-configured security policies comprising at least one event associated with at least one of the location and a previous location; and

updating a current user-configured security policy based on the determined one or more user-configured security policies.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys, and supports a computer infrastructure operable to the steps of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining the user-configured security policy comprises determining the user-configured security policy with events that match the state of events currently occurring at the certain location; and

the state of events include at least one user-engaged activity currently occurring at the certain location.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the determining the user-configured security policy is performed on the mobile device; and

the events of the user-configured security policy are defined by an owner of the mobile device or a third party.

15. A system implemented in hardware, comprising:

a computer infrastructure operable to;

receive a message indicating that the computer infrastructure is in an area of a field created by a transmitter, the message including location information and a status of one or more events currently associated with the area;

determine a user-configured security profile of the computer infrastructure based on the location information and the status of the one or more events; and

at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the computer infrastructure based on the determined user-configured security profile,

wherein the user-configured security policy is located on the computer infrastructure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user-configured security profile comprises:

at least one event associated with the area;

one or more functions of the computer infrastructure; and

an indication whether each of the functions is to be disabled or enabled when the computer infrastructure is in the area and the at least one event of the user-configured security profile matches the status of the one or more events currently occurring from the message.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to access a security manager to determine the user-configured security profile, the security manager comprising one or more user-configured security profiles of the computer infrastructure.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the security manager is implemented in at least one of the computer infrastructure and a carrier network.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the user-configured security profile comprises at least one event associated with the area; and

the determining of the user-configured security profile comprises matching the at least one event of the user-configured security profile to the status of the one or more events currently occurring from the message.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having readable program code embodied in the storage medium, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

receive a message indicating that a mobile device is in a certain location, wherein the message is received from a transmitter positioned at the certain location and the message includes both location information and a state of events currently occurring at the certain location;

determine a user-configured security policy of the mobile device based on the location information and the state of events; and

at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the mobile device based on the determined user-configured security policy,

wherein the user-configured security policy is located on the mobile device.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the user-configured security policy comprises:

at least one event associated with the location;

the one or more functions of the mobile device; and

an indication whether each of the one or more functions is to be disabled or enabled when the mobile device is in the location and the event is occurring.

22. A method of deploying a system for preventing or limiting use of a mobile device, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure operable to;

create a short range field detectable by the mobile device in an area of the short range field;

detect that the mobile device is in the area; and

send a message to the mobile device indicating that the mobile device is in the area and a state of events that are currently occurring within the area, to trigger a user-configured security profile of the mobile device selected based on the area and the state of events, wherein the user-configured security profile is used to at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the mobile device,

wherein the user-configured security policy is located on the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the computer infrastructure comprises at least one of:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitter; and

a near field communication (NFC) transmitter.

24. A computer system for preventing or limiting use of a mobile device, comprising:

a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to receive a message indicating that the computer system is in an area of a field created by a transmitter, the message including both location information associated with the area and a state of events currently occurring in the area;

second program instructions to access a security manager to determine a user-configured security profile of the computer system based on the location information and the state of events, the security manager comprising one or more user-configured security profiles of the computer system; and

third program instructions to at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the computer system based on the determined user-configured security profile,

wherein the user-configured security profile comprises at least one event associated with the area,

wherein the determining of the user-configured security profile comprises matching the at least one event of the user-configured security profile to the state of events currently occurring from the message,

wherein the user-configured security policy is located on the mobile device, and

wherein the first, second and third program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the user-configured security profile further comprises:

one or more functions of the computer system; and

an indication whether each of the functions is to be disabled or enabled when at least one of the computer system is in the area and the at least one event of the user-configured security profile matches the state of events currently occurring from the message.