MOBILE OBJECT LOCATION-BASED PRIVACY PROTECTION

• US 20140171057A1
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson M.
• Application Number:
  US14/184,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171057A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• 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 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for creating and implementing a privacy zone around a mobile object are described herein. A privacy zone is a geographic location proximate to a mobile object in which mobile device functionality is reduced when a mobile device is inside the boundaries of the privacy zone. A locator subsystem tracks the location of the mobile object to update the location of the privacy zone. Further, the locator subsystem monitors for mobile devices that may interface with the privacy zone. Once a mobile device is found to be within a privacy zone, the pre-determined mobile device features will preferably be disabled.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the process to effectuate operation comprising;

determining that a mobile communication device is proximate to a boundary of a privacy zone and not within the privacy zone, wherein;

the boundary of a privacy zone is in relation to a location of a mobile object; and

the boundary of the privacy zone varies in relation to the location of the mobile object;

tracking the mobile communications device while the mobile communications device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

upon a determination that the mobile communications device being tracked is within the privacy zone, retrieving a function configuration for the mobile communications device; and

programming the mobile communication device within the privacy zone according to the retrieved function configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining if a requestor that is requesting permission to establish a privacy zone is permitted to request establishment of a privacy zone; and

if the requestor is permitted to request establishment of a privacy zone, granting permission to establish the privacy zone.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the function configuration comprises at least one mobile communications device function to be disabled.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the function configuration comprises a time associated with the function configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, determining that a mobile communication device is within the privacy zone comprises:

determining a location of the mobile object;

determining a current location of the mobile communication device;

comparing the determined current location of the mobile communication device with the boundaries of the privacy zone associated with the current location of the mobile object; and

if the determined current location of the mobile communication device is within the boundaries of the of privacy zone, providing an indication that a mobile communication device is within the privacy zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein determining the location of the mobile communication device or the mobile object comprises detecting a near field communication enabled mobile device by a near field communication post.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising programming the mobile communication device within the privacy zone to implement the function configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining that the mobile communication device that was in the privacy zone is no longer within the privacy zone; and

programming the mobile communication device to re-enable any disabled features that were disabled while within the privacy zone.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining if the privacy zone has been activated.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile object comprises a cellular telephone.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mobile object comprises a person.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the process to effectuate operation comprising;

generating a request to activate a privacy zone according to established parameters, wherein;

boundaries of the privacy zone are in relation to a location of a mobile object; and

the boundaries of the privacy zone vary in relation to a location of the mobile object;

transmitting the request;

determining a current location of the mobile object;

determining that a mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

tracking the mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone; and

upon a determination that the mobile communications device being tracked is within the privacy zone, configuring the mobile communication device according to a function configuration.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the request is generated by a person.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mobile object comprises a person.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the mobile object comprises a cell phone.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein generating the request to activate the privacy zone is performed automatically based upon the geographic location of the mobile object.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, the operations further comprising generating a request to deactivate the privacy zone.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein generating the request to deactivate the privacy zone is initiated by a person.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the generating the request to deactivate the privacy zone is performed automatically based upon a geographic location of the mobile object.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the process to effectuate operation comprising;

determining a current location of a mobile object;

determining a location of a mobile communication device;

determining that the mobile communication device is proximate to a boundary of a privacy zone and not within the privacy zone, wherein;

the boundary of a privacy zone is in relation to a location of a mobile object; and

the boundary of the privacy zone varies in relation to the location of the mobile object;

tracking the mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

upon a determination that the mobile communications device is being tracked, retrieving a function configuration for the privacy zone;

generating a program signal to program the mobile communication device within the privacy zone according to the retrieved function configuration; and

providing the program signal to the mobile communication device within the privacy zone.