USING A MOBILE DEVICE TO RESTRICT FOCUS AND PERFORM OPERATIONS AT ANOTHER MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20150304484A1
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JAMF Software, LLC (Jamf Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: JAMF Software, LLC (Jamf Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Halmstad, Richard Zachary, Amundsen, Nicholas William
• Granted Patent: US 9,998,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

A particular method includes receiving, at a manager mobile device, a selection of a managed mobile device of a plurality of managed mobile devices. The method also includes displaying, at the manager mobile device, a list of applications executable by the managed mobile device, a list of websites accessible by the managed mobile device, or both. The method further includes receiving, at the manager mobile device, a selection of an application from the list of applications or a selection of a website from the list of websites. The method includes initiating, at the manager mobile device, transmission of data to the managed mobile device instructing the managed mobile device to restrict focus to the selected application or the selected website.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a manager mobile device, a selection of a managed mobile device of a plurality of managed mobile devices;

displaying, at the manager mobile device, a list of applications executable by the managed mobile device, a list of websites accessible by the managed mobile device, or both;

receiving, at the manager mobile device, a selection of an application from the list of applications or a selection of a website from the list of websites; and

initiating, at the manager mobile device, transmission of data to the managed mobile device instructing the managed mobile device to restrict focus to the selected application or the selected website.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating transmission of the data to the managed mobile device comprises sending a message from the manager mobile device to a mobile device management (MDM) server to cause the MDM server to send a push notification to the managed mobile device via an encrypted internet protocol (IP) connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the managed mobile device to restrict focus to the selected application comprises instructing the managed mobile device to:

activate the selected application,

ignore user input at the managed mobile device that deactivates the selected application, and

ignore user input at the managed mobile device that activates another application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the managed mobile device to restrict focus to the selected website comprises instructing the managed mobile device to:

navigate to the selected website via a browser application, and

ignore user input at the managed mobile device that deactivates the browser application or navigates away from the selected website.

5. The method of claim 1, where the manager mobile device comprises a teacher device and wherein each of the plurality of managed mobile devices comprises a student device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of multiple managed mobile devices and initiating transmission of the data to each of the multiple managed mobile devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, at the manager mobile device, an icon corresponding to the managed mobile device, wherein the icon indicates the selected application or the selected website that the managed mobile device is restricted to.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the manager mobile device, a selection of a clear passcode option; and

initiating, from the manager mobile device, transmission of second data to the managed mobile device to clear a passcode at the managed mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the manager mobile device, a selection of a clear focus option; and

initiating, from the manager mobile device, transmission of second data to the managed mobile device, wherein the second data instructs the managed mobile device to stop restricting focus to the selected application or the selected website.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically initiating, from the manager mobile device based on an end of a time period, transmission of second data to the managed mobile device, wherein the second data instructs the managed mobile device to stop restricting focus to the selected application or the selected website.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the manager mobile device, a selection of a screen mirroring option and a particular managed mobile device; and

instructing the particular managed mobile device to initiate a screen mirroring session to a display device external to the managed mobile device and the manager mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the manager mobile device, a selection of a file; and

providing the file to the managed mobile device, wherein providing the file to the managed mobile device comprises sending the file to the managed mobile device or instructing the managed mobile device to download the file from an external source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the file corresponds to at least a portion of an electronic learning (e-learning) lesson, an image, a document, audio content, video content, an electronic book (eBook), or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, at the manager mobile device, a battery life status of the managed mobile device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the managed mobile device comprises a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a portable media player, a book reader, or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the manager mobile device, data that is usable to configure the manager mobile device as a wireless beacon.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data includes a universal unique identifier (UUID), a major value, a minor value, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a wireless beacon signal from the manager mobile device, wherein the wireless beacon signal includes an identifier that is based on the data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the wireless beacon signal is transmitted by the manager mobile device during a first time period while the manager mobile device is in a first area, and further comprising transmitting a second wireless beacon signal including a second identifier during a second time period while the manager mobile device is in a second area.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first area corresponds to a first room and wherein the second area corresponds to a second room.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the manager mobile device is located in a particular area and further comprising receiving a list of managed mobile devices that are also located in the particular area.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the manager mobile device, a server, or a combination thereof is configured to exclude managed mobile devices that are not located in the particular area from a focus restriction.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the manager mobile device, user input that defines a sequence of commands that are to be automatically executed as a macro in response to a particular event.

24. A method comprising:

receiving, at a managed mobile device, data that indicates that the managed mobile device is to scan for a particular wireless beacon signal during a particular time period;

in response to detecting that the particular time period has started, scanning one or more wireless frequencies for the particular wireless beacon signal;

in response to receiving the particular wireless beacon signal from a manager mobile device;

transmitting a message from the managed mobile device that the managed mobile device has received the particular wireless beacon signal; and

receiving, based at least part on the message, a command instructing the managed mobile device to perform at least one operation.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, when the managed mobile device does not detect the wireless beacon signal during the particular time period, the managed mobile device is excluded from receiving the command.

26. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a mobile device management (MDM) server from a manager mobile device, data identifying a managed mobile device of a plurality of managed mobile devices and a command selected at the manager mobile device for execution at the managed mobile device; and

initiating transmission of a push notification to the managed mobile device to cause the managed mobile device to retrieve the command.

27. The computer-readable storage device of claim 26, wherein the command comprises a command to:

restrict focus at the managed mobile device to a particular application,

restrict focus at the managed mobile device to a particular website,

clear a passcode at the managed mobile device,

stop restricting focus at the managed mobile device,

initiate a screen mirroring session from the managed mobile device to an external display device, or

obtain a document at the managed mobile device.

28. The computer-readable storage device of claim 26, wherein the operations further comprising sending to the manager mobile device a list of applications executable at the managed mobile device, a list of websites accessible by the managed mobile device, or a combination thereof.

29. The computer-readable storage device of claim 26, wherein the operations further comprise storing grouping data that classifies at least a subset of the managed mobile devices into a group.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a manager mobile device, a selection of a managed mobile device of a plurality of managed mobile devices;

displaying, at the manager mobile device, a list of applications executable by the managed mobile device, a list of websites accessible by the managed mobile device, or both;

receiving, at the manager mobile device, a selection of an application from the list of applications or a selection of a website from the list of websites; and

initiating, from the manager mobile device, transmission of data to the managed mobile device instructing the managed mobile device to restrict focus to the selected application or the selected website.