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Selective enablement and disablement of a mobile communications device based upon location

  • US 7,272,403 B2
  • Filed: 12/02/2005
  • Issued: 09/18/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of controlling the functionality of a mobile communications device based upon geographic location, the method comprising:

  • identifying a geographic location of the mobile communications device;

    based on the geographic location, determining whether the mobile communications device is prohibited from performing at least one predetermined communications function by querying a location database containing data elements designating at least one geographic area as a communications-controlled zone within which the mobile communications device is prohibited from performing the at least one predetermined communications function during a predetermined time period;

    receiving from at least one content provider at least one geographic area to designate as a communications-controlled zone during a predetermined time period and adding to the location database a data element corresponding to the at least one geographic area and predetermined time;

    determining whether the at least one content provider has consented to a for-fee performance of the predetermined communications function within the designated communications-controlled zone; and

    ,computing a fee for the performance of the predetermined communications function, wherein the fee is based upon at least one of a number of streams of data conveyed by the mobile communications device, a quality of data conveyed by the mobile communications device, and a number of connections established by the mobile communications device with one or more additional communications devices if a user of the mobile communications device elects to convey for-fee data content to one or more other communications devices.

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