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

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Katz, Neil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US11/292,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20070129083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-457, 455406-408, 455418-420
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• 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 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed

Abstract

A system for controlling the functionality of a mobile communications device based upon geographic location is provided. The system includes a location determining unit to determine a geographic location of the mobile communications device. The system further includes a location database in communication with the location determining unit. The location database contain one or more data elements designating one or more geographic locations as communications-limited zones within which the mobile communications device is precluded from performing one or more predetermined functions.

Claims

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.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively denying a functionality to the mobile communications device for performing the at least one predetermined communications function when the mobile communications device is located within a predetermined geographic location.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a message to the mobile communications device informing a user that performing the at least one predetermined communications function is prohibited when the mobile communications device is located within a predetermined geographic location during a predetermined time period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a user of the mobile communications device to perform the at least one predetermined communications function if the user consents to pay a predetermined fee.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying comprises identifying a current position of the mobile communications device based on at least one of data received from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite, a signal exchange between the mobile communications device and a communications service provider, a direction of a signal from the mobile communications device to a receiver located at a predetermined location that receives a signal from the mobile communications device, and a strength of a signal from the mobile communications device to a receiver located at a predetermined location that receives a signal from the mobile communications device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from at least one content provider an indicator indicating at least one communications function that the mobile communication is prohibited from performing within the at least one geographic area during the predetermined time.

7. A system for controlling the functionality of a mobile communications device based upon geographic location, the system comprising:

a location determining unit to determine a geographic location of the mobile communications device;

a location database in communication with the location determining unit, the location database containing data elements that designate at least one geographic location as a communication-limited zone within which the mobile communications device is precluded from performing at least one predetermined function;

wherein the location determining unit is configured to query the location database to determine whether the mobile communications device is located in a communications-limited zone, to receive from at least one content provider at least one geographic area to designate as a communications-limited zone during a predetermined time period, to add to the location database a data element corresponding to the at least one geographic area and predetermined time, and to determine whether the at least one content provider has consented to a for-fee performance of the predetermined communications function; and

a transacting unit for assessing a fee charged to a user of the mobile communications device in response to the service controller selectively enabling the mobile communications device to perform the least one predetermined communications function when the communications device is located in a communication-controlled zone;

wherein the transacting unit is configured to compute the fee 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.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile communications device is an Intemet protocol-enabled mobile communication device having a capability to communicatively link to a Web server that conveys a data stream.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile communications device is mobile communications device having a capability to provide an Internet protocol-enabled video data stream.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile communications devices is a mobile communications device having a capability to operate as a mobile Internet protocol-enabled video server.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising a mobile communications device functionality determiner to determine whether the mobile communications has at least one of a predetermined set of functional capabilities.

12. A system for allocating property rights in information content conveyed with a mobile communications device, the system comprising:

a service controller for selectively enabling and disabling at least one predetermined communications function performed by the mobile communications device based on a geographical location;

a location database in communication with the service controller, the location database containing data elements that designate at least one geographic location as a communications-controlled zone and further indicating whether at least one content provider has consented to a for-fee performance of the predetermined communications function; and

a transacting unit for assessing a fee charged to a user of the mobile communications device in response to the service controller selectively enabling the mobile communications device to perform the least one predetermined communications function when the communications device is located in a communication-controlled zone;

wherein the transacting unit is configured to receive information from the at least one content provider, the received information indicating a geographical area as a communications-controlled zone and further indicating a fee for performing the at least one communications function when the mobile communications device is located within the communications-controlled zone;

wherein the transacting unit is further configured to compute the fee 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.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the service controller provides a message to the user of the mobile communications device indicating a fee for enabling the at least one predetermined communications function.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the service controller enables the at least one predetermined communications function if the user of the communications device signals agreement to pay the assessed fee.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the transacting unit generates a charge to the user of the mobile communications device in response to enabling the performance of the at least one communications function.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the transacting unit computes a remittance to be received by a content provider based on the charge to the user of the mobile communications device.

17. A system for allocating property rights in information content conveyed with a mobile communications device, the system comprising:

a service controller for selectively enabling and disabling at least one predetermined communications function performed by the mobile communications device based on a geographical location;

a location database in communication with the service controller, the location database containing data elements that designate at least one geographic location as a communications-controlled zone and further indicating whether at least one content provider has consented to a for-fee performance of the predetermined communications function; and

a transacting unit for assessing a fee charged to a user of the mobile communications device in response to the service controller selectively enabling the mobile communications device to perform the least one predetermined communications function when the communications device is located in a communication-controlled zone, the fee being computed by the transacting unit 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;

wherein the transacting unit is configured to receive information from the at least one content provider, the received information indicating a geographical area as a communications-controlled zone and further indicating a fee for performing the at least one communications function when the mobile communications device is located within the communications-controlled zone;

wherein the transacting unit is further configured to generate a charge to the user of the mobile communications device in response to enabling the performance of the at least one communications function and further configured to compute a remittance to be received by a content provider based on the charge to the user of the mobile communications device.