Method of generating control signals based on location of radio terminals

• US 7,606,578 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Irvin, David R., Khayrallah, Ali S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THUAN T
• Application Number:
  US11/163,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20060058039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,460 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/90.2, 455/457, 455/458, 455/414.1, 455/456.6, 455/406.1, 455/404.2, 455/90.1, 455/414, 4554561-4565, 455/463, 455/404.1, 455/558
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method of generating a control signal to enable or inhibit a wide variety of applications is provided. The method generally includes the steps of determining the location of a first mobile radio terminal, determining the location of a second mobile radio terminal, comparing the locations of the terminals, and generating a control signal based upon the comparison. The control signal may be generated if the first and second mobile radio terminals are within a specified distance of one another. Alternatively, the control signal may be generated if the first and second mobile radio terminals are separated by at least a specified distance from one another. Additionally, the control signal may be generated if it is determined that the first mobile radio terminal is at a first specified location and the second mobile radio terminal is at a second specified location spacially separated from the first specified location. Further, the control signal may be generated if the first and second mobile radio terminals are at specified locations at a preselect time.

Claims

1. A method of generating a control signal comprising:

determining a location of at least two mobile radio terminals;

comparing a location of a first mobile radio terminal of the at least two mobile radio terminals to a first predetermined location and a location of a second mobile radio terminal of the at least two radio terminals to a second predetermined location,

comparing a current time to a predetermined time; and

generating a control signal in response to at least one of;

the location of the first mobile radio terminal being the first predetermined location, and the location of the second mobile radio being the second predetermined location, and the current time being the predetermined time wherein said control signal enables or disables at least one application in at least one of said at least two mobile radio terminals.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two mobile radio terminals comprise N mobile radio terminals, wherein N≧

2, wherein the locations of the N mobile radio terminals comprise M different specified locations, wherein M≦

N, and wherein generating a control signal further comprises generating said control signal if at least one of the N mobile radio terminals is located at each of the M different specified locations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two mobile radio terminals comprise N mobile radio terminals, wherein N≧

2, and wherein the N mobile radio terminals are assigned to N specified locations, and wherein generating a control signal further comprises generating said control signal if each of the N mobile radio terminals is located at its assigned location.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the N specified locations include N different specified locations.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the location of at least two mobile radio terminals is performed by using at least one of a global positioning system and a cellular positioning system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second comparing steps are performed by at least one of the at least two mobile radio terminals.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second comparing steps are performed by a location server.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein determining the location of at least two mobile radio terminals comprises monitoring the location of the at least two mobile radio terminals by the location server.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a control signal further comprises generating said control signal if the locations of the first and second mobile radio terminals being the first and second predetermined locations and the current time being the predetermined time.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving an initiation signal that includes the location of the first mobile radio terminal;

transmitting a location query to the second mobile radio terminal; and

receiving the location of the second mobile radio terminal in response to the location query.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the second predetermined location is spatially separated from the first predetermined location by a predetermined distance.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

receiving an initiation signal from the first mobile radio terminal;

transmitting a location query to the first mobile radio terminal and the second mobile radio terminal; and

receiving the location of the first mobile radio terminal and the second mobile radio terminal in response to the location queries.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second predetermined location is spatially separated from the first predetermined location by a predetermined distance.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the control signal activates, deactivates, locks, or unlocks the at least two mobile radio terminals.

15. A first mobile radio terminal comprising:

an RE transceiver; and

a microprocessor logic circuit operable to control the operation of the first mobile radio terminal, said microprocessor logic circuit programmed to perform at least two of the following instructions;

determine at least two mobile radio terminals;

compare a location of the first mobile radio terminal of the at least two mobile radio terminals to a first predetermined location, and a location of a second mobile radio terminal of the at least two mobile radio terminals to a second predetermined location

comparing a current time to a predetermined time;

generate a control signal in response to the at least one of;

the location of the first mobile radio terminal being the first predetermined location and the location of the second mobile radio terminal being the second predetermined location, and the current time being the predetermined time, wherein said control signal enables or disables at least one application in at least one of said at least two mobile radio terminals.

16. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 15 wherein the at least two mobile radio terminals comprise N mobile radio terminals, wherein N≧

2, and wherein the locations of the N mobile radio terminals comprise M different specified locations, wherein M≦

N, and wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is programmed to generate said control signal if at least one of the N mobile radio terminals is located at each of the M different specified locations.

17. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 15 wherein the at least two mobile radio terminals comprise N mobile radio terminals, wherein N≧

2, and wherein the N mobile radio terminals are assigned to N specified locations, and wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is operable to generate said control signal if each of the N mobile radio terminals is located at its assigned location.

18. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 17 wherein the N specified locations include N different specified locations.

19. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 15 wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is further programmed to

generate said control signal if the locations of first and second mobile radio terminals being the first and second predetermined locations and the current time being the predetermined time.

20. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 15 wherein the second predetermined location is spatially separated from the first predetermined location by a predetermined distance.

21. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 15 wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is further programmed to:

transmit an initiation signal from the first mobile radio terminal to a location server;

receive a location query from the location server; and

transmit the location of the first mobile radio terminal to the location server in response to the location query.

22. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 15 wherein said microprocessor logic circuit is programmed to activate, deactivate, lock, and unlock the at least two mobile radio terminals in response to said control signal.

23. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 15 wherein the first mobile radio terminal comprises a locating device.

24. The first mobile radio terminal of claim 23 wherein the locating device comprises a global positioning system receiver.

25. A second mobile radio terminal comprising:

an RF transceiver; and

a microprocessor logic circuit operable to control the operation of the second mobile radio terminal, said microprocessor logic circuit programmed to perform at least two of the following;

determine the location of at least two mobile radio terminals;

compare a location of a first mobile radio terminal of the at least two mobile radio terminals to a first predetermined location, and a location of the second mobile radio terminal of the at least two mobile radio terminals to a second predetermined location;

comparing a current time to a predetermined time; and

generate a control signal in response to the at least one of;

the location of the first mobile radio terminal being the first predetermined location and the location of the second mobile radio terminal being the second predetermined location, and the current time being the predetermined time, wherein said control signal enables or disables at least one application in at least one of said at least two mobile radio terminals.

26. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein the at least two mobile radio terminals comprise N mobile radio terminals, wherein N≧

2, and wherein the locations of the N mobile radio terminals comprise M different specified locations, wherein M≦

N, and wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is further programmed to generate said control signal if at least one of the N mobile radio terminals is located at each of the M different specified locations.

27. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein the at least two mobile radio terminals comprise N mobile radio terminals, wherein N≧

2, and wherein the N mobile radio terminals are assigned to N specified locations, and wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is further programmed to generate said control signal if each of the N mobile radio terminals is located at its assigned location.

28. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 27 wherein the N specified locations include N different specified locations.

29. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is further programmed to generate said control signal if the location of the first mobile radio terminal of the at least two mobile radio terminals being the first predetermined location and the location of the second mobile radio terminal of the at least two mobile radio terminals being the second predetermined location and the current time being the predetermined time.

30. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is further programmed to generate said control signal if the location of the first mobile radio terminal being the first predetermined location, the location of the second mobile radio terminal being the second predetermined location, and the current time being the preselect time.

31. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein the microprocessor logic circuit is further programmed to:

receive a location query from a location server; and

transmit the location of the second mobile radio terminal to the location server in response to the location query.

32. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein said microprocessor logic circuit is programmed to activate, deactivate, lock, and unlock the at least two mobile radio terminals in response to said control signal.

33. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein the second mobile radio terminal comprises one of a mobile phone and a smart card.

34. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 25 wherein the second mobile radio terminal comprises a locating device.

35. The second mobile radio terminal of claim 34 wherein the locating device comprises a global positioning system receiver.