Mobile station and output control method

• US 7,697,653 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujita, Masanori, Urakawa, Yasutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus; Jean B
• Application Number:
  US11/087,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20050215240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 375/219, 375/220, 375/256, 375/295, 375/316, 375/326, 375/354, 375/377, 455/3.01, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/420, 455/426.1, 455/456.1, 455/73, 455/550.1, 455/566, 725 25- 31
• US Class Current: 375/377
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A mobile station is configured to acquire at least one of country information and carrier in formation as output control information. The mobile station is also configured to receive download data that includes harmful level information. The mobile station includes a predetermined rule for determining whether output of the data is to be permitted based on the harmful level information and the output control information.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device having an output for outputting data received over a wireless network from a content provider site, the mobile communication device comprising:

a reader configured to read information from an external recording medium;

an output control information acquirer configured to acquire carrier information from the information read by the reader, the carrier information used as output control information, the carrier information being information identifying a provider of bi-directional communication services to the mobile communication device;

a harmful level acquirer configured to read harmful level information included in the data received over the wireless network from the content provider site;

an output control rule storage configured to store and make available a predetermined rule to determine whether to output the data based on application of the harmful level information and the output control information to the predetermined rule; and

an output controller configured to determine whether to output the received data based on the identified provider of bi-directional communication services and the harmful level information acquired by the harmful level acquirer, as applied to the predetermined rule stored by the output control rule storage;

the output controller further configured to control output of the received data as a result of the determination.

2. The mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output control information acquirer is configured to acquire country information based on either one of the carrier information acquired by the mobile communication device or location information of the mobile communication device measured with a global positioning system.

3. The mobile communication device according to claim 2, wherein the output control information comprises the carrier information and the country information, and wherein the output controller is configured to determine based on a stricter outcome of the predetermined rule whether to output the data according to application of the harmful level information and the carrier information to the predetermined rule, or according to application of the harmful level information and the country information to the predetermined rule.

4. The mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output controller is further configured to deny output of the data in response to absence of the harmful level information in the data received over the wireless network.

5. The mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule, with the harmful level information and the output control information applied, is indicative of whether the data violates the laws and regulations of a country where the mobile communication device is currently located.

6. The mobile communication device according to claim 1, wherein the output control information acquirer is configured to acquire a nationality of a user from the information read by the reader, and wherein the output control information comprises the carrier information and the nationality of the user, and wherein the output controller is configured to determine based on a stricter outcome of the predetermined rule whether to output the data according to application of the harmful level information and the carrier information to the predetermined rule, or according to application of the harmful level information and the nationality of the user to the predetermined rule.

7. A method for controlling output of data in a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

the mobile communication device receiving data over a wireless network from a content provider site;

the mobile communication device providing a predetermined rule to determine whether to output the received data based on harmful level information included in the data and output control information;

acquiring carrier information as the output control information with a reader included in the mobile communication device, the reader configured to read information from an external recording medium, the carrier information comprising identification of a company providing mobile communication network services to the mobile communication device;

reading the harmful level information included in the received data; and

determining whether to output the received data based on application of the company providing mobile communication network services and the harmful level information to the predetermined rule; and

controlling the output of the received data as a result of the determination.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether to output the received data comprises denying output of the received data when the harmful level information is absent from the data received over the wireless network.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the harmful level information is a predetermined rating of a propriety of a content of the received data, and determining whether to output the received data comprises confirming the received data complies with output restrictions of a country where the mobile communication device is presently located based on application of the company providing mobile communication network services and the harmful level information to the predetermined rule.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether to output the received data comprises identifying a country from the output control information, and comparing the harmful level information with a propriety of outputting the received data in accordance with criteria for output restrictions of the identified country.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether to output the received data comprises identifying a restriction of a country where the mobile communication device is currently located, and determining whether to output the received data in accordance with both the restriction of the country and the company providing mobile communication network services.

12. A mobile communication device comprising a user interface configured to output data received over a wireless network, the mobile communication device comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive download data from the wireless network, the download data received from a content provider site included in the wireless network;

a reader configured to read information from an external recording medium;

an output control information acquirer configured to receive the output control information from the information read by the reader, the output control information comprising carrier information identifying a roaming service provider providing communication services to the mobile communication device;

a harmful level acquirer configured to read a content rating included in the download data, the content rating indicative of a predetermined level of propriety assigned to the download data;

an output control rule storage configured to store a predetermined rule; and

an output controller configured to apply the output control information and the content rating to the predetermined rule;

the output controller further configured to determine whether to output the download data to the user interface based on the identified roaming service provider and the content rating applied to the predetermined rule.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the output controller is further configured to output the download data in response to determination that output of the download data to the user interface complies with the laws and regulations of a country determined from the carrier information.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the output control information is indicative of a nationality of a user of the mobile communication device.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the output control information is indicative of a location where the mobile communication device is currently located.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined rule is set to laws and regulations of a country identified from the carrier information and the content rating to determine if the download data should be output to the user interface.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined rule prevents violation of laws and regulations of a country identified from the carrier information and output restrictions set by a user of the mobile communication device.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the output controller is further configured to deny output of the download data to the user interface in response to absence of the content rating from the download data.