Methods, systems, and computer program products for role- and locale-based mobile user device feature control

• US 8,145,241 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Armstrong Quinton Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Singh, Munindar P., Singh, Mona
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mehra, Inder P
• Application Number:
  US11/172,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20070004386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/422.1, 455/560, 455/550.1, 455/456.4, 455/456.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.5, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/456.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for role- and locale-based mobile user device feature control are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for controlling at least one feature of a mobile user device based on a locale and a role of a user of the mobile user device is disclosed. The method includes storing, in a database, role information defining a plurality of different roles assigned to different user types and corresponding locale-based mobile user device feature control policies. In response to a mobile user device being within the locale, a role of the mobile user device is determined. A policy corresponding to the role is selected from a database. At least one feature of the mobile user device is controlled based on the locale-based feature control policy.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one feature of a mobile user device based on a locale and a role of a user of the mobile user device, the method comprising:

storing, in a database, role information identifying a plurality of different roles assigned to different user types and corresponding locale-based mobile user device feature control policies; and

in response to the mobile user device being within a locale;

receiving a user device role request from the mobile user device over an air interface;

sending available roles and corresponding policies to the mobile user device over the air interface;

determining a role of a user of the mobile user device based on whether a role selection is received from the mobile user device;

selecting, from the database, a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the role of the user; and

controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the locale-based feature control policy, wherein controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the locale-based mobile user device feature control policy includes providing the locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the determined role to the mobile user device to be processed at the mobile user device for controlling at least one of the at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the user device feature control policy.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein storing role information defining roles for a plurality of different user types includes defining roles for employee and guest user types.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a role of a user includes communicating a plurality of roles to the user and receiving a selection of a role from the plurality of roles from the user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a role of a user includes automatically selecting a role to be assigned to the user based on an authentication parameter supplied by the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy includes selecting a policy from a database external to the mobile user device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy includes selecting a policy from a database internal to the mobile user device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling at least one feature includes receiving a request from the user for activation of a feature and determining whether to activate the feature based on a number of current users using the feature.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile user device comprises a mobile telephone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile user device comprises a camera.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile user device comprises a combination of a mobile telephone and a camera.

11. A method for controlling at least one feature of a mobile user device based on a locale and a role of a user of the mobile user device, the method comprising:

storing, in a database, role information identifying a plurality of different roles assigned to different user types and corresponding locale-based mobile user device feature control policies;

in response to the mobile user device being within a locale;

receiving a user device role request from the mobile user device over an air interface;

sending available roles and corresponding policies to the mobile user device over the air interface;

determining a role of a user of the mobile user device based on whether a role selection is received from the mobile user device;

selecting, from the database, a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the role of the user; and

controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the locale-based feature control policy; and

activating the feature in response to determining that activating the feature would not cause the number of current users to meet or exceed a maximum simultaneous use threshold.

12. A method for controlling at least one feature of a mobile user device based on a locale and a role of a user of the mobile user device, the method comprising:

storing, in a database, role information identifying a plurality of different roles assigned to different user types and corresponding locale-based mobile user device feature control policies;

in response to the mobile user device being within a locale;

receiving a user device role request from the mobile user device over an air interface;

sending available roles and corresponding policies to the mobile user device over the air interface;

determining a role of a user of the mobile user device based on whether a role selection is received from the mobile user device;

selecting, from the database, a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the role of the user; and

controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the locale-based feature control policy; and

refusing to activate the feature in response to determining that activating the feature would cause a maximum simultaneous use threshold to be met or exceeded and storing pending user activation request data in a simultaneous feature use control database.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising:

monitoring usage time by current users of the feature;

determining whether the usage time of any of the current users meets or exceeds a maximum feature usage time; and

in response to determining that the usage time of any of the current users meets or exceeds the maximum feature usage time, disabling the feature for that user and enabling the feature for the requesting user.

14. A method for implementing role- and locale-based feature control policies at a mobile user device, the method comprising:

at a mobile user device;

in response to the mobile user device being within a locale,

sending a user device role request from the mobile user device over an air interface;

receiving available roles over the air interface;

selecting one of the roles;

sending a role selection indicating a selected role from the mobile user device over the air interface;

receiving a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the selected role; and

controlling a feature of the mobile user device by processing the locale-based mobile user device feature control policy.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein selecting a role includes automatically selecting a role based on a user authentication parameter.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein selecting a role includes selecting a role in response to a role selection input from a user.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein controlling a feature based on the user device feature control policy includes controlling at least one mobile phone feature based on the user device feature control policy.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein controlling a feature includes controlling at least one camera feature based on the mobile user device feature control policy.

19. The method of claim 14 comprising overriding the policy in response to receiving an override input from the user.

20. A method for implementing role- and locale-based feature control policies at a mobile user device, the method comprising:

at a mobile user device;

sending a user device role request from the mobile user device over an air interface;

receiving information identifying a plurality of user roles over the air interface;

selecting one of the roles;

sending a role selection indicating a selected role from the mobile user device over the air interface;

receiving a user device feature control policy corresponding to the selected role;

controlling a feature of the mobile user device based on the user device feature control policy; and

controlling at least one feature based on the mobile user device feature control policy including requesting permission for activating a simultaneous-use-controlled feature and activating the feature in response to receiving the permission.

21. A method for applying different feature control policies to different user devices in the same locale, the method comprising:

automatically communicating a first role- and locale-based feature control policy to a first mobile user device based on a role of a first user;

automatically communicating a second role- and locale-based feature control policy to a second mobile user device based on a role of a second user; and

controlling the first and second mobile user devices using the first and second policies, wherein the first policy is different from the second policy, wherein controlling the first and second mobile user devices using the first and second policies includes providing the first and second policies, respectively, to the first and second mobile user devices to be processed by the first and second mobile user devices for controlling at least one feature of the first and second mobile user devices based on the first and second policies, wherein a user device role request is received from the first and second mobile user devices over an air interface and available roles and corresponding policies are sent to the first and second mobile user devices over the air interface, each of the first role and the second role determined based on whether a role selection is received from the respective first and second mobile user devices.

22. A system for role- and locale-based user device feature control, the system comprising:

a mobile user device feature control policy database for storing a plurality of different mobile user device feature control policies and corresponding mobile user roles; and

a role- and locale-based policy controller for determining a role assigned to a user of a mobile user device based on whether a role selection is received from the mobile user device, for extracting a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the role from the database, and for communicating the locale-based mobile user device feature control policy to the mobile user device, wherein the locale-based mobile user device feature control policy is configured for processing at the mobile user device for controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the communicated locale-based mobile user device feature control policy, wherein the policy controller is configured to broadcast a locale identifier over an air interface, to receive a user device role request from the mobile user device over the air interface, and to send available roles and corresponding policies to the mobile user device over the air interface.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the mobile user device feature control policy database is configured to store user device feature control policies for camera devices.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the mobile user device feature control policy database is configured to store user device feature control policies for mobile communications devices.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the policy controller configured to communicate the policy to the user device automatically without requiring intervention from the user.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the policy controller is configured to communicate the policy to the user in response to a request from a user over an air interface.

27. A system for role- and locale-based user device feature control, the system comprising:

a mobile user device feature control policy database for storing a plurality of different mobile user device feature control policies and corresponding mobile user roles; and

a role- and locale-based policy controller for determining a role assigned to a user of a mobile user device based on whether a role selection is received from the mobile user device, for extracting a policy corresponding to the role from the database, and for communicating the policy to the mobile user device, wherein the policy controller is configured to broadcast a locale identifier over an air interface, to receive a user device role request from the mobile user device over the air interface, and to send available roles and corresponding policies to the mobile user device over the air interface.

28. A system for role- and locale-based user device feature control, the system comprising:

a mobile user device feature control policy database for storing a plurality of different mobile user device feature control policies and corresponding mobile user roles; and

a role- and locale-based policy controller for determining a role assigned to a user of a mobile user device based on whether a role selection is received from the mobile user device, for extracting a policy corresponding to the role from the database, and for communicating the policy to the mobile user device, wherein the policy controller is configured to;

monitor a number of users simultaneously using a simultaneous-use-limited feature;

receive a request from the mobile user device for activating the simultaneous-use-limited feature;

grant the request in response to determining that granting the request would not cause the number of users using the simultaneous-use-limited feature to meet or exceed a threshold; and

refuse to grant the request and storing pending request data in response to determining that granting the request would cause the number of users using the simultaneous-use-limited feature to meet or exceed the threshold;

wherein the policy controller is configured to broadcast a locale identifier over an air interface, to receive a user device role request from the mobile user device over the air interface, and to send available roles and corresponding policies to the mobile user device over the air interface.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the policy controller is configured to:

monitor a use duration for current users of the simultaneous-use-limited feature; and

in response to determining that a use duration for one of the current users meets or exceeds a maximum feature usage time threshold, disable the feature for the current user and activate the feature for the user corresponding to the pending request data.

30. A mobile user device for implementing role- and locale-based feature control, the mobile user device comprising:

a feature control client in the mobile user device for obtaining information identifying a plurality of user roles, for communicating a selected role to a policy controller and for obtaining a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the selected role, wherein the feature control client is configured to send a user device role request from the user device over an air interface, to receive available roles and corresponding policies over the air interface, and to send the selected role to the policy controller over the air interface; and

a feature controller in the mobile user device for controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device by processing the locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the selected role.

31. The user device of claim 30 wherein the feature control client is configured to automatically obtain the information identifying the roles from the policy controller without intervention from the user.

32. The user device of claim 30 wherein the feature control client is configured to receive input from the user regarding selecting the selected role.

33. The user device of claim 30 wherein the feature controller is configured to override the user device feature control policy in response to an override request from a user.

34. A user device for implementing role- and locale-based feature control, the user device comprising:

a feature control client for obtaining information identifying a plurality of user roles, for communicating a selected role to a policy controller and for obtaining a user device feature control policy corresponding to the selected role, wherein the feature control client is configured to send a user device role request from the user device over an air interface, to receive available roles and corresponding policies over the air interface and to send the selected role to the policy controller over the air interface; and

a feature controller for controlling at least one feature of the device based on the user device feature control policy, wherein the feature controller is configured to request permission for performing a simultaneous-use-controlled action and to perform the action in response to receiving the permission.

35. A system for controlling at least one feature of mobile user device based on a locale and a role of a user of the mobile user device, the system comprising:

means for storing, in a database, role information identifying a plurality of different roles assigned to different user types and corresponding locale-based mobile user device feature control policies;

means for determining a role of a user of the mobile user device based on whether a role selection is received from the mobile user device;

means for selecting, from the database, a locale-based mobile user device feature control policy corresponding to the role of the user; and

means for controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the locale-based feature control policy, wherein controlling at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the locale-based mobile user device feature control policy includes providing the user device feature control policy corresponding to the determined role to the mobile user device to be processed at the mobile user device for controlling at least one of the at least one feature of the mobile user device based on the user device feature control policy, wherein the means for controlling is configured to broadcast a locale identifier over an air interface, to receive a user device role request from the mobile user device over the air interface, and to send available roles and corresponding policies to the mobile user device over the air interface.