System, method and apparatus for protecting privacy when a mobile device is located in a defined privacy zone

• US 8,195,198 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson, Hu, Q. James, McNamara, Justin, Sennett, DeWayne Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/734,430
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for protecting privacy when a mobile device is located in a defined privacy zone are described herein. The available features that a user of a mobile device may use are controlled while the mobile device is located in a define privacy zone. Once a mobile device is detected in the define privacy zone, a database is accessed to determine if the mobile device has the features available that are to be disabled. If the features are available, a disable signal is sent via the communications network to the mobile device and the feature is disabled. Once the mobile device is detected to be outside of the defined privacy zone, the previously disabled mobile device feature is enabled.

Claims

1. A method for creating a privacy zone in an area with wireless communication coverage, the method comprising:

creating a database comprising a listing of mobile devices and enabled features associated with each of the mobile devices;

receiving a non-geometric description of a privacy zone;

defining a boundary of the privacy zone based on the non-geometric description, wherein a physical location of the boundary based on the non-geometric description can vary;

selecting from a plurality of mobile device features at least one feature to be disabled if one or more of the mobile devices is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone;

detecting the one or more of the mobile devices located in the defined privacy zone;

determining if the one or more of the mobile devices has the at least one enabled feature to be disabled by accessing the database; and

transmitting a signal to disable the at least one enabled feature of the plurality of mobile device features while the one or more of the mobile devices is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone if it is determined that the one or more of the mobile devices has the at least one enabled feature to be disabled.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting when the at least one or more of mobile devices is no longer located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone; and

enabling the at least one enabled feature that was disabled.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined privacy zone is defined based upon a longitude and latitude coordinate system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the longitude and latitude are referenced to time difference of arrival.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the longitude and latitude are referenced to a global position system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined privacy zone is defined based upon a mobile device signal transmission strength.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined privacy zone is defined based upon proximate distance of a mobile device to a near field communication port.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile device features comprises at least one of voice calling, incoming call alert, incoming message alert, text messaging, instant messaging, picture messaging, video messaging, camera, or video.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting a mobile device located in the defined privacy zone comprises determining the location of the mobile device relative to the defined privacy zone.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the mobile device relative to the defined privacy zone comprises a calculation of the mobile device coordinates.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the mobile device relative to the defined privacy zone comprises a measurement of the wireless signal transmission strength of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the mobile device relative to the defined privacy zone comprises a signal from a global positioning system.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the location of the mobile device relative to the defined privacy zone comprises the detection of the presence of a near field communication enabled mobile phone within a detectable distance to a near field communication post.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the at least one of the selected plurality of enabled features through over the air provisioning.

15. A wireless communication system for creating a privacy zone, the system comprising:

at least one server computer coupled to a wireless base station;

a mobile device detection subsystem coupled with the at least one server computer;

a user input system coupled with the at least one server computer;

a database coupled with the at least one server computer, wherein the database comprises

a list of mobile devices and respectively associated enabled features and is updatable with mobile device feature information,

wherein the at least one server computer is configured to;

receive a command from the input system generated by a user to define a privacy zone within the wireless network, wherein the privacy zone is defined based on a non-geometric description of the privacy zone, wherein a physical location of a boundary based on the non-geometric description of the privacy zone can vary;

receive a command from the input system generated by a user to delineate at least one mobile device enabled feature to be disabled in the defined privacy zone;

receive an input signal from a location subsystem if a mobile device is determined to be in the defined privacy zone;

determine if the mobile device has the at least one enabled mobile device feature; and

output a command to disable the at least one enabled mobile device feature.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one server computer is further configured to:

receive an input from the location subsystem when the mobile device leaves the defined privacy zone; and

output a command to enable the at least one disabled feature.

17. A method for configuring a wireless device based upon the location of the wireless communications device in a geographic area having wireless communication coverage, the method comprising:

identifying a database comprising a listing of mobile devices and enabled features associated with each of the mobile devices;

receiving a non-geometric description of a privacy zone;

defining a boundary of the privacy zone, based on the non-geometric description, within the geographic area, wherein a physical location of the boundary based on the non-geometric description can vary;

selecting at least one of a plurality of enabled mobile device features to be disabled if a mobile device is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone;

detecting a mobile device;

determining if the mobile device has the at least one enabled feature to be disabled by accessing the database; and

transmitting a signal to disable the at least one of the selected plurality of enabled mobile device features if the mobile device has the at least one of the selected plurality of enabled mobile device features.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting when the mobile device is no longer located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone; and

enabling the selected plurality of enabled mobile device features that were disabled.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, for configuring a mobile device having a plurality of features, the configuration based upon the location of the mobile device in a geographic area having wireless communication coverage, the instructions, when executed on a processor, causing the processor to perform the following:

receiving a non-geometric description of a privacy zone;

receiving a boundary of a privacy zone based on the non-geometric description, wherein a physical location of the boundary based on the non-geometric description can vary;

receiving at least one of a plurality of mobile device enabled features to be disabled while a mobile device is located in the defined privacy zone;

receiving the detection of a mobile device in the defined privacy zone;

receiving information about the mobile device to determine if the mobile device has the at least one feature enabled by accessing a database comprising a list of mobile devices and respectively associated enabled features and determining using the information if the mobile device detected in the privacy zone has at least one of the selected plurality of enabled features to be disabled; and

if the mobile device has at least one of the selected plurality of enabled features, transmitting a signal to disable the selected plurality of features of the mobile device while the mobile device is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone.

20. A method for creating a privacy zone in a geographic area having wireless communication coverage, said method comprising:

defining a privacy zone based on a non-geometric description of the privacy zone, wherein;

a physical location of a boundary based on the non-geometric description of the privacy zone can vary; and

a camera feature of a mobile device will be disabled;

populating a database with a list of a plurality of mobile devices having a camera feature available for consumer purchase;

detecting the mobile device in the privacy zone;

accessing the database to determine if the mobile device detected is in the list of mobile devices having an enabled camera feature;

if the mobile device is in the list, sending a camera disable configuration message to the mobile device to disable the camera feature of the mobile device.

21. A wireless telecommunications network configured to create a privacy zone in a geographic area having wireless communication coverage, the network configuration comprising:

means for creating a database comprising a listing of mobile devices and enabled features associated with each of the mobile devices;

means for defining a boundary of a privacy zone located within the geographic area wherein;

the boundary of the privacy zone is based on a non-geometric description of the privacy zone; and

a physical location of the boundary based on the non-geometric description can vary;

means for selecting at least one mobile device feature from a plurality of mobile device features to be disabled if a mobile device is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone;

means for detecting a mobile device located in the defined privacy zone;

means for determining if the mobile device has the at least one feature to be disabled by accessing the database; and

means for disabling the at least one of the selected plurality of enabled features of the mobile device while the mobile device is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone if the selected plurality of enabled features are enabled on the mobile device.

22. The network configuration of claim 21, further comprising:

means for detecting when the mobile device is no longer located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone; and

means for enabling the at least one of the selected plurality of enabled features that were disabled.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are used by a microprocessor for creating a privacy zone in a geographic area having wireless communication coverage, the instructions comprising:

an instruction set for defining a boundary of a privacy zone located within the geographic area, wherein;

the boundary of the privacy zone is based on a non-geometric description of the privacy zone; and

a physical location of the boundary based on the non-geometric description can vary;

an instruction set for selecting at least one mobile device feature from a plurality of mobile device features to be disabled if a mobile device having the at least one mobile device feature enabled is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone;

an instruction set for detecting a mobile device located in the defined privacy zone;

an instruction set for determining if the mobile device has the at least one feature enabled which is to be disabled by accessing a database comprising a list of mobile devices and respectively associated enabled features; and

an instruction set for disabling the selected plurality of enabled features of the mobile device while the mobile device is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone if the selected plurality of features are available on the mobile device.

24. A privacy zone in a geographic area, wherein selected mobile device features are remotely disabled while a mobile device is located in the privacy zone, wherein the geographic area has wireless communication coverage, the privacy zone generated by the steps of:

defining a boundary of a privacy zone within the geographic area, wherein;

the boundary of the privacy zone is based on a non-geometric description of the privacy zone; and

a physical location of the boundary based on the non-geometric description can vary;

selecting at least one mobile device feature from a plurality of mobile device features to be disabled if a mobile device is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone;

detecting a mobile device located in the defined privacy zone;

determining if the mobile device has the at least one enabled feature to be disabled by accessing a database comprising a list of mobile devices and respectively associated enabled features; and

if at least one of the selected plurality of features are enabled on the cell phone, disabling the selected plurality of features of the mobile device while the mobile device is located within the boundary of the defined privacy zone.

25. An apparatus for creating a privacy zone in a geographic area having wireless communication coverage area provided by a wireless communication network to a plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein:

said communication coverage area provides a plurality of wireless communication coverage features to said wireless communication devices;

said communication coverage is controlled by a user;

the apparatus is in communication with the wireless communication network;

said wireless communications network is in communication with a wireless communication device locator subsystem, the apparatus comprising;

means for providing a display to a user, wherein said display informs the user of the boundaries of the coverage area under control of the user;

means for inputting the boundaries of a privacy zone located within the coverage area, wherein;

the boundaries of the privacy zone are based on a non-geometric description of the privacy zone; and

physical locations of the boundaries based on the non-geometric description can vary;

means for determining if the mobile device has enabled the at least one feature to be disabled by accessing a database comprising a list of mobile devices and respectively associated enabled features; and

means for selecting a plurality of wireless communication coverage features to be disabled while a wireless communications device is located within the privacy area.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for receiving an input from the locator subsystem that a wireless mobile device has been detected within the privacy zone.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for sending a disable signal to the wireless communications device to disable said selected plurality of enabled features.