Context-based limitation of mobile device operation

• US 8,254,957 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Francis, Robert Curtiss, Hope, Clint B.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US12/646,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20100317336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/26.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.4
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724634 With partially locked states, e.g. when some telephonic functional locked states or applications remain accessible in the locked states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Context-based limitation of mobile device operation. An embodiment of a method includes receiving a request for a function of a mobile device. The method further includes obtaining data regarding a context of the mobile device, and determining a current context for the mobile device based on the obtained data. The method includes determining whether the function of the mobile device should be limited at least in part the current context of the mobile device; and responding to the request for the function based on the determination regarding the limitation of the function.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a function of a mobile device;

obtaining data regarding a context of the mobile device, the data including data regarding a physical location of the mobile device;

determining a current context for the mobile device based on the obtained data, wherein the determination of the current context of the mobile device includes circumstances of operation of the mobile device and a class of operation of the mobile device, and wherein the circumstances of the operation of the mobile device are based at least in part on the physical location of the mobile device;

determining whether the function of the mobile device should be limited based at least in part on the current context of the mobile device, wherein determining whether the function should be limited includes accessing data in a memory regarding functional limitations for the mobile device based at least in part on the current context of the mobile device; and

responding to the request for the function based on the determination regarding the limitation of the function, wherein responding to the request for the function includes one of allowing the function, disabling the function, and allowing the function with one or more restrictions in operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the circumstances of operation of the mobile device are further based on a velocity of motion of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current context includes whether the mobile device is located in a restricted location for the function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a class of operation of the mobile device includes one of a business operation or a personal operation for the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining data further includes receiving an external broadcast signal instructing a limitation on a function of the mobile device.

6. A mobile device comprising:

a processor to process a request for a first function of a plurality of functions of the mobile device, the processor to obtain contextual information about the mobile device and to determine a current context of the mobile device based on the contextual information, wherein the determination of the current context of the mobile device includes circumstances of operation of the mobile device and a class of operation of the mobile device;

a memory to hold data regarding functional restrictions of the mobile device, the processor to access the functional restrictions of the mobile device to determine whether to limit the requested first function based at least in part on the current context of the mobile device, the processor to respond to the request based on the determination regarding limitation of the first function, wherein responding to the request for the first function includes one of allowing the first function, disabling the first function, and allowing the first function with one or more restrictions in operation; and

a location determination element to determine a physical location of the mobile device, wherein the circumstances of operation of the mobile device are based at least in part on the physical location of the mobile device.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the location determination element includes a global positioning satellite (GPS) element.

8. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the location determination element utilizes detection of a particular wireless network in the determination of the physical location.

9. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the data regarding functional restrictions includes a table, the table providing limitations for a plurality of mobile device functions.

10. The mobile device of claim 6, further comprising a camera element, wherein the first function is a photographic function.

11. The mobile device of claim 6, further comprising an audio element, wherein the first function is a sound function produced by the audio element.

12. A mobile system comprising:

a transmitter to transmit signals and a receiver to receive signals;

a dipole antenna to receive and transmit signals;

a processor to process a request for a first function of a plurality of functions of the system, the processor to obtain contextual information about the system and to determine a current context of the system based on the contextual information, wherein the determination of the current context of the mobile device includes circumstances of operation of the mobile device and a class of operation of the mobile device;

a memory to hold data regarding functional restrictions of the system, the processor to access the functional restrictions of the system to determine whether to limit the requested first function based at least in part on the current context of the system, the processor to respond to the request based on the determination regarding limitation of the first function, wherein responding to the request for the first function includes one of allowing the first function, disabling the first function, and allowing the first function with one or more restrictions in operation; and

a location determination element to determine a physical location of the mobile device, wherein the circumstances of operation of the mobile device are based at least in part on the physical location of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data regarding functional restrictions includes a table, the table providing limitations for the plurality of system functions.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for a function of a mobile device;

obtaining data regarding a context of the mobile device, the data including data regarding a physical location of the mobile device;

determining a current context for the mobile device based on the obtained data, wherein the determination of the current context of the mobile device includes circumstances of operation of the mobile device and a class of operation of the mobile device, and wherein the circumstances of the operation of the mobile device are based at least in part on the physical location of the mobile device;

determining whether the function of the mobile device should be limited based at least in part on the current context of the mobile device, wherein determining whether the function should be limited includes accessing data in a memory regarding functional limitations for the mobile device based at least in part on the current context of the mobile device; and

responding to the request for the function based on the determination regarding the limitation of the function, wherein responding to the request for the function includes one of allowing the function, disabling the function, and allowing the function with one or more restrictions in operation.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the circumstances of operation of the mobile device are further based on a velocity of motion of the mobile device.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein the cuffent context includes whether the mobile device is located in a restricted location for the function.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein a class of operation of the mobile device includes one of a business operation or a personal operation for the mobile device.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein obtaining data further includes receiving an external broadcast signal instructing a limitation on a function of the mobile device.