Export control for a GNSS receiver

• US 8,296,571 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Jeffery A., Riley, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIA, SYED
• Application Number:
  US11/804,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/03 Cooperating elements; Interaction or communication between different cooperating elements or between cooperating elements and receivers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention recite a method and system for implementing export control for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. In one embodiment, a GNSS receiver is used to determine the geographic position of an electronic device. It is then determined that the geographic region corresponds to an exclusion zone. In response to determining that the geographic region corresponds to the exclusion zone, accessing data from the electronic device is prevented.

Claims

1. A method for implementing export control for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, said method comprising:

using said GNSS receiver to determine a geographic position of an electronic device;

determining that said geographic position corresponds to an exclusion zone; and

preventing accessing of said GNSS receiver by said electronic device in response to said determining.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said determining further comprises:

accessing a list comprising at least one of said exclusion zone.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

comparing said geographic position with said exclusion zone.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

receiving an update to said list comprising a second exclusion zone.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

receiving an update to said list wherein at least one exclusion zone is removed from said list.

6. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said accessing further comprises:

decrypting a description of said exclusion zone.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said preventing further comprises:

preventing the accessing of geographic data from said GNSS receiver.

8. A non-transitory computer-usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform the steps of:

using a GNSS receiver to determine a geographic position of an electronic device;

determining that said geographic position corresponds to an exclusion zone; and

preventing accessing of said GNSS receiver by said electronic device in response to said determining.

9. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said determining further comprises:

accessing a list comprising at least one of said exclusion zone; and

comparing said geographic position with said exclusion zone.

10. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving an update to said list comprising a second exclusion zone.

11. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:

receiving an update to said list wherein at least one exclusion zone is removed from said list.

12. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 9 wherein said accessing further comprises:

decrypting a description of said exclusion zone.

13. The non-transitory computer-usable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said preventing further comprises:

preventing accessing of geographic data from said GNSS receiver.

14. A system for implementing export control restrictions in an electronic device, said system comprising:

a geographic position input for receiving a geographic position from a GNSS receiver;

an exclusion zone determiner for determining that said geographic position corresponds to an exclusion zone; and

an access enabler for preventing accessing of said GNSS receiver by said electronic device in response to said determining.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said exclusion zone determiner further comprises:

an exclusion zone accessor for accessing an exclusion zone list comprising at least one of said exclusion zone.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said exclusion zone determiner further comprises:

a comparator for comparing said geographic position with said exclusion zone.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

an exclusion zone update receiver for receiving an update to said list comprising a second exclusion zone.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said exclusion zone update receiver is further for receiving an update to said list wherein at least one exclusion zone is removed from said list.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a decryption device for decrypting a description of said exclusion zone.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein said access enabler is further for preventing accessing of geographic data from said GNSS receiver.

21. A method for implementing dynamic export control for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, said method comprising:

receiving a list comprising a set of geographic coordinates of at least one exclusion zone;

using said GNSS receiver to determine a geographic position;

determining that said geographic position corresponds to said at least one exclusion zone; and

preventing accessing of GNSS data from said GNSS receiver in response to said determining.

22. The method as recited in claim 21 wherein said determining further comprises:

comparing said geographic position with said set of geographic coordinates of said at least one exclusion zone.

23. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein said accessing further comprises:

decrypting set of geographic coordinates of said at least one exclusion zone.

24. The method as recited in claim 21 wherein said preventing further comprises:

preventing the accessing of said geographic position from said GNSS receiver.