Mobile object location-based privacy protection

• US 8,423,050 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/298,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20120064920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 455/404.2, 455/414.2, 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 12/08 Access security
• 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 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/16 selectively restricting mobility data tracking

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for creating and implementing a privacy zone around a mobile object are described herein. A privacy zone is a geographic location proximate to a mobile object in which mobile device functionality is reduced when a mobile device is inside the boundaries of the privacy zone. A locator subsystem tracks the location of the mobile object to update the location of the privacy zone. Further, the locator subsystem monitors for mobile devices that may interface with the privacy zone. Once a mobile device is found to be within a privacy zone, the pre-determined mobile device features will preferably be disabled.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium not being a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to effectuate operations rising:

establishing a boundary of a privacy zone in relation to a location of a mobile object, wherein the boundary of the privacy zone varies in relation to the location of the mobile object;

establishing a function configuration for a mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is located in the privacy zone;

determining that a mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

tracking the mobile communications device while the mobile device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

upon a determination that the mobile communications device being tracked is within the privacy zone, retrieving the function configuration for the privacy zone; and

programming the mobile communication device within the privacy zone according to the retrieved function configuration.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

determining if a requestor that is requesting permission to establish a privacy zone is permitted to request establishment of a privacy zone; and

if the requestor is permitted to request establishment of a privacy zone, granting permission to establish the privacy zone.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the function configuration comprises at least one mobile communications device function to be disabled.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the function configuration comprises a time associated with the function configuration.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein a determination that a mobile communication device is within the privacy zone comprises:

determining a location of the mobile object;

determining a current location of the mobile communication device;

comparing the determined current location of the mobile communication device with the boundaries of the privacy zone associated with the current location of the mobile object; and

if the determined current location of the mobile communication device is within the boundaries of the of privacy zone, providing an indication that a mobile communication device is within the privacy zone.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein determining the location of the mobile communication device or the mobile object comprises detecting a near field communication enabled mobile device by a near field communication post.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to program the mobile communication device within the privacy zone to implement the function configuration.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

determine that the mobile communication device that was in the privacy zone is no longer within the privacy zone; and

program the mobile communication device to re-enable any disabled features that were disabled while within the privacy zone.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

determine if the privacy zone has been activated.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the mobile object is a cellular telephone.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the mobile object is a person.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium not being a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to effectuate operation comprising:

establishing boundaries of a privacy zone in relation to a location of a mobile object, wherein the boundaries of the privacy zone vary in relation to a location of the mobile object;

establishing a function configuration for a mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is located in the privacy zone;

generating a request to activate the privacy zone according to established parameters;

transmitting the request to activate;

determining a current location of the mobile object;

determining that a mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

tracking the mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone; and

upon a determination that the mobile communications device being tracked is within the privacy zone, configuring the mobile communication device according to the function configuration.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein generating the request to activate the privacy zone is initiated by a person.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the mobile object is a person.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the mobile object is a cell phone.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein generating the request to activate the privacy zone is performed automatically based upon the geographic location of the mobile object.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for causing the processor to generate a request to deactivate the privacy zone.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein generating the request to deactivate the privacy zone is initiated by a person.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the generating the request to deactivate the privacy zone is performed automatically based upon a geographic location of the mobile object.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium not being a propagating signal, the computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to effectuate operations comprising:

establishing a boundary of a privacy zone in relation to a location of a mobile object, wherein the boundary of the privacy zone varies in relation to the location of the mobile object;

establishing a function configuration for a mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is located in the privacy zone;

determining a current location of the mobile object;

determining a location of a mobile communication device;

determining that the mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

tracking the mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is proximate to the boundary of the privacy zone and not within the privacy zone;

upon a determination that the mobile communications device is being tracked, retrieving the function configuration for the privacy zone;

generating a program signal to program the mobile communication device within the privacy zone according to the retrieved function configuration; and

providing the program to the mobile communication device within the privacy zone.