Location enabled bookmark and profile

• US 8,423,687 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Srinivansan, Sridhar, Gu, Ye, Liu, Johnny
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US13/222,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Location based profiles are used to modify the configuration of a computing device based on a detected location. The location based profiles allow features such as cameras to be enabled and disabled. Physical and logical data storage partitions can also be mounted and unmounted, and the home screen displayed by a device can be modified. Location bookmarks can be used to further customize the appearance and function of a computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for modifying the configuration of a computing device, comprising:

detecting a location for a computing device;

determining, based on the detected location, that the computing device has crossed a first geographic boundary corresponding to a first location profile;

disabling at least one input/output feature of the computing device in response to crossing the first geographic boundary; and

changing the status of at least one content source by making the at least one content source accessible or inaccessible in response to crossing the first geographic boundary, the at least one content source comprising a physical or logical data storage structure that can be used for storage on the computing device.

2. The computer-based method according to claim 1, wherein the input/output feature is an input/output component.

3. The computer-based method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one content source comprises a disk partition, and changing the status of the content source comprises mounting or unmounting the disk partition.

4. The computer-based method according to claim 1, further comprising modifying a displayed home screen in response to crossing the first geographic boundary.

5. The computer-based method according to claim 4, wherein modifying the displayed home screen comprises replacing the home screen with the user interface for an application.

6. The computer-based method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second location for the computing device;

determining that the computing device has crossed a second geographic boundary corresponding to a second location profile, the second location profile having a different security authorization level than the first location profile; and

disabling at least one additional input/output feature of the computing device in response to crossing the second geographic boundary.

7. The computer-based method according to claim 6, wherein the second geographic boundary is different from the first geographic boundary.

8. The computer-based method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second location for the computing device;

determining that the computing device has crossed a second geographic boundary corresponding to a second location profile, the second location profile having a different security authorization level than the first location profile; and

changing the status of at least one content source in response to crossing the second geographic boundary.

9. The computer-based method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input/output feature is disabled and the status of the at least one content source is changed without rebooting the computing device.

10. A computer-based method for modifying the configuration of a computing device, comprising:

detecting a location for a computing device;

determining, based on the detected location, that the computing device has crossed a first geographic boundary corresponding to a first location profile;

disabling at least one input/output feature of the computing device in response to crossing the first geographic boundary;

enabling at least one input/output feature of the computing device different from the disabled feature in response to crossing the first geographic boundary;

modifying the displayed home screen in response to crossing the first geographic boundary; and

making at least one content source accessible in response to crossing the first geographic boundary, the at least one content source comprising a physical or logical data storage structure that can be used for storage on the computing device.

11. The computer-based method of claim 10, wherein modifying the displayed home screen comprises replacing the home screen with the user interface for an application.

12. The computer-based method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a second location for the computing device;

determining that the computing device has crossed a second geographic boundary corresponding to a second location profile, the second location profile having a different security authorization level than the first location profile; and

disabling at least one additional input/output feature of the computing device in response to crossing the second geographic boundary.

13. The computer-based method of claim 12, wherein the second geographic boundary is different from the first geographic boundary.

14. The computer-based method of claim 12, wherein the at least one additional input/output feature disabled in response to crossing the second geographic boundary is different from the at least one input/output feature enabled in response to crossing the first geographic boundary.

15. A computer-based method for modifying the configuration of a computing device, comprising:

detecting a first location for a computing device;

determining, based on the detected location, that the computing device has crossed a first geographic boundary corresponding to a first location profile;

disabling at least one input/output feature of the computing device in response to crossing the first geographic boundary;

changing the status of one or more content sources by making the one or more content sources accessible or inaccessible in response to crossing the first geographic boundary, the one or more content sources comprising a physical or logical data storage structure that can be used for storage on the computing device;

detecting a second location for the computing device different from the first location;

determining that the computing device has crossed a second geographic boundary corresponding to a second location profile, the second location profile having a different security authorization level than the first location profile; and

enabling at least one additional content source different from the one or more content sources, the at least one additional content source comprising a physical or logical data storage structure that can be used for storage on the computing device.

16. The computer-based method of claim 15, wherein the second geographic boundary is different from the first geographic boundary.

17. The computer-based method of claim 15, further comprising disabling at least one additional input/output feature of the computing device in response to crossing the second geographic boundary.

18. The computer-based method of claim 15, further comprising modifying a displayed home screen in response to crossing at least one of the first geographic boundary or the second geographic boundary.

19. The computer-based method of claim 15, wherein the one or more content sources comprise one or more memory partitions, and changing the status of the one or more content sources comprises mounting or unmounting the one or more memory partitions.

20. The computer-based method of claim 15, wherein the at least one additional content source comprises an additional disk partition, and enabling the at least one additional content source comprises mounting the additional disk partition.