System and method for selectively restricting portable information handling system features

• US 8,548,443 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Anson, Douglas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US13/049,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20120238257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Wireless telephones retrieve feature restrictions from a wires telephone network, the feature restrictions having associated predetermined conditions. A wireless telephone applies the feature restrictions if the predetermined conditions are met to disable functions at the wireless telephone as defined by the feature restrictions. For example, a wireless telephone disables camera operations if the position of the wireless phone is in an academic testing location during an academic testing period.

Claims

1. A system for selectively restricting portable telephone features, the system comprising:

a feature controller associated with a telephone wireless communication network and operable to accept predetermined feature restrictions for selected of plural portable telephones and to communicate the feature restrictions to the selected portable telephones, each feature restriction restricting performance of one or more portable telephone functions based upon predetermined conditions at each of the selected portable telephones; and

a function application stored in memory of the plural portable telephones, the function application operable to receive the feature restrictions at the selected portable telephones and to apply the feature restrictions to disable the one or more portable telephone functions if the predetermined conditions are met;

wherein the predetermined conditions comprise an academic testing location during an academic testing time period,

wherein restricting the functions further comprises disabling a camera of the selected portable telephones,

wherein the feature restrictions for any given one of the selected portable telephones is unlocked prior to the expiration of the academic testing time period if the portable telephone receives and authenticates a text message to unlock the feature restrictions, and if the authentication fails upon manual input of a code into the portable telephone.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more portable telephone functions comprises operation of a camera to record images.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more portable telephone functions comprises web browsing.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more portable telephone functions comprises substantially all functions except emergency calls.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a feature interface operable to accept from an end user the feature restrictions for the selected of plural portable telephones and to communicate the feature restrictions to the feature controller.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the feature interface comprises a portable telephone.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the feature interface further comprises a text messaging system at the portable telephone that sends a text message having the feature restrictions to the feature controller.

8. A method for controlling operation of one or more portable information handling systems, the method comprising:

storing feature restrictions for the one or more portable information handling systems at a network location, each feature restriction restricting performance of one or more portable information handling system functions based upon predetermined conditions at each of the one or more portable information handling systems;

sending the feature restrictions from the network location to the one or more portable information handling systems;

detecting the predetermined conditions at a portable information handling system; and

restricting the functions at the portable information handling system in response to the detecting;

wherein the predetermined conditions comprise a location at which an end user of the portable information handling system is scheduled to take a test and a time period during which the end user is scheduled to take the test,

wherein restricting the functions further comprises disabling a camera of the portable information handling systems,

wherein the feature restrictions for any given one of the portable information handling systems is unlocked prior to the expiration of the time period if the portable information handling system receives and authenticates a text message to unlock the feature restrictions, and if the authentication fails upon manual input of a code into the portable information handling system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the portable information handling system comprises a portable telephone and restricting the functions further comprises disabling texting at the portable telephone.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein restricting the functions further comprises disabling web browsing of the portable information handling system.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating feature restrictions at an information handling system, each feature restriction associated with plural portable information handling system unique identifiers; and

sending the feature restrictions and unique identifiers to the network location.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the unique identifiers comprise identifiers associated with end user students having a class together and the predetermined conditions comprise the class time period.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the unique identifiers comprise telephone numbers.

14. A wireless telephone comprising:

a processor operable to process information;

memory interfaced with the processor;

a communications device interfaced with the processor and operable to support communication with a wireless telephone network;

plural functions that execute on the processor of the wireless telephone;

a function application stored in the memory, the function application operable to receive feature restrictions from the wireless telephone network through the communications device and to apply the feature restrictions to disable one or more of the functions if predetermined conditions associated with the feature restrictions are met;

wherein the function comprises operation of a camera to take pictures and the predetermined condition comprises a location of the wireless telephone at an academic testing site during an academic testing time period,

wherein the feature restrictions for the wireless telephone is unlocked prior to the expiration of the academic testing time period if the wireless telephone receives and authenticates a text message to unlock the feature restrictions, and if the authentication fails upon manual input of a code into the wireless telephone.