System and method for controlling device usage
First Claim
1. A method for controlling usage of features provided by a first mobile device in a communication system, the features requiring user interaction, said method comprising:
- receiving at said first mobile device, from a second mobile device, a set of rules having been selected from a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, said set of rules having been broadcast by said second mobile device to a plurality of mobile devices for controlling usage of particular features on said plurality of devices during said at least one restricted period, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules being selected on said second mobile device from a plurality of rules, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules;
storing said set of rules on said first mobile device; and
applying said feature restrictions for the duration of said at least one restricted period according to said set of rules.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Mobile device usage may be monitored and restricted by pushing enabling/disabling events from an administrator the device. The events impose a certain set of rules that can “lock” certain features provided by the device, according to permissions and pre-established policies, for a certain period of time. Such restricted periods may coincide with meetings or other events in which distractions should be kept to a minimum or be during regular, predetermined time periods. Preferably, the rules include conditional locks that allow a user to use a feature a reasonable number of times before the lock is activated to place the onus on the user for minimizing such distractions, while enabling the user to maintain access to such a vital communication tool. Cancel packets may also be used to not only control but to monitor the application of the rule sets and when certain conditions are breaches, which provides an employer with sufficient information to use in auditing device usage or in reprimanding users for misuse of a privilege such as the use of mobile data communications devices.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for controlling usage of features provided by a first mobile device in a communication system, the features requiring user interaction, said method comprising:
- receiving at said first mobile device, from a second mobile device, a set of rules having been selected from a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, said set of rules having been broadcast by said second mobile device to a plurality of mobile devices for controlling usage of particular features on said plurality of devices during said at least one restricted period, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules being selected on said second mobile device from a plurality of rules, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules;
storing said set of rules on said first mobile device; and
applying said feature restrictions for the duration of said at least one restricted period according to said set of rules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- receiving at said first mobile device, from a second mobile device, a set of rules having been selected from a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, said set of rules having been broadcast by said second mobile device to a plurality of mobile devices for controlling usage of particular features on said plurality of devices during said at least one restricted period, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules being selected on said second mobile device from a plurality of rules, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules;
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9. A first mobile device configured for providing one or more features requiring user interaction, said first mobile device being communicably connectable to a communication system for receiving data from other entities, said first mobile device comprising a memory for storing a set of rules received by said first mobile device from a second mobile device, said set of rules having been selected from a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, said set of rules having been broadcast by said second mobile device to a plurality of mobile devices for controlling usage of particular features on said plurality of mobile devices during said at least one restricted period, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules being selected on said second mobile device from a plurality of rules, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules;
- said first mobile device being configured to;
receive said set of rules from said second mobile device;
store said set of rules in said memory; and
apply said feature restrictions for the duration of said at least one predetermined restricted period according to said set of rules. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- said first mobile device being configured to;
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18. A method of controlling usage of features provided by a plurality of first mobile devices in a communication system, said features requiring user interaction, said method comprising a second mobile device:
- selecting a set of rules from a plurality of rules to be broadcast by said second mobile device to said plurality of first mobile devices in a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of first devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules causing said plurality of first mobile devices to apply said feature restrictions for the duration of said at least one restricted period according to said set of rules; and
broadcasting said set of rules to said plurality of first mobile devices to have said set of rules stored on respective ones of said plurality of first mobile devices. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- selecting a set of rules from a plurality of rules to be broadcast by said second mobile device to said plurality of first mobile devices in a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of first devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules causing said plurality of first mobile devices to apply said feature restrictions for the duration of said at least one restricted period according to said set of rules; and
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27. A second mobile device configured for controlling usage of features provided by a plurality of first mobile devices in a communication system, said features requiring user interaction, said second mobile device being communicably connectable to said plurality of first mobile devices over said communication system, said second mobile device comprising a memory for storing a plurality of rules for controlling said usage of said features, and a processor configured for:
- selecting a set of rules from a plurality of rules to be broadcast by said second mobile device to said plurality of first mobile devices in a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of first devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules causing said plurality of first mobile devices to apply said feature restrictions for the duration of said at least one restricted period according to said set of rules; and
broadcasting said set of rules to said plurality of first mobile devices to have said set of rules stored on respective ones of said plurality of first mobile devices. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
- selecting a set of rules from a plurality of rules to be broadcast by said second mobile device to said plurality of first mobile devices in a calendar application on said second mobile device for imposing feature restriction, said calendar application used for selecting at least one restricted period during which said feature restriction is imposed, which of said plurality of rules can be assigned to said plurality of first devices being limited by permissions to impose particular rules, said set of rules comprising at least one feature restriction and at least one time restriction for restricting usage of said particular features during said at least one restricted period, said feature restrictions capable of restricting both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system, said set of rules causing said plurality of first mobile devices to apply said feature restrictions for the duration of said at least one restricted period according to said set of rules; and
Specification