Location-based feature enablement for mobile terminals

• US 8,583,924 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Caballero, Aldo, Yeakley, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/825,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1013 to locations

Abstract

A computing device to enable a feature thereof according to a current location and a control method thereof, the computing device including: a location unit to determine the current location of the computing device; and a licensing unit to determine whether the current location corresponds to a predetermined authorized location, and to enable the feature if the current location corresponds to the authorized location. Accordingly, a permission to use a software feature or a hardware feature of the computing device can be controlled according to the current location of the computing device.

Claims

1. A portable data terminal (PDT) comprising:

a Global Positioning System receiver, wherein the Global Positioning System receiver determines a current location of the PDT;

at least one memory unit, wherein the at least one memory unit stores at least one software feature installed in the PDT;

at least one data input device configured to receive a user input;

a display unit configured to display data generated by the PDT;

at least one communication unit configured to transmit and/or to receive data to/from an outside source;

at least one data collection subsystem configured to generate data according to a received waveform or collected light; and

at least one processing unit, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to perform a method comprising;

using a license key to enable at least one feature of;

the at least one data input device, the display unit, the at least one communication unit, the at least one data collection subsystem, or the at least one software feature installed in the computing device, wherein the license key is associated with the installed at least one software feature and controls permission to use the installed at least one software feature, wherein using the license key comprises;

determining, using the license key, whether the determined current location corresponds to a predetermined authorized location, the predetermined authorized location being associated with the license key, wherein the license key is encrypted using a coordinate pair of a reference point of an area cell of the predetermined authorized location, and wherein determining whether the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location comprises;

converting the current location to obtain a coordinate pair of a reference point of an area cell of the current location;

initiating a decryption trial and error routine to decrypt the license key using at least one reference point of at least one area cell of a defined area around the current location, wherein the area cell of the predetermined authorized location matches an area cell of the defined area around the current location, wherein, based on selecting the area cell of the defined area that matches the area cell of the predetermined authorized location, the initiated decryption trial and error routine attempts to decrypt the license key using a coordinate pair of a reference point of the area cell of the defined area, which coordinate pair matches the coordinate pair of the reference point of the area cell of the predetermined authorized location and which is used in encryption of the license key; and

based on successful decryption of the license key using the coordinate pair of the reference point of the area cell of the defined area, determining that the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location; and

enabling the at least one feature of;

the at least one data input device, the display unit, the at least one communication unit, the at least one data collection subsystem, or the at least one software feature when the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location.

3. The computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

based on enabling the feature, periodically determining a new current location of the computing device according to a predetermined time interval; and

disabling the feature when the new current location does not correspond to the authorized location.

4. The computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the predetermined authorized location comprises an area including N number of area cells, each area cell of the N area cells having a predetermined size and each area cell of the N areas cells being referenced by a coordinate pair of a reference point of the respective area cell.

5. The computing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the predetermined authorized location comprises an area including N number of area cells, each area cell of the N areas cells having a predetermined size, and each area cell of the N areas cells being referenced by a coordinate pair of a reference point of the respective area cell, wherein determining whether the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location comprises:

obtaining a coordinate pair of a reference point of a center area cell of the N area cells of the predetermined authorized location;

obtaining area information about the predetermined authorized location, wherein the obtained area information includes at least one of;

a length of at least one edge of the predetermined authorized location, a radius or a diameter of the predetermined authorized location, a shape of the predetermined authorized location, or an area of the predetermined authorized location;

identifying, based on the obtained coordinate pair of the reference point of the center area cell and based on the obtained area information, the N area cells of the predetermined authorized location; and

wherein the decryption trial and error routine iteratively attempts to decrypt the license key using one or more reference point of one or more of the identified N area cells of the predetermined authorized location.

6. The computing device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the reference point of the center area cell, and the obtained area information, are embedded in a non-encrypted portion of the license key.

2. A self-contained portable computing device comprising:

a location unit, wherein the location unit determines a current location of the computing device; and

a processor, wherein the computing device is configured to perform a method comprising;

using a license key to enable a feature installed in the computing device, the license key being associated with the installed feature and controlling permission to use the installed feature, wherein using the license key to enable the feature comprises;

determining, using the license key, whether the determined current location corresponds to a predetermined authorized location, the predetermined authorized location being associated with the license key, wherein the license key is encrypted using a coordinate pair of a reference point of an area cell of the predetermined authorized location, and wherein determining whether the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location comprises;

converting the current location to obtain a coordinate pair of a reference point of an area cell of the current location;

initiating a decryption trial and error routine to decrypt the license key using at least one reference point of at least one area cell of a defined area around the current location, wherein the area cell of the predetermined authorized location matches an area cell of the defined area around the current location, wherein, based on selecting the area cell of the defined area that matches the area cell of the predetermined authorized location, the initiated decryption trial and error routine attempts to decrypt the license key using a coordinate pair of a reference point of the area cell of the defined area, which coordinate pair matches the coordinate pair of the reference point of the area cell of the predetermined authorized location and which is used in encryption of the license key; and

based on successful decryption of the license key using the coordinate pair of the reference point of the area cell of the defined area, determining that the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location; and

enabling the feature installed in the computing device when the determined current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location.

7. A method of enabling a feature of a self-contained portable computing device, the method comprising:

using a license key to enable a feature installed in the computing device, the license key being associated with the installed feature and controlling permission to use the installed feature, wherein using the license key to enable the feature comprises;

determining, using the license key, whether a current location determined by a location unit of the computing device corresponds to a predetermined authorized location, the predetermined authorized location being associated with the license key, wherein the license key is encrypted using a coordinate pair of a reference point of an area cell of the predetermined authorized location, and wherein determining whether the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location comprises;

converting the current location to obtain a coordinate pair of a reference point of an area cell of the current location;

initiating a decryption trial and error routine to decrypt the license key using at least one reference point of at least one area cell of a defined area around the current location, wherein the area cell of the predetermined authorized location matches an area cell of the defined area around the current location, wherein, based on selecting the area cell of the defined area that matches the area cell of the predetermined authorized location, the initiated decryption trial and error routine attempts to decrypt the license key using a coordinate pair of a reference point of the area cell of the defined area, which coordinate pair matches the coordinate pair of the reference point of the area cell of the predetermined authorized location and which is used in encryption of the license key; and

based on successful decryption of the license key using the coordinate pair of the reference point of the area cell of the defined area, determining that the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location; and

enabling, by a processor of the self-contained portable computing device, the feature installed in the computing device when the determined current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

based on enabling the feature, periodically determining a new current location of the computing device according to a predetermined time interval; and

disabling the feature when the new current location does not correspond to the authorized location.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the predetermined authorized location comprises an area including N number of area cells, each area cell of the N area cells having a predetermined size and each area cell of the N area cells being referenced by a coordinate pair of a reference point of the respective area cell.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein

the predetermined authorized location comprises an area including N number of area cells, each area cell of the N area cells having a predetermined size, and each area cell of the N area cells being referenced by a coordinate pair of a reference point of the respective area cell, wherein determining whether the current location corresponds to the predetermined authorized location comprises:

obtaining a coordinate pair of a reference point of a center area cell of the N area cells of the predetermined authorized location;

obtaining area information about the predetermined authorized location, wherein the obtained area information includes at least one of;

a length of at least one edge of the predetermined authorized location, a radius or a diameter of the predetermined authorized location, a shape of the predetermined authorized location, and/or an area of the predetermined authorized location;

identifying, based on the obtained coordinate pair of the reference point of the center area cell and based on the obtained area information, the N area cells of the predetermined authorized location; and

wherein the decryption trial and error routine iteratively attempts to decrypt the license key using one or more reference point of one or more of the identified N area cells of the predetermined authorized location.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the reference point of the center area cell, and the obtained information, are embedded in a non-encrypted portion of the license key.