Restricting operation results from being transferred to coupled external device

• US 9,514,306 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Jung-Wook, Kang, Shin-Hyuk, Kang, You-Jin, Koh, Sang-Ho, Park, Jung-Suk, Ahn, Ji-Yong, Cha, Jae-Uk
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tri
• Application Number:
  US13/726,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means

Abstract

Described embodiments provide a method and user equipment for restricting transferring of image data produced by a predetermined application to a coupled external device. The method may include detecting an activation of an application in a user equipment while the user equipment is coupled to an external device and determining whether image data produced by the activated application is transferred to the coupled external device. The determining may include restricting the produced image data of the activated application from being transferred to the coupled external device when an application control type of the activated application is a restricted application, otherwise, transferring the produced image data of the activated application to the coupled external device.

Claims

1. A method for restricting transferring of image data produced by a predetermined application to a coupled external device, the user equipment, the method comprising:

setting an application control type of at least one application selected by a user from applications included in the user equipment, as a restricted application;

storing a list of the selected at least one application as a restricted application list;

detecting an activation of an application in the user equipment while the user equipment is coupled to an external device;

determining whether a corresponding application control type of the activated application is the restricted application;

automatically restricting image data produced by the activated application from being transferred to the coupled external device when the application control type is determined to be the restricted application; and

transferring the produced image data of the activated application to the coupled external device when the application control type is not determined to be the restricted application, wherein the determining includes;

determining the application control type of the activated application as the restricted application at least one of (i) when the activated application is included in the restricted application list and (ii) when the activated application is associated with a push service; and

wherein the restricting includes;

when push data is received through the push service from a related server, restricting the image data produced based on the received push data, from being transferred to the coupled external device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting comprising:

providing a user interface for selecting at least one of applications installed in the user equipment to a user;

receiving selection inputs from the user through the provided user interface;

selecting the at least one applications based on the received selection inputs from the user;

setting the application control type of the selected at least one application as the restricted application;

otherwise, setting the operation control type of unselected applications as an allowed application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the application control type of the activated application as the restricted application when the activated application is an application automatically generating a message in response to a predetermined event signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a device type of the coupled external device is a restricted external device;

restricting the produced image data of the activated application from being transferred to the coupled external device when the device type of the coupled external device is the restricted external device;

otherwise, transferring the produced image data of the activated application to the coupled external device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

providing a user interface for registering the coupled external device as the restricted external device and an allowed external device, to the user;

receiving selection inputs from the user; and

setting the device type of the coupled external device as one of the restricted external device and the allowed external device based on the selection inputs from the user.

6. The method of restricting transferring of image data produced by a predetermined application to a coupled external device, in user equipment, the method comprising:

inactivating at least one service feature selected by a user from service features of the user equipment, wherein the selected at least one service feature includes a notification service feature of the user equipment;

detecting an activation of an application in the user equipment while the user equipment is coupled to an external device;

determining whether the activated application supports the at least one inactivated service feature of the user equipment when an application activation is detected;

automatically restricting image data produced by the activated application from being transferred to the coupled external device when the activated application is determined to support the at least one inactivated service feature of the user equipment; and

transferring the produced image data of the activated application to the coupled external device when the activated application is not determined to support the at least one inactivated service feature of the user equipment,

wherein the restricting includes;

when push data is received through a push service from a related server, restricting a notification message, produced by the push data, generated by a corresponding activated application supporting an inactivated notification service feature, from being transferred to the coupled external device.

7. A user equipment for restricting transferring of image data produced by a predetermined application to a coupled external device, the user equipment comprising:

a control type setup unit configured (i) to set an application control type of at least one application selected by a user from applications included in the user equipment, as a restricted application, and (ii) to set the application control type of an activated application as the restricted application when the activated application is associated with a push service;

an application manager configured to detect an activation of an application;

a mode setup unit configured to detect an operation mode of the user equipment; and

a controller configured to;

store a list of the selected at least one application as a restricted application list;

determine whether a corresponding application control type of the activated application is the restricted application, based on an application control type setting result of the control type setup unit, when the mode setup unit detects the operation mode of the user equipment as a connected mode and the application manager detects an application activation;

automatically restrict image data produced by the activated application from being transferred to the coupled external device when the application control type of the activatedapplication is determined to be the restricted application; and

transfer the produced image data of the activated application to the coupled external device when the application control type of the activated application is not determined to be the restricted application,

wherein the controller is configured to;

when push data is received through the push service from a related server, restrict the image data produced based on the received push data, from being transferred to the coupled external device.

8. The user equipment of claim 7, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display a user interface for selecting at least one of applications installed in the user equipment to the user; and

an input unit configured to receive selection inputs from the user,

wherein the control type setup unit is configured to select at least one application based on the received selection inputs from the user, to set the application control type of the selected at least one application as the restricted application, otherwise, to set the application control type of unselected applications as an allowed application.

9. The user equipment of claim 7, wherein the control type setup unit is configured to further perform:

setting the application control type of the activated application as the restricted application when the activated application is an application automatically generating a message in response to a predetermined event signal.

10. The user equipment of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to further perform:

determining when a device type of the coupled external device is a restricted external device,

restricting the produced image data of the activated application from being transferred to the coupled external device when the device type of the coupled external device is the restricted external device,

otherwise, transferring the produced image data of the activated application to the coupled external device.

11. The user equipment of claim 10, further comprising:

a display unit is configured to provide a user interface for registering a coupled external device as the restricted external device and an allowed external device, to the user; and

an input unit configured to receive selection inputs from the user,

wherein the control type setup unit is configured to further perform;

setting the device type of the coupled external device as one of the restricted external device and the allowed external device based on the received selection inputs.

12. A user equipment for restricting transferring of image data produced by a predetermined application to a coupled external device, the user equipment comprising:

an application manager configured to detect an activation of an application;

a mode setup unit configured to detect an operation mode of the user equipment; and

a controller configured to;

inactivate at least one service feature selected by a user from service features of the user equipment, wherein the selected at least one service feature includes a notification service feature of the user equipment;

determine whether the activated application supports the at least one inactivated service feature of the user equipment, when the mode setup unit detects the operation mode of the user equipment as a connected mode and the application manager detects an application activation;

automatically restrict image data produced by the activated application from being transferred to the coupled external device when the activated application is determined to support the at least one inactivated service feature of the user equipment; and

transfer the produced image data of the activated application to the coupled external device when the activated application is not determined to support the at least one inactivated service feature of the user equipment,

wherein the controller is configured to;

when push data is received through a push service from a related server, restrict a notification message, produced by the push data, generated by a corresponding activated application supporting an inactivated notification service feature, from being transferred to the coupled external device.