System and method for implementing histogram controlled mobile devices

• US 9,961,536 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Location Labs (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu
• Application Number:
  US14/613,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20150163664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A communication network and software for its implementation that controls a mobile device based on historical user activity is provided. The mobile device communicates with a server and includes a function that is dependent on the user activity. The server senses the user activity over time and produces a histogram of that activity. The rate at which the server attempts to sense the user activity depends on the histogram. An application might change the function depending on the result of detecting the user activity and the rate at which it does so.

Claims

1. A communication network for controlling a mobile device based on a user activity, comprising:

a mobile device having communication capability and a function dependent on a user activity;

a client having communication capability, activity detection logic for detecting the user activity based on the function, a data collection unit for collecting and compiling a digital histogram of the user activity, a stored histogram database for storing the compiled digital histogram, and a polling mechanism for directing the activity detection logic to detect the user activity;

wherein the polling mechanism directs the activity detection logic to poll for the user activity at a frequency based on the stored histogram; and

wherein the client at least one of enables or disables the function based on a detection of the user activity.

2. The communication network according to claim 1, wherein the user activity is driving and the function is dependent on driving.

3. The communication network according to claim 2, wherein the stored histogram database spans a 24 hour time interval.

4. The communication network according to claim 2, wherein the compiled digital histogram includes at least one assumed value regarding driving.

5. The communication network according to claim 4, wherein the at least one assumed value is lost over time.

6. The communication network according to claim 4, wherein the significance of the at least one assumed value is reduced over time.

7. The communication network according to claim 1, wherein the function is dependent on usage of the mobile device.

8. The communication network according to claim 7, wherein the stored histogram database spans a 24 hour time interval.

9. The communication network according to claim 7, wherein the compiled digital histogram includes at least one assumption regarding usage of the mobile device.

10. The communication network according to claim 9, wherein the significance of the at least one assumption is lost over time.

11. The communication network according to claim 9, wherein the significance of the at least one assumption is reduced over time.

12. A system comprising stored computer readable coded instructions to:

establish communications with a mobile device;

set a mobile device function that is dependent on a user activity;

establish communications with a server;

implement activity detection logic for detecting the user activity based on the mobile device function setting;

implement a data collection unit for collecting and compiling a digital histogram of the user activity detected by the activity detection logic;

implement a stored histogram database for storing the compiled digital histogram;

create a polling mechanism for directing the activity detection logic to detect the user activity;

control the polling mechanism to direct the activity detection logic to poll for the user activity at a frequency based on the stored histogram; and

disable the mobile device function based on a detection of the user activity.

13. A communication network for operating a mobile device based on a user activity, comprising:

a mobile device having communication capability, a function dependent on a user activity, and a feature settable by a received status signal;

a server having communication capability and activity detection logic for detecting user activity based on the function;

a client having communication capability, a data collection unit for collecting and compiling a digital histogram of the user activity, a stored histogram database for storing the compiled digital histogram, a polling mechanism for directing the activity detection logic to detect the user activity, and status logic for producing a status signal; and

application software for controlling an application whose operation depends on the user activity, the application software interacting with the status logic;

wherein the polling mechanism directs the activity detection logic via the communication capability of the server and the client at a frequency based on the stored histogram; and

wherein the application directs the status logic to cause the server to transmit the received status signal when the user activity is detected.

14. The communication network according to claim 13, wherein the function is dependent on driving.

15. The communication network according to claim 14, wherein the stored histogram database spans a 24 hour time interval.

16. The communication network according to claim 14, wherein the compiled digital histogram includes at least one assumed value regarding driving.

17. The communication network according to claim 16, wherein the at least one assumed value is lost over time.

18. The communication network according to claim 16, wherein the significance of the at least one assumed value is reduced over time.

19. The communication network according to claim 14 wherein driving is detected based on an average rate of travel of the mobile device.

20. The communication network according to claim 14, wherein the stored histogram database spans a 24 hour time interval.

21. The communication network according to claim 14, wherein the compiled digital histogram includes at least one assumption regarding usage of the mobile device.

22. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the significance of the at least one assumption is lost over time.

23. The communication network according to claim 21, wherein the significance of the at least one assumption is reduced over time.

24. The communication network according to claim 13, wherein the application directs the status logic to cause the server to transmit the received status signal when the user activity changes.

25. The communication network according to claim 13, wherein the stored histogram contains an absolute history of all user activities from a given start time.

26. The communication network according to claim 13, wherein the stored histogram contains no more than ‘

n’

time bins of data, wherein older data is discarded.

27. The communication network according to claim 13, wherein the function is dependent on usage of the mobile device.

28. A method network for controlling a mobile device based on a user activity comprising:

providing a processor-enabled mobile device having communication capability, a client application, and a function;

polling by the client application a signal source of the mobile device at a first particular frequency;

determining by the polling of the signal source a user activity;

compiling a digital histogram of the user activity;

polling by the client application the signal source of the mobile device at a second particular frequency based on the digital histogram of the user activity; and

disabling the function of the mobile device based on the user activity.