System and method for enabling mobile device applications and functional components

• US 10,560,804 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Location Labs (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Daniel, Roumeliotis, Tasos, Hotes, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne H
• Application Number:
  US15/450,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of enabling device use is provided. The method includes receiving from a first user an indication of at least one geographic area. Location information of a second user corresponding to a mobile device is received. The location information of the second user and the at least one geographic area are compared, and at least one of an application on the mobile device and a functional component of the mobile device are enabled based on the comparison of the location information of the second user and the at least one geographic area. A computing system for enabling device use is also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of enabling device use, the method comprising:

enabling selection by a first device user of a restricted internet site category by a computing system via a network;

at least one of transmitting or receiving a wireless signal by a first mobile device;

at least one of receiving or transmitting the wireless signal by a second mobile device operated by a second device user;

enabling at least one of a particular application or a particular functional component of the second mobile device responsive to the receiving by at least one of the second mobile device or the first mobile device of the wireless signal, wherein enabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component comprises enabling access to a plurality of internet sites corresponding to the restricted internet site category;

determining that a strength of the received wireless signal as received at least one of by the first mobile device from the second mobile device or by the second mobile device from the first mobile device has decreased below a particular level;

disabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component of the second mobile device responsive to determining that the strength of the received wireless signal has decreased below the particular level, wherein disabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component of the second mobile device comprises disabling access to the plurality of internet sites corresponding to the restricted internet site category; and

transmitting to the first device user via the first mobile device an indication of the disabling of the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component of the second mobile device responsive to determining that the strength of the received wireless signal has decreased below the particular level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the strength of the received wireless signal has decreased below a detectable level; and

disabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component responsive to determining that the strength of the received wireless signal has decreased below the detectable level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the received signal strength is greater than a threshold level, wherein the enabling of the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component comprises enabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component further responsive to determining the received signal strength is greater than the threshold level.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold level is equal to the particular level.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting to the first mobile device an indication of the enabling of the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component further responsive to determining the received signal strength is greater than the threshold level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component of the at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device enables at least one of electronic messaging, electronic photo messaging, telephone communication, internet usage, camera usage, video camera usage, or application execution.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling selection the first device user of a category of applications via a network; and

enabling the category of applications responsive to the receiving by the second mobile device of the wireless signal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component at an operating system level of the second mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component via a user interface of the second mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component by limiting use by the second mobile device of a network resource.