SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING MOBILE DEVICE APPLICATIONS AND FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS

• US 20170245111A1
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Published: 08/24/2017
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,560,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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:

receiving a wireless signal transmitted by at least one of a first mobile device or a second mobile device with the other of the first mobile device or the second mobile device;

enabling at least one of a particular application or a particular functional component of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device responsive to receiving the wireless signal;

determining that the strength of the received wireless signal has decreased below a particular 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 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 that the strength of the received wireless signal is greater than another particular level; and

enabling the at least one of the particular application or the particular functional component responsive to determining that the strength of the received wireless signal is greater than the other particular level.

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

receiving a wireless signal transmitted by a first mobile device by a second mobile device;

enabling at least one of a particular application or a particular functional component of at least one of the first mobile device or the second mobile device responsive to the receiving by the second mobile device of the wireless signal;

determining that the strength of the received wireless signal as received by the second mobile device has decreased below a particular 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 particular level.