System and method for location-based device control

• US 7,769,394 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhu, Kevin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya; Sam
• Application Number:
  US11/539,546
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/422, 455/403, 455/404.1, 455/405, 455/406, 455/414.1, 455/432.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.6
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

A system and method for location-based device control is provided. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are systems comprising a locating subsystem, a server, and a mobile device comprising a component manager. The component manager allows modifications to the operation of components of the mobile device based on a location provided by the locating subsystem. The component manager also provides confirmation of the modified operation of the components of the mobile device to the server.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile device comprising a component manager, a location monitor, and a rules monitor, wherein the rules monitor receives a rule set from a server and provides the rule set to the component manager, wherein the component manager disables the operation of at least one hardware component of the mobile device based on a location of the mobile device determined by the location monitor and based on the rule set; and

wherein the component manager provides confirmation of the disablement of the at least one hardware component of the mobile device to the server.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the location monitor determines the location of the mobile device using at least one of a global positioning system (GPS) satellite network and triangulation with a plurality of wireless base stations.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the component manager provides confirmation of the disablement of the at least one hardware component by way of at least one of visual indicators displayed on a graphical display of the mobile device;

a database entry within the server;

at least one of an audible tone and other audible message generated by at least one of the mobile device and the server; and

by way of a visual indication via a graphical user interface electrically coupled to the server.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one hardware component of the mobile device comprises at least one of a camera component;

an audio recording component;

a video recording component;

a networking component;

an audible output component comprising a speaker;

an inaudible output component comprising a vibrator;

a graphical user interface;

an input component comprising at least one of a keypad and a microphone; and

a port comprising at least one of an infrared (IR) and a universal serial bus (USB) port.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a mobile phone;

a personal digital assistant (PDA);

a pager;

a mobile computer;

a digital camera;

a digital music player;

a digital calculator; and

an electronic key fob.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the rule set defines a geographic region comprising a restricted region of operation within which the at least one hardware component of the mobile device is disabled.

7. The system as defined in claim 6 wherein the rule set defines the at least one hardware component of the mobile device that is disabled within the restricted region of operation of the geographic region.

8. The system as defined in claim 6 wherein the geographic region further comprises a periphery region circumscribing the restricted region of operation, wherein the at least one hardware component of the mobile device that was previously disabled can be enabled.

9. A computer-readable medium storing a component manager software program that, when executed by the processor of a mobile device, causes the processor to:

receive a request to disable operation of at least one hardware component of the mobile device from a requestor, wherein the request is received based on a location provided by a locating subsystem;

when no manual deny input is received, disable the operation of the at least one hardware component of the mobile device based on the request by way of operating system drivers;

when a manual deny input is received, not disable the operation of the at least one hardware component of the mobile device;

provide confirmation of the disabled operation of the at least one hardware component of the mobile device to the requestor;

receive a request to enable operation of the at least one hardware component from the requestor, wherein the request is received based on a second location provided by the locating subsystem;

enable the operation of the at least one hardware component based on the request by way of operating system drivers; and

provide confirmation of the enabled operation of the at least one hardware component to the requestor.

10. The computer-readable medium as defined in claim 9 wherein the operation of the at least one hardware component is one of disabled and enabled based on one of the location and the second location provided by the locating subsystem.

11. The computer-readable medium defined in claim 9 wherein the confirmation comprises at least one of or more selected from the group:

visual indicators displayed on a graphical display of the mobile device;

a database entry within the server;

at least one of an audible tone and an other audible message generated by at least one of the mobile device and the server; and

a visual indication via a graphical user interface electrically coupled to the server.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the component manager software program, when executed by the processor of the mobile device, causes the processor to download a content in response to a security challenge and wherein providing confirmation of the disabled operation of the at least one hardware component comprises playing the content.

13. A method comprising:

defining a restricted geographic region and a rule set corresponding to the restricted geographic region defining at least one hardware component of a mobile device is to disable within the restricted geographic region;

transmitting a request to disable operation of the at least one hardware component of the mobile device in the restricted geographic region; and

transmitting a content for playback by the mobile device to confirm the disabled operation of the at least one hardware component of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the content comprises transmitting a content of the day.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 further comprising determining that the mobile device is within the restricted geographic region, and wherein the request comprises a request to disable the at least one hardware component of the mobile device as prescribed by the rule set.

16. The method as defined in claim 15 further comprising transmitting a second request to enable the at least one hardware component of the mobile device that was previously disabled.

17. The method as defined in claim 14 further comprising verifying that the mobile device is powered on.

18. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the defining further comprises defining a periphery region circumscribing the restricted geographic region.

19. The method as defined in claim 18 further comprising determining that the mobile device is within the periphery region and transmitting a second request to enable the at least one hardware component of the mobile device based on determining that the mobile device is within the periphery region.

20. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the confirmation comprises at least one of:

visual indicators displayed on a graphical display of the mobile device;

a database entry within a server;

at least one of an audible tone and another audible message generated by at least one of the mobile device and the server; and

a visual indication via a graphical user interface electrically coupled to the server.