System and method for restricting use of camera of a mobile terminal

• US 7,821,542 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Jong-Hyup, Lee, Jun-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US10/888,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20050007456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,300 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.9, 455/456.4, 4554561-4563
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• 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 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for restricting, within a specific area, the photographing function of a camera mounted in a mobile terminal. A control signal is transmitted to a mobile terminal within a photograph-prohibited area and the mobile terminal disables the camera. Upon leaving the photograph-prohibited area, the camera is enabled.

Claims

1. A method for restricting use of a camera mounted in a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

sending a control signal to the mobile terminal that is within a photograph-prohibited area, the control signal indicating that camera use is prohibited;

receiving the control signal in the mobile terminal;

disabling the camera of the mobile terminal; and

enabling the camera of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is no longer within the photograph-prohibited area,

wherein sending the control signal to the mobile terminal comprises;

monitoring a position of at least one mobile terminal within a management sector, the management sector comprising at least one photograph-prohibited area;

detecting that one of the at least one mobile terminal has entered the at least one photograph-prohibited area; and

transmitting a first flag to the one of the at least one mobile terminal in the at least one photograph-prohibited area through a certain channel,

wherein disabling the camera of the mobile terminal comprises;

the one of the at least one mobile terminal restricting a photographing function of the camera upon receiving the first flag, and

wherein enabling the camera of the mobile terminal comprises;

operating a timer upon receiving the first flag; and

resetting the timer or enabling the camera, resetting the timer in response to a subsequent flag received prior to expiration of the timer such that the camera remains disabled when the timer is reset and enabling the camera if no subsequent flag is received prior to the expiration of the timer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the control signal to the mobile terminal further comprises periodically transmitting a flag.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the flag is transmitted via local area wireless communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the local area wireless communication comprises at least one of Bluetooth®

, IrDA (Infrared Data Association) or RF.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first flag and the subsequent flag comprise photographing prohibition information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain channel comprises a paging channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the position of the at least one mobile terminal within the management sector comprises receiving position information from a GPS satellite and storing the position information in a memory.