User profile-based device access control method and apparatus

• US 9,338,239 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Hyungrae, Kweon, Jihyeon, Oh, Seokmin, Lee, Kangmin, Kharsim, Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truvan, Leynna
• Application Number:
  US13/629,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/2, 726/5, 726/6, 726/18, 726/19, 726/27, 726/30, 707/621, 707/694, 707/748, 707/758, 707/778, 707/784, 707/786
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method and apparatus for configuring electronic devices is provided. The method includes collecting, at a device management apparatus, user information regarding a user within a predetermined area; and controlling access to an electronic device based on the user information.

Claims

1. A method for controlling electronic devices, the method comprising:

collecting, at a device management apparatus, device information of the electronic devices from the electronic devices and information of a mobile device from the mobile device;

obtaining, at the device management apparatus, user information of the mobile device from the information of the mobile device;

providing, at the device management apparatus, a list of the electronic devices to be controlled by the mobile device with the mobile device according to the device information of the electronic devices and the user information of the mobile device; and

controlling, at the device management apparatus, at least one of the electronic devices in the list of the electronic devices according to an access request from the mobile device,

wherein controlling at least one of the electronic devices in the list of the electronic devices comprises restricting access of the mobile device to the electronic devices according to a hierarchical relationship in accordance with the user information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one of the electronic devices in the list of the electronic devices comprises:

categorizing the user information into a usage level; and

restricting access of the mobile device to the electronic devices according to the usage level.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one of the electronic devices in the list of the electronic devices comprises restricting access of the mobile device to the electronic devices by cutting off power to corresponding electronic devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one of the electronic devices in the list of the electronic devices comprises disabling a part of a user interface for controlling corresponding electronic devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one of the electronic devices in the list of the electronic devices comprises hiding an icon representing corresponding electronic devices on a user interface for controlling the corresponding electronic devices.

6. A device management apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for collecting device information of electronic devices from the electronic devices and information of a mobile device from the mobile device, and providing a list of the electronic devices available to be controlled by the mobile device to the mobile device; and

a control unit for controlling the communication unit to collect the device information of the electronic devices and the information of the mobile device and obtain user information of the mobile device from the information of the mobile device and controlling the communication unit to provide a list of the electronic devices to be controlled by the mobile device to the mobile device according to the device information of the electronic devices and the user information of the mobile device, and controlling at least one of the electronic devices according to an access request from the mobile device,

wherein the control units restricts access of the mobile device to the at least one of the electronic devices according to a hierarchical relationship in accordance with the user information.

7. The device management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit categorizes the user information into a usage level and restricts access of the mobile device to the at least one of the electronic devices according to the usage level.

8. The device management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit comprises:

a switch control module for controlling power supply to the at least one of the electronic devices; and

a user interface module for supporting controlling of blocking access of the mobile device to the at least one of the electronic devices.

9. The device management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit cuts off power supply to the at least one of the electronic devices.

10. The device management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit disables a part of a user interface for controlling the at least one of the electronic devices.

11. The device management apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit hides an icon representing the at least one of the electronic devices on a user interface for controlling the at least one of the electronic devices.

12. The device management apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

an output unit for outputting an alarm sound when an access attempt of the mobile device to an access-restricted electronic device is detected.

13. A mobile device for controlling an access of a mobile device to electronic devices, the terminal comprising:

a storage unit for storing user information including a predetermined usage level;

a Radio Frequency (RF) unit for collecting device information of the electronic devices;

a display unit for displaying a list of electronic devices to be controlled by the mobile device; and

a control unit for controlling the display unit to display the list of electronic devices to be controlled by the mobile device according to the device information and the user information, and transmitting an access request signal to a device management apparatus to control at least one of the electronic devices,

wherein the control units restricts access of the mobile device to the electronic devices according to a hierarchical relationship in accordance with the user information.

14. The terminal of claim 13, further comprising:

a communication unit for sending the user information to the device management apparatus.

15. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the control unit categorizes the user information into a usage level and restricts the access of the mobile device to the electronic devices based on the usage level.

16. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing a method for controlling electronic devices, the method comprising:

collecting, at a device management apparatus, device information of the electronic devices from the electronic devices and information of a mobile device from the mobile device;

obtaining, at the device management apparatus, user information of the mobile device from the information of the mobile device;

providing, at the device management apparatus, a list of the electronic devices to be controlled by the mobile device to the mobile device according to the device information of the electronic devices and the user information of the mobile device; and

controlling, at the device management apparatus, at least one of the electronic devices according to an access request from the mobile device,

wherein controlling at least one of the electronic devices in the list of the electronic devices comprises restricting access of the mobile device to the electronic devices according to a hierarchical relationship in accordance with the user information.