System and method for preventing and/or limiting use of a mobile device

• US 9,942,385 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2011
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fisk, Frank C., Ramanathan, Sri, Terry, Matthew A., Trevathan, Matthew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAPA, MICHAEL Y
• Application Number:
  US13/198,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20130035063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 4554141-4142, 455418-420, 4554561-4566
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• 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 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A system and a method for preventing and/or limiting use of mobile devices are provided. The method includes receiving, by a mobile device, a message indicating that the mobile device is in a certain location, and determining a user-configured security policy of the mobile device based on the certain location. The method further includes at least one of disabling and enabling, by the mobile device, one or more functions of the mobile device based on the determined user-configured security policy.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a user'"'"'s mobile device, a message from a transmitter indicating that the user'"'"'s mobile device is in a certain location within one of a plurality of short range fields, wherein the message includes both location attribute information and a state of events currently occurring at the certain location, and the location attribute information describes attributes associated with the one of the plurality of short range fields;

forwarding the message, by the user'"'"'s mobile device, including both the location attribute information and the state of events, to a remote security manager located on a mobile device carrier network;

loading, by the user'"'"'s mobile device, a third party-configured security profile from a plurality of saved security profiles associated with the user'"'"'s mobile device, wherein the saved security profiles each include a high, medium and low default level of security, and the third party-configured security profile is selected and sent by the remote security manager based on the location attribute information and the state of events, the third party-configured security profile including one or more functionalities for disabling one or more functions of the user'"'"'s mobile device;

disabling, by the user'"'"'s mobile device, the one or more functions of the user'"'"'s mobile device based on the third party-configured security profile;

sending, by the user'"'"'s mobile device, a shutdown message to the remote security manager indicating that the user'"'"'s mobile device is in the process of shutting down; and

resetting, by the user'"'"'s mobile device, all configuration settings of the user'"'"'s mobile device, including the third party-configured security profile, to a default profile enabling all functions of the user'"'"'s mobile device based on the shutdown message,

wherein the state of events currently occurring includes a velocity of a vehicle and an indication of whether an emergency has been currently detected at the certain location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third party-configured security profile comprises:

at least one event associated with the certain location;

the one or more functionalities of the user'"'"'s mobile device; and

an indication whether each of the one or more functions is to be disabled or enabled when the user'"'"'s mobile device is in the certain location associated with the location attribute information and the event is occurring.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the certain location is an area of the one of the plurality of short range fields of the transmitter comprising at least one of:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitter; and

a near field communication (NFC) transmitter.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitter is configured to create the one of the plurality of short range fields detectable by the user'"'"'s mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing the security manager to determine the third party-configured security profile, the security manager comprising one or more third party-configured security profiles of the user'"'"'s mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more third party-configured security profiles are at least one of:

password-protected; and

managed by a third party via the security manager.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the third party-configured security profile is updated on the user'"'"'s mobile device during start up of the user'"'"'s mobile device, and upon entering or exiting any of the plurality of short range fields.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the third party-configured security profile is saved on the user'"'"'s mobile device and remains active until the selected third party-configured security profile is received and replaces the third party-configured security profile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the third party-configured security profile comprises at least one event associated with the location attribute information; and

the selecting of the third party-configured security profile comprises matching the at least one event of the third party-configured security profile to the state of events currently occurring from the message.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request for an initial third party-configured security profile of the mobile device at a startup of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the third party-configured security profile comprises determining one or more third party-configured security profile comprising at least one event associated with at least one of the location attribute information and a previous location attribute information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys, and supports a computer infrastructure configured to the steps of claim 1.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the selecting the third party-configured security profile comprises determining the third party-configured security profile with events that match the state of events currently occurring at the certain location; and

the state of events include at least one user-engaged activity currently occurring at the certain location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the selecting the third party-configured security profile is performed on the security manager; and

the events of the third party-configured security profile are defined by a third party.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency being currently detected at the current location comprises a vehicle accident being currently detected at the current location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the vehicle accident being currently detected at the current location comprises detecting that a vehicle air bag has been deployed at the current location.

18. A method of deploying a system for preventing or limiting use of a mobile device, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure configured to;

create a plurality of short range fields detectable by the mobile device in an area of at least one of the plurality of short range fields;

detect that the mobile device is in the area; and

send a message to the mobile device indicating that the mobile device is in the area, attribute information about the area, and a state of events that are currently occurring within the area, to trigger a user-configured security profile of the mobile device selected based on the area, the attribute information and the state of events, wherein the attribute information describes attributes associated with the one of the plurality of short range fields, and the selected user-configured security profile is used to at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the mobile device, wherein the user-configured security policy is located on the mobile device; and

providing a security manager configured to;

receive the message, including both the attribute information and the state of events from the mobile device;

determine a new user-configured security profile to be sent to the mobile device based on the attribute information and the state of events;

send the new user-configured security profile to the mobile device;

send a shutdown message to the remote security manager indicating that the mobile device is in the process of shutting down; and

reset all configuration settings of the mobile device, including the received user-configured security policy, to a default profile enabling all functions of the mobile device based on the shutdown message,

wherein the security manager is on a mobile device carrier network,

wherein the state of events currently occurring includes a velocity of a vehicle and an indication of whether an emergency has been currently detected at the certain location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the computer infrastructure comprises at least one of:

a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transmitter; and

a near field communication (NFC) transmitter.

20. A computer system for preventing or limiting use of a mobile device, comprising:

a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage media;

program instructions to receive a message from a transmitter indicating that the mobile device is in an area of one of a plurality of fields created by one of a plurality of transmitters, the message including both location attribute information associated with the area and a state of events currently occurring in the area, and the location attribute information describes attributes associated with the one of the plurality of fields;

program instructions to forward the message, including both the location attribute information and the state of events to a security manager located on a network;

program instructions to access the security manager to obtain, by the mobile device, a user-configured security profile determined by the security manager based on the location attribute information and the state of events, the security manager comprising one or more user-configured security profiles of the mobile device;

program instructions to change a present user-configured security profile on the mobile device to the obtained user-configured security profiles; and

program instructions to at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the computer system based on the determined user-configured security profile set for the attributes associated with the one of the plurality of fields,

wherein;

the obtained user-configured security profile comprises at least one event associated with the area;

the determining of the user-configured security profile by the security manager comprises matching the at least one event of the user-configured security profile to the state of events currently occurring from the message;

the obtained user-configured security profile includes one or more functionalities for the at least one of disabling and enabling the one or more functions of the mobile device;

the present user-configured security profile is updated on the mobile device during start up of the mobile device and upon entering or exiting any of the plurality of fields;

the present user-configured security profile is saved on the mobile device and remains active until the obtained user-configured security profile is received and replaces the present user-configured security profile; and

the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory, and

program instructions to send a shutdown message to the security manager indicating that the mobile device is in the process of shutting down; and

program instructions to reset all configuration setting of the user'"'"'s mobile device, including the present user-configured security profile, to a default profile enabling all functions of the user'"'"'s mobile device based on the shutdown message;

wherein the state of events currently occurring includes a velocity of a vehicle and an indication of whether an emergency has been currently detected at the certain location.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the obtained user-configured security profile further comprises:

one or more functions of the mobile device; and

an indication whether each of the functionalities is to be disabled or enabled when at least one of the mobile device is in the area and the at least one event of the user-configured security profile matches the state of events currently occurring from the message.

22. A system implemented in hardware, comprising:

a computer infrastructure configured to;

receive a first message from a first transmitter indicating that the computer infrastructure is in a first area within a field created by the first transmitter, wherein the message includes location attribute information regarding the first area;

forward the first message, including the location attribute information, to a remote security manager located on a mobile device carrier network;

load a first user-configured security profile selected and sent by the remote security manager based on the location attribute information in the first message, the first user-configured security profile including one or more functionalities for at least one of disabling and enabling one or more functions of the computer infrastructure;

receive a message from a second transmitter indicating that the computer infrastructure is in a second area within a field created by the second transmitter, wherein the message includes location attribute information regarding the second area;

forward the second message, including the location attribute information, to the remote security manager located on the mobile device carrier network;

load a second user-configured security profile selected and sent by the remote security manager based on the location attribute information in the second message, the second user-configured security profile including one or more functionalities for the at least one of disabling and enabling the one or more functions of the computer infrastructure;

at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the computer infrastructure based on only functionality allowed in both the first user-configured security profile and the second user-configured security profile;

send a shutdown message to the remote security manager indicating that the computer infrastructure is in the process of shutting down; and

reset all configuration settings of the computer infrastructure to a default profile enabling all functions of the computer infrastructure based on the shutdown message.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first user-configured security profile comprises:

at least one event associated with the first area;

one or more functionalities of the computer infrastructure; and

an indication whether each of the functions is to be disabled or enabled when the computer infrastructure is in the first area and the at least one event of the first user-configured security profile matches the status of the one or more events currently occurring from the message.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the computer infrastructure is further configured to access the security manager to determine the first user-configured security profile and the second user-configured security profile.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the first user-configured security profile comprises at least one event associated with the first area; and

the selecting of the first user-configured security profile comprises matching the at least one event of the first user-configured security profile to the status of the one or more events currently occurring from the first message.

26. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage memory or device having readable program code embodied in the storage memory or device, the computer program product includes at least one component configured to:

request an initial user-configured security policy of a mobile device at a startup of the mobile device from a remote security manager on a mobile device carrier network;

receive from the remote security manager the initial user-configured security policy;

store the initial user-configured security policy as a current user-configured security policy on the mobile device;

receive a message indicating that the mobile device is in a certain location within one of a plurality of short range fields, wherein the message is received from one of a plurality of transmitters positioned at the certain location and the message includes both location attribute information and a state of events currently occurring at the certain location, and the location attribute information describes attributes associated with the one of the plurality of short range fields;

forward the message, including both the location attribute information and the state of events to the remote security manager;

receive, by the mobile device, a user-configured security policy selected from a plurality of saved security profiles each include a high, medium and low default level of security, and sent by the remote security manager based on the location attribute information and the state of events;

update the current user-configured security policy on the mobile device based on the received user-configured security policy;

at least one of disable and enable one or more functions of the mobile device based on only enable functionalities allowed in both the current user-configured security policy and the received user-configured security policy for the attributes associated with the one of the plurality of short range fields,

send a shutdown message to the remote security manager indicating that the mobile device is in the process of shutting down; and

reset all configuration settings of the mobile device, including the received user-configured security policy, to a default profile enabling all functions of the mobile device based on the shutdown message,

wherein;

the received user-configured security policy includes one or more functionalities for the at least one of disabling and enabling the one or more function of the mobile device; and

wherein the state of events currently occurring includes a velocity of a vehicle and an indication of whether an emergency has been currently detected at the certain location.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the user-configured security policy comprises:

at least one event associated with the certain location;

the one or more functionalities of the mobile device; and

an indication whether each of the one or more functions is to be disabled or enabled when the mobile device is in the certain location associated with the location attribute information and the event is occurring.