Automatic Switching of Modes and Mode Control Capabilities On a Wireless Communication Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016156772-A1
Application number	US-201615018170-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 8, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 2, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems and devices for implementing different modes or persona of a wireless communication device that allow the wireless communication device to function as multiple devices corresponding to conditions and circumstances that may be defined by an enterprise. Operating modes or persona may be defined by a set of operating characteristics that may include user permissions, device functionality, capabilities enabled, and user restrictions that may be selected by the enterprise. Automatic switching between modes/persona may be controlled through triggers based on any of location, proximity, time, and context of the wireless communication device. Automatic switching of mode control capabilities may also controlled through such triggers, enabling an enterprise to limit the ability of users to override the automatic mode/persona implemented in response to an enterprise-defined trigger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for automatically controlling multiple modes on a wireless communication device, comprising:
receiving signals from a wireless identity transmitter, wherein receiving signals from the wireless identity transmitter indicates that the wireless identity transmitter is within a defined proximity of the wireless communication device; determining a first operating mode by applying a location of the wireless communication device to the wireless identity transmitter; identifying a set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode; switching operation of the wireless communication device into the first operating mode by implementing the identified set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode on the wireless communication device; determining whether the first operating mode is associated with at least one mode control capability, wherein each mode control capability comprises a setting that defines a level of user control for selecting a mode other than the first operating mode; and determining whether to switch to a new mode control capability in response to determining that the first operating mode is associated with at least one mode control capability.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein switching operation of the wireless communication device into the first operating mode comprises:
determining whether the location of the wireless communication device and the wireless identity transmitter are associated with an automatic mode switch to the first operating mode based at least in part on a current operating mode of the wireless communication device; and maintaining the current operating mode of the wireless communication device in response to determining that the location of the wireless communication device and the wireless identity transmitter are associated with an automatic mode switch to the first operating mode.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to switch to a new mode control capability comprises:
identifying the at least one mode control capability associated with the first operating mode; determining whether the at least one mode control capability comprises a plurality of mode control capabilities associated with the first operating mode; identifying a first mode control capability based on at least the location of the wireless communication device and the wireless identity transmitter in response to determining that the at least one mode control capability comprises a plurality of mode control capabilities associated with the first operating mode; and identifying the first mode control capability as the one mode control capability associated with the first operating mode in response to determining that the at least one mode control capability does not comprise a plurality of mode control capabilities.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining whether to switch to a new mode control capability further comprises:
comparing the first mode control capability to a mode control capability setting currently implemented on the wireless communication device; and switching to the first mode control capability in response to determining that the first mode control capability does not correspond to the mode control capability setting currently implemented.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode comprise at least one of user permissions, user restrictions, a mandated content storage location on the wireless communication device, and a mandated subscription for communication on the wireless communication device; and the set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode and a mode control capability setting associated with the first mode control capability are created by an enterprise.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving signals from the wireless identity transmitter further indicates at least one context associated with the wireless identity transmitter, and wherein the at least one context is applicable to at least a second location such that applying the second location to the wireless identity transmitter determines a second operating mode.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second operating mode comprises a sub-mode of the first operating mode.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a notification of a trigger event selected from a group consisting of an appointment scheduled through a calendar application, a time-based constraint, a date-based constraint, and a signal received from a remote device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a second operating mode by applying the trigger event to the location of the wireless communication device and the wireless identity transmitter.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode comprises:
determining whether the set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode is stored in memory on the wireless communication device; and sending a request to a server to obtain the set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode in response to determining that the set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode are not stored in memory.

11 . A wireless communication device, comprising:
a radio frequency transceiver; and a processor coupled to the radio frequency transceiver and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving signals from a wireless identity transmitter, wherein receiving signals from the wireless identity transmitter indicates that the wireless identity transmitter is within a defined proximity of the wireless communication device;
determining a first operating mode by applying a location of the wireless communication device to the wireless identity transmitter;
identifying a set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode;
switching operation of the wireless communication device into the first operating mode by implementing the identified set of operating characteristics associated with the first operating mode on the wireless communication device
determining whether the first operating mode is associated with at least one mode control capability, wherein each mode control capability comprises a setting that defines a level of user control for selecting a mode other than the first operating mode; and
determining whether to switch to a new mode control capability in response to determining that the first operating mode is associated with at least one mode control capability.

12 . The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that switching operation of the wireless communication device into the first operating mode comprises:
determining whether the location of the wireless communication device and the wireless identity transmitter are associated with an automatic mode switch to the first operating mode based at least in part on a current operating mode of the wireless communication device; and maintaining the current operating mode of the wireless communication device in response to determining that the location of the wireless communication device and the wireless identity transmitter are associated with an automatic mode switch to the first operating mode.

13 . The wireless communication device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured with processor

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Zeilingold Daphna
• Sprigg Stephen Alton
• Stern Ronen
• Mealer-Burke Vicki Christine
• Canoy Michael-David Nakayoshi
• Larkin Sr Eric Darnell
• Atkins Kristin Parsley
• Silveira Susan Lynn

Classifications

• H04L63/107 Primary

  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 title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W4/50

  Service provisioning or reconfiguring · CPC title

• H04W4/021 Primary

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04M1/72563 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic