This invention relates to wireless communications. In particular, this invention relates to controlled areas for such communications.
Miniaturization is allowing devices to perform functions, not traditionally performed by such devices. Some examples include cameras, microphones, sound detectors and speaker phones in cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), watches, among other devices. Privacy control schemes are being developed and deployed to restrict the usage of these devices or device features in certain places. Such privacy control schemes may use beacon systems, detectors and watermarks to enforce rules to restrict these features, such as rules for the use/type of information that can be recorded.
To illustrate, a user may be sitting in a movie theater, where voice calls (excluding emergency calls) and photography are prohibited. However, short message service (SMS) and may be permitted. By contrast, during a test of a school or University class, SMS may be deactivated.
In these situations, someone attempting to communicate with a device in a privacy controlled area may not be successful. To illustrate, a caller makes a voice call to an individual in an area, where voice calls are prohibited. Since the call was unsuccessful, the caller may believe the individual's wireless device is turned-off or outside the range of its wireless network. The caller will not know that such an individual is in actually in the network and could be communicated through SMS.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have better control area systems.
In one embodiment, a signal associated with a service not permitted in the controlled area of a wireless transmit/receive unit is received. An identifier is sent indicating that the WTRU is in a controlled area. In a second embodiment, the transfer of data associated with a controlled area is controlled. In the controlled area, the transfer of certain data is restricted. The data associated with the controlled area is collected. The collected data is identified as being associated with the controlled area. The transfer of the identified collected data is restricted, where data that is not identified as being associated with the controlled area is not restricted.
Although the features and elements of the present invention are described in the preferred embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone (without the other features and elements of the preferred embodiments) or in various combinations with or without other features and elements of the present invention.
Hereafter, a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) includes but is not limited to a user equipment, mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, pager, or any other type of device capable of operating in a wireless environment.
The associated service initiation request is routed through one or multiple communication network(s) 28, such as telephony, cellular, WiFi, Internet, Broadband, among others. The service initiation request is sent to a wireless network 26 (including the core network and radio access network) of the WTRU 20 and a network controller 30, such as a network server or network processing device.
The network controller 30 determines that the WTRU 22 is in a privacy zone 24 and sends a message to the caller that the WTRU 22 is a privacy zone 24. Additionally, the message may indicate which services are permitted or prohibited in the privacy zone 24. The privacy zone indicator is routed though the communication network(s) 28 to the caller 20.
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To facilitate, the rerouting, the network controller 30 may reroute the session data or encapsulate the data. As shown by dashed lines, the network controller receives the session data A and reroutes that data to the alternate device 38. Alternately, as shown by dotted lines, the network controller 30 may send a signal to the communications network(s) 28 to have the call rerouted in that network 28, such as a call forwarding signal. Session data B is rerouted by the server/processing device 36 of the communication network(s) 28.
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In certain implementations, the privacy zone restrictions may be overridden by either an operator of a WTRU 22 or the caller 20. Such an override may be done by an input/code/signal/message. To illustrate, a user may be in a meeting area scheduled for a specified time period. The meeting may end early, but the privacy zone 24 may still be established. In such a situation, the user may depress a special key on the WTRU 22 to override the privacy zone restriction. Such a feature may only be permitted in certain types of privacy zones 24.
Additionally, data generated by a WTRU 22 in a privacy zone 24 may not be permitted to be transferred. To illustrate, a WTRU 22 may have a recording device or sensors capable of recording or collecting information regarding a privacy zone 24, such as pictures, sensor data, presence information, etc. The transfer of this data/information may be prohibited or only permitted to certain authorized users. The transfer of this restricted data would also commonly be prohibited when the WTRU 22 is outside of the privacy zone 24.
Such restricted data/information may be stored at the WTRU 22 or at the network 26, 28. The stored data/information has some type of an identifier of its association with the privacy zone 24. The identifier may be a watermark or metadata, such as a time and place stamp. When a caller 20 requests transfer of such impermissible data, the transfer is not allowed and an associated indicator is sent to the caller 20.
One approach for providing a privacy zone indicator to the caller uses session initiation protocol (SIP). SIP is commonly used for basic query responses for multimedia and other sessions. The following, in Table 1, are codes provided in RFC 3261 and 3265 for unsuccessful calls.
An additional code for use in a SIP message is preferably provided to indicate that the WTRU is in a privacy zone. Additionally, codes may indicate which session types are permitted in the privacy zone, such as voice, SMS, MMS, data, etc. The code can be generated at the WTRU or within the wireless/communication network.
Another approach for privacy zone signaling uses SMS. When the user is in a privacy zone, an SMS message is generated indicating that the individual is in a privacy zone and/or which services are prohibited/permitted. Either the WTRU or wireless/communication network generates the SMS message.
Additionally, application specific signaling can be used to indicate the user is in a privacy zone. Each application has its own set of codes based on the logic inside the WTRU and the state of the WTRU. As an alternate to application specific signaling, an operating system/middleware construct can be provided available to all or a subset of applications. An example of an application type code would be to insert a code into an email message, when the WTRU is in a privacy zone.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/623,091 filed Oct. 28, 2004, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60623091 | Oct 2004 | US |