Patent to "force" phones into certain state when in a certain location!

[somethingawsome]

So, a friend posted a link to the below patent on facebook that caught my eye.

The TLDR seems to be that locations such as cinemas can have a "wireless device" that forces all WLan enabled phones into a set state when they are located in a predetermined area. This state includes (but doesn't seem to be limited too)

* reduced brightness

* muted sounds

* disconnect all Bluetooth devices

* force into sleep

Having a read through the claims it seems that although these are all options, they are do not HAVE to give the user any notice or request permission to do so.

"Alternatively, the method further comprises providing a user of the user wireless device at least one opportunity of accepting or rejecting association with the access point before the association is created and the at least one policy enforced"

I think it's fairly easy to get around by just turning Wi-Fi off or not connecting to that network, but it's late here and I'm not 100% sure that I have a true grasp on the ins and outs.

Definitely interesting technology, but I'm really not comfortable with that at all. As my friend said on facebook when posting it, if it didn't require the user to accept and didn't revolve around Wi-Fi networks, forcing the phone into a sleep state and rendering the phone useless is definitely not good!

Wouldn't mind seeing what you guys make of it!

Sorry for shoddy formatting, on mobile!

Link: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=36&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&S1=%2820120828.PD.+AND+Apple.ASNM.%29&OS=ISD%2F20120828+AND+AN%2FApple&RS=%28ISD%2F20120828+AND+AN%2FApple%29

[michaeldeve]

It would be nice to have peoples phones not going off in the cinema but on the other hand this can be easily exploited by anyone so i don't think it is worth the risk. 

[nosirrah123]

{

If (In dark alley)

disable 911

}

[AustinB]

Imagine the exploits...

[AlexGoesHigh]

instant approval by your truly, the NSA

[Beskamir]

Guess Ubisoft aren't just a bunch of tinfoil hats and actually based their game Watch Dogs on reality...

[JAKEBAB]

It would be nice to have peoples phones not going off in the cinema but on the other hand this can be easily exploited by anyone so i don't think it is worth the risk.

In the cinema with your kids your wife is on her way home from work and has a car accident emergency services are trying to get hold of you the movie ends and u find out your wife is dead...

[somethingawsome]

In the cinema with your kids your wife is on her way home from work and has a car accident emergency services are trying to get hold of you the movie ends and u find out your wife is dead...

This is the issue I have exactly. There are many annoying things about phones going off when there not supposed too, but in some cases there justified. Going to have a proper read over this during the day to see exactly what were in for! 

[SirPaul]

Okay guys, And noone actualyl thought about how they will do it ?
 

The only , really only way it can be done (i can think of) is  to have wireless signal jammer .

 

How they can propably "hack" into your mobile and disable something ?

In a moment they would be sued of Hacking from android /  iOS / WP  side.

Its like i would build my device and hack a way into smartphones ..  No way this is legal

[The_Strict_Nein]

Yeah, you would have to give express permission to do so otherwise it'd be illegal. Plus, I wouldn't go to a Cinema that enforced this. At least in my situation there are plenty of other cinemas I can offer my patronage to

[somethingawsome]

Yeah, you would have to give express permission to do so otherwise it'd be illegal. Plus, I wouldn't go to a Cinema that enforced this. At least in my situation there are plenty of other cinemas I can offer my patronage to

 

Well, that's the thing. The patent makes a point of saying that although the tech has the ability to ask the user to accept before doing anything, that is not a requirement for it to work and it can "Take control" without this step. 

 

The legal side of this is sketchy to say the least to me and I would fully agree that it would be illegal to do this without the user either being given an onscreen prompt or being told they are entering an area where it is being enforced. I do know that mobile signal jammers are illegal, which has me thinking that this is done via WIFI. If it does this could mean that turning off wifi means they can do squat!

 

[Jobobee]

This is the issue I have exactly. There are many annoying things about phones going off when there not supposed too, but in some cases there justified. Going to have a proper read over this during the day to see exactly what were in for!

I just put my phone into meeting mode, so that only my starred contacts can get through, or people who call twice within 5 minutes.

[ShadowCaptain]

I want to carry one around in a crowded city. That would be some immense fun

[Torand]

instant approval by your truly, the NSA

 

class Harvest_data {

 

    public $user;

    public $our_jurisdiction = america;

    private $our_jurisdiction = earth;

    //This is intentional... or is it?

 

    function __construct($user){

        $this->user = $user;

        $our_response = $this->track_user($user);

        $has_harvested_data = $this->_track_user($user);

    }

 

    public function track_user($user){

        return 'Nothing to see here '.$user.'!';

    }

 

    private function _track_user($user) {

        

        $user_location = $this->_get_location($user);

 

        //If statement not really needed, result of the comparison is always true

        if($user_location==$our_jurisdiction){

            $all = _logdata();

            $this->_senddata($all);

 

            $this->playsound(evil_laugh_001.wav);

            return 1;

        }

    }

}

 

$person = new Harvest_data('me');

 

echo $person;

 

 

 

There maybe some syntax errors & some functions are not written, but hopefully you get the gist of it by the function names. Still a little new to this. 

Bonus points, guess the language! 

[somethingawsome]

So, turns out its NOT just over wifi. It can be implemented over cellular network also. Seems that its not only for WIFI enabled devices and even the likes of laptops hardwiring into a network too! 

 

"Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are now described in detail. It will be appreciated that while these exemplary embodiments are described primarily in the context of a WiFi (i.e., IEEE Std. 802.11) air interface and protocol, this context is merely illustrative, and the invention is in no way so limited to WiFi applications (or any other air interface or specification). For example, the invention may be readily practiced within the context of a PAN (e.g., 802.15), WiMAX (802.16), MWBA (802.20), or even cellular (e.g., 3G) network. "

 

 

I suppose having a patent is one thing, but the physical devices that would be required to carry out this don't exist yet as far as I know! Not comfortable with the direction were going with the likes of this, net neutrality and all that other guff. Sorry times!

 

 

class Harvest_data {

 

    public $user;

    public $our_jurisdiction = america;

    private $our_jurisdiction = earth;

    //This is intentional... or is it?

 

    function __construct($user){

        $this->user = $user;

        $our_response = $this->track_user($user);

        $has_harvested_data = $this->_track_user($user);

    }

 

    public function track_user($user){

        return 'Nothing to see here '.$user.'!';

    }

 

    private function _track_user($user) {

        

        $user_location = $this->_get_location($user);

 

        //If statement not really needed, result of the comparison is always true

        if($user_location==$our_jurisdiction){

            $all = _logdata();

            $this->_senddata($all);

 

            $this->playsound(evil_laugh_001.wav);

            return 1;

        }

    }

}

 

$person = new Harvest_data('me');

 

echo $person;

 

 

 

There maybe some syntax errors & some functions are not written, but hopefully you get the gist of it by the function names. Still a little new to this. 

Bonus points, guess the language! 

No idea on the language (Not the best coder at ALL) but I loled!

[Tigerbomb8]

{

If (In dark alley)

disable 911

}

close but

If (In dark alley){

    disable 911;

}

[AlexGoesHigh]

class Harvest_data {

 

    public $user;

    public $our_jurisdiction = america;

    private $our_jurisdiction = earth;

    //This is intentional... or is it?

 

    function __construct($user){

        $this->user = $user;

        $our_response = $this->track_user($user);

        $has_harvested_data = $this->_track_user($user);

    }

 

    public function track_user($user){

        return 'Nothing to see here '.$user.'!';

    }

 

    private function _track_user($user) {

        

        $user_location = $this->_get_location($user);

 

        //If statement not really needed, result of the comparison is always true

        if($user_location==$our_jurisdiction){

            $all = _logdata();

            $this->_senddata($all);

 

            $this->playsound(evil_laugh_001.wav);

            return 1;

        }

    }

}

 

$person = new Harvest_data('me');

 

echo $person;

 

 

 

There maybe some syntax errors & some functions are not written, but hopefully you get the gist of it by the function names. Still a little new to this. 

Bonus points, guess the language! 

lol i wish i knew, i'm actually trying to find time on my own to learn some programing, i know shit

[SirPaul]

class Harvest_data {

 

    public $user;

    public $our_jurisdiction = america;

    private $our_jurisdiction = earth;

    //This is intentional... or is it?

 

    function __construct($user){

        $this->user = $user;

        $our_response = $this->track_user($user);

        $has_harvested_data = $this->_track_user($user);

    }

 

    public function track_user($user){

        return 'Nothing to see here '.$user.'!';

    }

 

    private function _track_user($user) {

        

        $user_location = $this->_get_location($user);

 

        //If statement not really needed, result of the comparison is always true

        if($user_location==$our_jurisdiction){

            $all = _logdata();

            $this->_senddata($all);

 

            $this->playsound(evil_laugh_001.wav);

            return 1;

        }

    }

}

 

$person = new Harvest_data('me');

 

echo $person;

 

 

 

There maybe some syntax errors & some functions are not written, but hopefully you get the gist of it by the function names. Still a little new to this. 

Bonus points, guess the language! 

 

Seems like PHP .

[Gunjob]

No amount of cool ideas this could be used for is worth the abuses that could also come from it. 

[Torand]

Seems like PHP .

 

 

We have a winner! +10 Imaginary Internet Points.

 

Don't spend them all at once! 

[nosirrah123]

close but

If (In dark alley){

    disable 911;

}

I wondered why it wasn't working! Thanks!