Position-based automatic configuration of portable device
View Patent ↗A method for automatically configuring a portable device comprises determining a position of the portable device and automatically configuring the portable device based on the determined position.
1. A method, comprising:
determining a current position of the portable device;
wherein the determining a current position of the portable device includes periodically determining whether the current position has changed from an earlier position;
if the current position has changed from an earlier position, scanning for available resources at the determined position; and
automatically configuring the portable device based on the determined position and available resources:
wherein configuring the portable device includes configuring access to resources available at the current position of the portable device and automatically selecting a resource based on one or more resource preferences stored on the portable device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a position is based on a global positioning system (GPS) determination.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a position is based on a determination using a cellular network.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the portable device includes selecting one or more peripherals for use by the portable device.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more peripherals includes a printer or a network connection.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring access to resources includes at least one of the following: selecting a mode of access to a network for use with the portable device, configuring access rights to one or more files, and disabling one or more ports or peripherals.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the position has changed from an earlier position is determined upon startup of the device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the position has changed from an earlier position is determined substantially continuously.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the position is one of a plurality of areas.
10. A portable device, comprising:
a location module adapted to determine a current position of the portable device and wherein the location module is adapted to periodically determine whether the current position has changed from an earlier position; and
a processor adapted to, if the current position has changed from an earlier position, scan for available resources at the determined current position and automatically configure the portable device based on the current position and available resources;
wherein the processor is adapted to configure the portable device by configuring access to resources available at the current position of the portable device and automatically selecting a resource based on one or more resource preferences stored on the portable device.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the location module is adapted to use the global positioning system (GPS).
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the location module is adapted to use a cellular network to determine a current position.
13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is adapted to automatically configure the portable device by selecting one or more peripherals for use by the portable device.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the one or more peripherals includes a printer or a network connection.
15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is adapted to configure access to resources by at least one of the following: selecting a type of network for use with the portable device, configuring access rights to one or more files, and disabling one or more ports or peripherals.
16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the location module determines whether the position has changed from an earlier position upon startup of the device.
17. The device of claim 10 , wherein the location module determines whether the position has changed from an earlier position substantially continuously.
18. The device of claim 10 , wherein the position is one of a plurality of areas.
19. A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:
computer code for periodically determining a current position of the portable device and whether the current position of the portable device has changed from an earlier position;
computer code for scanning, if the current position of the portable device has changed from an earlier position, for available resources at the determined current position; and
computer code for automatically configuring the portable device based on the determined position and available resources;
wherein the computer code for configuring the portable device includes computer code for configuring access to resources available at the current position of the portable device and for automatically selecting a resource based on one or more resource preferences stored on the portable device.
20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer code for determining a position uses a global positioning system (GPS) determination.
21. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer code for determining a position uses a cellular network to determine the position.
22. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer code for configuring includes computer code for selecting one or more peripherals for use by the portable device.
23. The computer program product of claim 22 , wherein the one or more peripherals includes a printer or a network connection.
24. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer code for configuring access to resources includes computer code for at least one of the following: selecting a mode of access to a network for use with the portable device, configuring access rights to one or more files, and disabling one or more ports or peripherals.
25. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer code for determining whether the position has changed from an earlier position is adapted to determine upon startup of the device.
26. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the computer code for determining whether the position has changed from an earlier position is adapted to determine substantially continuously.
27. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the position is one of a plurality of areas.