Apple Patent App Details Location-Based iPhone Functions

A new Apple patent application has surfaced at the USPTO detailing a location-based system that will alter how a device functions at any given time. As an example, an iPhone's access level will be tweaked based on where the user is currently at, requiring a stronger form of authorization when in public rather than at home.

Different connections can be used to determine where the user is at. A connection to one's home WiFi network, as an example, will show that the user is at home, while GPS, cellular towers, and more can be used to figure out where the iPhone is when out and about.

Default settings will be in place with this system, which are triggered when the iPhone or device determines (as best it can) where it is located. In addition to altering security levels based on location, the user experience itself can also be tweaked, with the user being able to set access and use for different environments.

The possibilities are numerous: when in a theater, for example, the phone can automatically shut off any audio that might come through (a notification tone, for example), and while driving it could disable most functionality except emergency services access.

SOURCE: Apple Insider