Patent ID: 7821542

Claim:
A method for restricting use of a camera mounted in a mobile terminal, the method comprising: sending a control signal to the mobile terminal that is within a photograph-prohibited area, the control signal indicating that camera use is prohibited; receiving the control signal in the mobile terminal; disabling the camera of the mobile terminal; and enabling the camera of the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is no longer within the photograph-prohibited area, wherein sending the control signal to the mobile terminal comprises: monitoring a position of at least one mobile terminal within a management sector, the management sector comprising at least one photograph-prohibited area; detecting that one of the at least one mobile terminal has entered the at least one photograph-prohibited area; and transmitting a first flag to the one of the at least one mobile terminal in the at least one photograph-prohibited area through a certain channel, wherein disabling the camera of the mobile terminal comprises: the one of the at least one mobile terminal restricting a photographing function of the camera upon receiving the first flag, and wherein enabling the camera of the mobile terminal comprises: operating a timer upon receiving the first flag; and resetting the timer or enabling the camera, resetting the timer in response to a subsequent flag received prior to expiration of the timer such that the camera remains disabled when the timer is reset and enabling the camera if no subsequent flag is received prior to the expiration of the timer.