Patent ID: 7929960

Claim:
A method for controlling usage of features provided by a device in a communication system, said features requiring user interaction, said method comprising: said device obtaining a policy from another entity for controlling usage of particular features on said device during restricted periods, said policy being imposed by said another entity without input from a user of said device, said policy containing a set of rules for inhibiting access to a selected one or more of said particular features during said restricted periods, wherein application of said rules enables restriction of both local features not requiring a connection to said communication system and communication-based features requiring a connection to said communication system; said device storing said policy in said device for referencing said rules to determine said selected one or more of said particular features to be restricted during said restricted periods; said device determining a particular restricted period and a duration therefor; upon commencement of said particular restricted period, said device referencing said set of rules in said policy and inhibiting access to said selected ones of said one or more of said particular features for the duration of said particular restricted period according to said rules; during said particular restricted period, said device providing as an output on said device, an option to override one or more of said rules in said policy during said restricted period to thereby permit access to one or more of said selected ones of said particular features; and if said device detects an input to said device indicating that said option to override has been used, said device sending a cancel indicator to said another entity to enable said another entity to monitor usage of said device.