Patent application EP17172499A (EP), filed 2017-05-23
Publication number: EP3252622A1
Title: APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MANAGING FILES
Abstract: An apparatus comprises a file managing application and a device management policy data. The apparatus receives deadline data from a remote administration system, the deadline data including at least one time limit for use of at least one user file stored in the apparatus. The apparatus stores the received deadline data in the device management policy data. The file managing application makes said at least one user file inoperable in the apparatus at and after the time limit defined by the deadline data.
IPC codes: G06F  17/    30            A I
G06F  21/    62            A I
G06F  16/    10            A I
G06F  16/    11            A I
Claims: number: 1
text: An apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises
number: 2
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises
one or more processors; and
one or more memories including computer program code, the file managing application and the device management policy data; and
the one or more memories and the computer program code with the one or more processors are configured to cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
number: 3
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one time limit is associated with one or more unique file types.
number: 4
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one the time limit is associated with one or more specific symbol sequences in the file name.
number: 5
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one time limit is associated with a unique folder structure; and
the file managing application is configured to the make inoperable all user files in said unique folder structure.
number: 6
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the file managing application is configured to delete said at least one user file in the apparatus at the time limit defined by the deadline data.
number: 7
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a user interface, and the apparatus is configured to receive user generated deadline data through the interface, the user generated deadline data including at least one user defined time limit for use of the at least one user file stored in the apparatus; and
the file managing application is configured to make said at least one user file inoperable in the apparatus at and after the user defined time limit, if the user defined time limit is at or prior to the time limit received from the remote administration system.
number: 8
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one user file stored in the apparatus is a user generated file.
number: 9
text: The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform operations comprising:
number: 10
text: A method, wherein the method comprises
receiving, by an apparatus, deadline data from a remote administration system, the deadline data including at least one time limit for use of at least one user file stored in the apparatus;
storing the received deadline data in the device management policy data; and
making, by a file managing application, said at least one user file inoperable in the apparatus at and after the time limit defined by the deadline data.
number: 11
text: The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises
receiving user generated deadline data through an interface of the apparatus, the user generated deadline data including at least one user defined time limit for use of the at least one user file stored in the apparatus; and
making, by the file managing application, said at least one user file inoperable in the apparatus at and after the user defined time limit, if the user defined time limit is at or prior to the time limit received from the remote administration system.
number: 12
text: The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises
requiring, by the apparatus, user authorization prior to allowance of access to the apparatus;
allowing access to the apparatus in response to reception of a user identification data which fulfils a requirement of the user authorization;
associating the at least one user file generated by the user subsequent to the user authorization with the user identification; and
making inoperable, on the basis of the deadline data, the at least one user file associated with said user identification.
Office action: search_report, dated 2017-12-06
Rejection reasons: novelty_epc_54
Prior art cited: ref_id: US2006156382A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2013268740A1
ref_type: patent
severity: background
ref_id: US2006156382
ref_type: patent
severity: novelty_destroying
ref_id: US2013268740
ref_type: patent
severity: background
Final disposition: pending (2017-12-06)