1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile wireless device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mobile wireless apparatus and a method for restricting an access to an application module of the mobile wireless device.
2. Description of Related Art
As mobile wireless devices have become more popular, mobile wireless devices have become a basic necessity in modern society. Exemplary mobile wireless devices include a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA). Many people communicate with each other and exchange information using mobile wireless devices. For example, businessmen exchange critical business information using voice or data communications through a mobile wireless device.
Meanwhile, as mobile wireless devices have been developed and hardware specifications of the mobile wireless device have been upgraded, an operating system (OS) such as Windows or Linux is now typically installed on mobile wireless devices. Further, various OS specific software applications are typically provided in addition to the OS. Also, as functions of mobile wireless devices have been varied, a variety of application modules including hardware and software modules have been included in mobile wireless devices. Exemplary hardware modules include a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) module and a Bluetooth module for a wireless personal area network communications. Exemplary software modules include a Multimedia Messaging System (MMS) module and a phone-book module for managing registered telephone numbers.
As hardware of mobile wireless devices has become more sophisticated, applications provided in mobile wireless devices have been varied and have become complicated. As a result, malignant code such a virus or worm is able to cause irreparable damage to mobile wireless devices. The problem of malignant code causing damage has been previously known to occur in general purpose computers.
Like general purpose computers, a mobile wireless devices are based on an OS, and a device driver is used to operate an installed hardware module. Thus, like general purpose computers, mobile wireless devices may be infected by viruses or worms and a malfunction or deletion of data may result.
Further, since mobile wireless devices are connected to each other via a wireless network, the malignant code may rapidly proliferate to other devices.
However, solutions for preventing the infection of the malignant code with respect to mobile wireless devices is considerably inferior to solutions for preventing the infection of the malignant code with respect to general purpose computers.
Also, a basic module such as the OS of the mobile wireless device or the device driver may freely access the application module, including the hardware and software modules without any restriction in the conventional art. Accordingly, malfunctioning of a particular application module, which is caused by the malignant code or abusing the predetermined application module for spreading the malignant code to other mobile wireless devices is not preventable in the conventional art.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus and a method for restricting an access to an application module of a mobile wireless device that may restrict the access to the application module, such as the DMB module and the MMS module, by the basic module, such as the OS and the device driver.