Information throttle that enforces policies for workplace use of electronic devices

• US 10,079,931 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eturi Corp.
• Original Assignee: Eturi Corp.
• Inventors: Nicholls, Jonathan, Hunter, Edward, Moussavian, Negeen, Moussavian, Amir, Lewis, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US15/268,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2425 for supporting services specification, e.g. SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/885 limit per application
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/888 severing connection after predetermined time or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Information throttle that modifies a device'"'"'s access to applications, features, or information to enforce workplace use policies. May be used with “bring your own devices” that belong to a user but are also used at work. For example, the system may disable games, media players, or social media when it determines that a device is used at work. A usage context monitor determines the context in which the device is currently used. The monitor may determine that a device is used for work when the time matches working hours, the device location matches a work site location, or the network connected to a device matches a workplace network. In addition to blocking access to inappropriate features, the information throttle may allow access to sensitive information only when the device is at work. Access may also depend on factors such as user credentials and the identity and configuration of the device.

Claims

1. A schedule and location responsive agreement compliance controlled information throttle comprising:

an agreement database stored in a memory of a computer wherein said agreement database comprises

an agreement stored in said memory comprising an agreement creator and an agreement performer wherein said agreement comprises

a first unique identifier associated with said agreement performer that is a first human;

a second unique identifier associated with said agreement creator;

a condition comprising

an activity associated with work to be performed by said agreement performer; and

,

one or more actions to be performed based on compliance with said condition;

wherein said agreement database comprises a first condition having a first activity that is independent of input into at least one electronic device by said agreement performer;

an activity database comprising at least one of

activity status associated with said activity of said condition to be satisfied by said agreement performer wherein said activity status comprises a completion status and

a schedule associated with said agreement performer;

an agreement monitor coupled with said agreement database and said activity database and configured to

check if said condition has been satisfied based on said activity status to determine said compliance;

an information monitor configured to determine monitored information associated with said at least one electronic device that is associated with said agreement performer;

a usage context monitor that determines a context in which said at least one electronic device is used by a user, wherein said user comprises said agreement performer, and wherein said context is determined from one or more of

a time of use of said at least one electronic device;

a location of use of said at least one electronic device; and

a network identity of a network to which said at least one electronic device is connected;

a workplace use policy that defines one or more rules for use of said at least one electronic device by said agreement performer at a work location based on said context,

wherein said condition is based on said one or more rules such that said one or more actions to be performed are based on compliance with said one or more rules, and

wherein said context comprises a first context while said agreement performer is at said work location; and

,

an information throttle coupled at least intermittently with said agreement monitor and optionally at least intermittently with said information monitor and configured to perform said one or more actions, to at least partially increase or at least partially decrease information input, output, used on or exchanged with said at least one electronic device;

wherein said one or more actions are based on

said activity,

and at least one of

a location associated with said at least one electronic device,

the schedule associated with said agreement performer,

the location of said at least one electronic device and the schedule associated with said agreement performer;

wherein said one or more actions are configured to direct said information throttle to at least partially increase or at least partially decrease a performance of said at least one electronic device while said at least one electronic device is being utilized by said activity performer based on said compliance with said condition, through at least one of

an insertion of at least one time delay between at least one of

a transfer of said information to or from said at least one electronic device, such that based on if said condition has been satisfied and during use of said at least one electronic device by said agreement performer and

at least one of

an acceptance of an input of said information,

a display of said information;

a change in a performance setting of said at least one electronic device comprising

at least one of

a decrease or increase of a display resolution of a display,

a decrease or increase of a brightness level of the display,

a change in a color space of the display,

a decrease or increase of a sound quality,

a decrease or increase in an allowed volume on said at least one electronic device,

a decrease in available functionality of said at least one electronic device;

a change in an access setting to said information to enable access to said information

allowed at the location,

allowed by the schedule associated with said agreement performer,

allowed by the location and the schedule associated with said agreement performer;

wherein said information throttle is further coupled with said at least one electronic device and with said usage context monitor, and configured to perform said one or more actions to enforce said workplace use policy based on said one or more rules of said workplace use policy and on said context, wherein said one or more actions performed by said information throttle comprise one or more of

a modification of access to an application or a service on said at least one electronic device;

a modification of access to a feature on said at least one electronic device;

a modification of access to a source of information or an item of information from said at least one electronic device;

a modification of access to a website from said at least one electronic device; and

,

a modification of data that resides on said at least one electronic device; and

,

wherein said usage context monitor updates said first context to a new context when said agreement performer is not at said work location.

2. The system of claim 1

wherein said condition further comprises

an event associated with an environmental event comprising data related to any combination of weather, temperature, allergy, pollen or smog alert;

wherein said agreement monitor is further configured to check if said condition has been satisfied based on said event associated with said environmental event comprising said data related to any combination of said weather, temperature, allergy, pollen or smog alert;

wherein said action is further based on

said event.

3. The system of claim 1

wherein said first activity is independent of an amount of data transferred to said at least one electronic device.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein said information throttle is configured to perform at least one of

if said activity comprising said completion status is equal to or above a predefined value then said information throttle performs said at least partially increase in said performance;

if said event comprising said weather, temperature, allergy, high pollen count or smog alert event is detected then said information throttle performs said at least partially increase in said performance;

if said activity comprising said completion status is below said predefined value then said information throttle performs said at least partially decrease in said performance;

if said event comprising said weather, temperature, allergy, high pollen count or smog alert event is not detected then said information throttle performs said at least partially decrease in said performance.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one electronic device comprises a plurality of electronic devices, and said action is performed across said plurality of electronic devices associated with said agreement performer, comprising a telephone, a computer, a music player, a game or a television or a remote control or an appliance or any combination thereof and

wherein said agreement monitor is configured to sum said monitored information from each respective information monitor into a combined monitored information total;

and,

wherein said information throttle is configured to limit said monitored information on each of said plurality of electronic devices based on said combined monitored information total.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said usage context monitor is configured to determine when said at least one electronic device is used at said work location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said determine when said at least one electronic device is used at said work location comprises one or more of

determine when said time of use matches a scheduled working time;

determine when said location of use matches a work site location; and

,

determine when said network identity of a network to which said at least one electronic device is connected matches a network identity of a workplace network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said information throttle is further configured to

remove sensitive data from said at least one electronic device when said usage context monitor determines that a work session, when said at least one electronic device is used at said work location, has terminated.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said information throttle is further configured to

restore said sensitive data onto said at least one electronic device when said usage context monitor determines that a new work session, when said at least one electronic device is used at said work location, has begun.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said information throttle is further configured to

block access to a source of sensitive information or an item of sensitive information when said usage context monitor determines that said at least one electronic device is not being used at said work location.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said information throttle is further configured to

block access to a social media website or a social media service or a game when said usage context monitor determines that said at least one electronic device is being used at work.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said information throttle is further configured to

disable one or both of a camera and a microphone on said at least one electronic device when said usage context monitor determines that said at least one electronic device is being used at said work location.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

a user identity of said user.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said usage context monitor is configured to obtain credentials from said user to confirm said user identity.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

a device identity of said at least one electronic device.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

a classification of said at least one electronic device based on whether said at least one electronic device was provided to said user by a workplace organization or was provided by said user.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

a configuration of said at least one electronic device, comprising hardware or software modules present in said at least one electronic device, and a version level for said hardware or software modules present in said at least one electronic device.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

a user identity of said user;

a device identity of said at least one electronic device; and

,

a configuration of said at least one electronic device, comprising hardware or software modules present in said at least one electronic device, and a version level for said hardware or software modules present in said at least one electronic device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

a performance rating of said user.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

a job classification of said user.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

occurrence of a special event or of an emergency event.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said context is further determined from

receipt of or a decision on a request from said user for a modification of or an exception to said one or more rules.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein

said context is further determined from a user identity of said user;

said one or more rules for use of said at least one electronic device comprise a list of identities of users authorized to access said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information; and

,

said information throttle is further configured to block said access to said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information when said user identity is not in said list of identities of users authorized to access said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein

said context is further determined from

a device identity of said at least one electronic device;

a configuration of said at least one electronic device, comprising hardware or software modules present in said at least one electronic device, and a version level for said hardware or software modules present in said at least one electronic device;

said one or more rules for use of said at least one electronic device further comprise

a list of identities of devices authorized to access said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information;

system configuration requirements to access said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information; and

,

said information throttle is further configured to block said access to said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information when

said device identity is not in said list of identities of devices authorized to access said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information, or

said configuration of said at least one electronic device is not in compliance with said system configuration requirements to access said source of sensitive information or said item of sensitive information.