Controlling resources used by computing devices

• US 10,116,583 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reagan, Spencer Gibson, Manton, John Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): MADAMBA, GLENFORD J
• Application Number:
  US15/285,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 709226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

Various examples for controlling resources used by client devices are disclosed. A management application executing in at least one computing device can identify client devices executing an instance of a client application that are available for management, where the client application is configured to control at least one function of a respective one of the client devices. A mode of operation can be changed on the at least one computing device where at least one resource is shared with the client devices, such as on a display of the client devices. Through communication between the management application and the client application executing on individual ones of the client devices, access to the at least one function can be restricted while the at least one resource is shared with the plurality of client devices.

Claims

1. A method for restricting access to at least one function on client devices while at least one computing device is sharing a resource, comprising:

identifying, by a management application executing on the at least one computing device, a plurality of client devices executing an instance of a client application that are available for management by the management application, the client application being configured to control at least one function of a respective one of the plurality of client devices;

changing, by the management application, a mode of operation of the plurality of client devices that causes at least one common resource shared among the plurality of client devices to be shown in a display of the plurality of client devices;

causing, by the management application, the client application executing on individual ones of the plurality of client devices to restrict access to the at least one function only during a time in which the at least one common resource is shown in the display of the plurality of client devices, wherein the plurality of client devices are configured through communication between the management application and the instance of the client application; and

wherein restricting access to the at least one function comprises at least one of;

accessing a device application programming interface (API) of individual ones of the plurality of client device to disable user access to at least one hardware component, accessing the device API to disable user access to at least one software function, and rerouting network traffic through a proxy configured to selectively permit or prevent access to available network resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the device API to disable user access to the at least one hardware component comprises at least one of:

disabling access to a camera and disabling access to a keyboard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the device API to disable user access to the at least one software function comprises at least one of:

disabling access to an application switching function, disabling access to a copy function, and disabling access to a paste function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein changing, by the management application, the mode of operation of the plurality of client devices that causes the at least one common resource to be shown in the display of the plurality of client devices causes only the at least one common resource to be shown in the display of the plurality of client devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of client devices executing the instance of the client application that are available for management comprises at least one of:

identifying that the plurality of client devices are grouped in a common organizational unit of a directory service and identifying that the plurality of client devices are positioned in a common geographical area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying that the plurality of client devices are positioned in the common geographical area comprises identifying that the computing devices are registered with the management application through a sensor device positioned in the common geographical area, the sensor device comprising at least one of:

a global positioning system (GPS) device, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, or a camera device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing, by the management application, the at least one common resource with a subset of the plurality of client devices in conformance with at least one distribution rule, wherein the at least one distribution specifies at least one of:

a permitted sharing group, a permitted network, or a security level of a connected network.

8. A system for restricting access to at least one function on client devices while at least one computing device is sharing a resource, comprising:

the at least one computing device; and

program instructions executable in the at least one computing device that, when executed by the at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to;

identify a plurality of client devices executing an instance of a client application that are available for management by a management application, the client application being configured to control at least one function of a respective one of the plurality of client devices;

change a mode of operation of the plurality of client devices that causes at common least one resource shared among the plurality of client devices to be to be shown in a display of the plurality of client devices;

cause the client application executing on individual ones of the plurality of client devices to restrict access to the at least one function only during a time in which the at least one common resource is shown in the display of the plurality of client devices, wherein the plurality of client devices are configured through communication between the management application and the instance of the client application; and

wherein access to the at least one function is restricted by performing at least one of;

accessing a device application programming interface (API) of individual ones of the plurality of client device to disable user access to at least one hardware component, accessing the device API to disable user access to at least one software function, and rerouting network traffic through a proxy configured to selectively permit or prevent access to available network resources.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein accessing the device API to disable user access to the at least one hardware component comprises at least one of:

disabling access to a camera and disabling access to a keyboard.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein accessing the device API to disable user access to the at least one software function comprises at least one of:

disabling access to an application switching function, disabling access to a copy function, and disabling access to a paste function.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the mode of operation of the plurality of client devices that causes the at least one common resource to be shown in the display of the plurality of client devices causes only the at least one common resource to be shown in the display of the plurality of client devices.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein identifying the plurality of client devices executing the instance of the client application that are available for management comprises at least one of:

identifying that the plurality of client devices are grouped in a common organizational unit of a directory service and identifying that the plurality of client devices are positioned in a common geographical area.

13. The system of claim 8, further comprising program instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one computing device to share the at least one common resource with a subset of the plurality of client devices in conformance with at least one distribution rule, wherein the at least one distribution specifies at least one of:

a permitted sharing group, a permitted network, or a security level of a connected network.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein identifying that the plurality of client devices are positioned in the common geographical area comprises identifying that the computing devices are registered with the management application through a sensor device positioned in the common geographical area, the sensor device comprising at least one of:

a global positioning system (GPS) device, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, or a camera device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying program code executable in at least one computing device for restricting access to at least one function on client devices while the at least one computing device is sharing a resource that, when executed, causes the at least one computing device to:

identify a plurality of client devices executing an instance of a client application that are available for management by a management application, the client application being configured to control at least one function of a respective one of the plurality of client devices;

change a mode of operation of the plurality of client devices that causes at least one common resource shared among the plurality of client devices to be to be shown in a display of the plurality of client devices; and

cause the client application executing on individual ones of the plurality of client devices to restrict access to the at least one function only during a time in which the at least one common resource is shown in the display of the plurality of client devices, wherein the plurality of client devices are configured through communication between the management application and the instance of the client application; and

wherein access to the at least one function is restricted by performing at least one of;

accessing a device application programming interface (API) of individual ones of the plurality of client device to disable user access to at least one hardware component, accessing the device API to disable user access to at least one software function, and rerouting network traffic through a proxy configured to selectively permit or prevent access to available network resources.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein accessing the device API to disable user access to the at least one hardware component comprises at least one of:

disabling access to a camera and disabling access to a keyboard.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein accessing the device API to disable user access to the at least one software function comprises at least one of:

disabling access to an application switching function, disabling access to a copy function, and disabling access to a paste function.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising program code that, when executed, causes the at least one computing device to share the at least one common resource with a subset of the plurality of client devices in conformance with at least one distribution rule, wherein the at least one distribution specifies at least one of:

a permitted sharing group, a permitted network, or a security level of a connected network.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the plurality of client devices executing the instance of the client application that are available for management comprises at least one of:

identifying that the plurality of client devices are grouped in a common organizational unit of a directory service and identifying that the plurality of client devices are positioned in a common geographical area.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein identifying that the plurality of client devices are positioned in the common geographical area comprises identifying that the computing devices are registered with the management application through a sensor device positioned in the common geographical area, the sensor device comprising at least one of:

a global positioning system (GPS) device, a radio frequency identification (RFID) device, or a camera device.