System and method for context aware mobile policies

• US 10,135,872 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ruiz, Adiel O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/192,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32 Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device H04N1/38, H04N1/387 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method for network policy enforcement for portable data devices such as smartphones, tablets or notebook computers uses the portable device to self-enforce prescribed policies. A beacon generator generates a wireless security beacon in accordance with an output of the beacon generator and a wireless data interface receives an access request from a portable data device. Digital security policy data configured to enable a preselected set of functions on the portable data device is stored in the data storage. The processor communicates the policy data to the portable data device in accordance with a received access request via the wireless data interface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a beacon generator;

a wireless beacon output configured to generate a wireless security beacon in accordance with an output of the beacon generator;

a network interface;

a wireless data interface configured to receive an access request from a portable data device responsive to the output of the beacon generator; and

a processor and associated data storage,

the data storage storing digital security policy data configured to enable a preselected set of functions on the portable data device,

the processor configured to communicate the policy data to the portable data device in accordance with a received access request via the wireless data interface, and

the processor further configured to establish a data communication channel between the network interface and the portable data device operable in conjunction with the policy data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wireless data interface is further configured to receive identification data from the portable data device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to select policy data in accordance with received identification data.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the beacon generator is further configured to generate the security beacon inclusive of location data corresponding to a source for the policy data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the processor is further configured to data to generate an acceptance prompt on a user interface of the portable data device via the wireless data interface,

wherein the wireless data interface is further configured to receive policy acceptance data responsive to the acceptance prompt from the portable data device, and

wherein the processor is further configured to selectively communicate the policy data in accordance with received policy acceptance data.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the beacon output is comprised of an acoustic generator.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the beacon output is comprised of an RF generator.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the network interface is comprised of a Wi-Fi adapter.

8. A method comprising:

generating a wireless security beacon;

receiving an access request from a portable data device responsive to the wireless security beacon via a wireless data interface;

communicating policy data configured to selectively enable a preselected set of functions to the portable data device in accordance with the received access request via the wireless data interface, and

enabling network access via a network interface with the portable data device operable in conjunction with the policy data.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

selecting the access request including identification data from the portable data device via the wireless data interface; and

selecting policy data in accordance with received identification data.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the wireless security beacon includes location data corresponding to a source for the policy data.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the wireless security beacon includes an acoustic signal.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the wireless security beacon is comprised of an RF signal.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the network interface is comprised of a WiFi interface.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating an acceptance prompt on a user interface of the portable data device via the wireless data interface;

receiving policy acceptance data responsive to the acceptance prompt from the portable data device via the wireless data interface; and

communicating the policy data in accordance with received policy acceptance data.

15. A portable data device comprising:

a processor and associated memory;

a network interface;

a user interface; and

a wireless data communication interface configured to receive broadcast data from an associated wireless network,

wherein the processor is configured to generate a policy acceptance prompt on a display of the user interface in accordance with received broadcast data,

wherein the processor is further configured to transmit acceptance data indicative of user policy acceptance received via the user interface responsive to the acceptance prompt via the wireless interface,

wherein the wireless data communication interface is further configured to receive policy data into the memory via the wireless interface,

wherein the processor is further configured to establish a data channel with a networked data device via the network interface while operable in conjunction with received policy data, and

wherein the processor is further configured to selectively enable a subset of portable data device functions in accordance with received policy data.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to generate the acceptance data including identification data identifying the portable data device.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the network interface is comprised of a WiFi interface.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein the wireless data communication interface is comprised of an optical receiver.

19. The device claim 15 wherein the wireless data communication interface is comprised of an acoustic receiver.

20. The device of claim 15 wherein the wireless data communication interface is comprised of a near field communication interface.