Device activity control

• US 10,382,964 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Azam, Syed S., Huang, Jason, Main, John M., Provencher, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US15/500,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

In an example implementation, a method of controlling activity of a device includes concurrently detecting multiple unique device identifier (UDIDs) within proximity of a primary device, and determining that the multiple UDIDs are associated with a primary device activity. The method includes performing the activity while the concurrent detection of the multiple UDIDs persists, and stopping the activity when the concurrent detection of the multiple UDIDs stops.

Claims

1. A method of controlling activity of a device comprising:

detecting a first set of unique device identifiers (UDIDs) in proximity of a primary device in a particular detection order;

comparing the detected first set of UDIDs to a stored activity list specifying a plurality of activities;

identifying, based on a comparison of the detected first set of UDIDs to the stored activity list, a first device activity that is specified as being associated with the detected first set of UDIDs in the stored activity list, wherein the stored activity list specifies that the first device activity is performed in response to detecting the first set of UDIDs in the particular detection order, wherein the stored activity list includes data specifying the particular detection order;

performing the identified first device activity while a detection of the first set of UDIDs persists; and

stopping the identified first device activity when the detection of the first set of UDIDs stops.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the stored activity list specifies a second device activity as being associated with a second set of UDIDs, wherein the second set of UDIDs is different from the first set of UDIDs, wherein the stored activity list specifies that the second device activity is performed in response to detecting the second set of UDIDs in any detection order.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein detecting the first set of UDIDs comprises:

comparing the first set of UDIDs to a user-configurable authorized UDID list; and

verifying the presence of the first set of UDIDs on the authorized UDID list, wherein the authorized UDID list and the stored activity list are separate data structures.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein detecting the first set of UDIDs comprises:

scanning for UDIDs at a scan interval pre-configured by a user on the primary device.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the first set of UDIDs are detected within varying distances from the primary device.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the first device activity comprises execution of a specified command within a particular software application.

7. A computing device comprising:

a plurality of different wireless radio communication engines, each engine to detect a unique device identifier (UDID) broadcast from a secondary device over a particular wireless radio communication protocol;

a storage device to store an activity association list that specifies a plurality of device activities and a plurality of UDID groupings, the activity association list specifying each device activity as being associated with a unique UDID grouping of the plurality of UDID groupings; and

an activity control module to compare detected UDIDs with UDIDs in the plurality of UDID groupings in the activity association list, and to control a first device activity when the UDIDs in a first UDID grouping are detected in a particular order specified in the activity association list, wherein the activity association list specifies that the first device activity is associated with the first UDID grouping.

8. A computing device as in claim 7, wherein the activity association list specifies a second device activity as being associated with a second UDID grouping, wherein the activity association list specifies that the second device activity is performed in response to detecting the UDIDs in the second UDID grouping in any detection order.

9. A computing device as in claim 7, further comprising an authorized UDID list, wherein the activity control module is to compare detected UDIDs with the authorized UDID list to verify the detected UDIDs.

10. A computing device as in claim 7, further comprising a user-configurable scan interval to provide an amount of time to elapse between scanning for UDIDs.

11. A computing device as in claim 7, wherein the first device activity comprises execution of a specified command within a particular software application.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a primary device, cause the primary device to:

scan for unique device identifiers (UDIDs) associated with secondary devices;

detect a first set of UDIDs within a scanning range in a particular detection order;

determine from a user-configured activity list that the detected first set of UDIDs is associated with a first device activity, wherein the activity list includes a plurality of device activities and associated sets of UDIDs, wherein the activity list specifies that the first device activity is performed in response to a detection of the first set of UDIDs in the particular detection order; and

perform the first device activity while the first set of UDIDs is detected by the scan.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 12, the instructions further causing the primary device to cease to perform the activity when one of the first set of UDIDs is not detected by the scan.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 12, wherein scanning for UDIDs comprises scanning at a pre-configured interval.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 14, wherein scanning for UDIDs comprises:

scanning for UDIDs broadcast over wireless radio protocols from secondary devices; and

detecting a UDID when a secondary device comes within range of the primary device, the range depending on what type of wireless radio protocol is broadcasting the UDID.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 12, wherein the activity list specifies a second device activity as being associated with a second set of UDIDs, wherein the second set of UDIDs is different from the first set of UDIDs, wherein the activity list specifies that the second device activity is performed in response to detecting the second set of UDIDs in any detection order.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as in claim 12, wherein the first device activity comprises execution of a specified command within a particular software application.