Enabling access to private information

• US 20060046742A1
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Honglei
• Application Number:
  US10/925,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20060046742A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A method for enabling access to private information, such as private information, at a first radio telecommunications device comprising: assigning an access level to a first entity; receiving a request for private information from the first entity; determining, using the assigned access level, whether the first entity is entitled to access the requested private information; and if there is entitlement, enabling the first entity to access the private information.

Claims

1. A method for enabling access to location information at a first radio telecommunications device comprising:

assigning an access level to a first entity;

receiving a request for private information from the first entity;

determining, using the assigned access level, whether the first entity is entitled to access the requested private information; and

if there is entitlement, enabling the first entity to access the private information.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the private information is information identifying the location of the first radio telecommunications device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assigned access level defines at least one condition the satisfaction of which determines whether the first entity is or is not entitled to access the private information.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one condition defines a time of day for which there is no entitlement to access private information.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one condition defines a location or locations of the first device for which there is no entitlement to access private information.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one condition defines a mode of the first device for which there is no entitlement to access private information.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising enabling a user of the first device to assign the access level to the first entity.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the user of the first device assigns an access level to the first entity in response to a request for private information by the first entity.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the access level has been assigned to the first entity, the first device sends an authentication code to the first entity.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the authentication code sent to the first entity is dependent upon the access level assigned to the first entity.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the request for private information sent by the first entity comprises the authentication code and the first device uses the authentication code received with the request to determine whether the first entity is entitled to access the requested private information.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the same authentication code is allocated to more than one entity.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the first device receives a request for private information from the first entity, the first device automatically determines, without user intervention, whether the first entity is entitled to access the requested private information.

14. A radio telecommunications device comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting private information;

a receiver for receiving requests for private information;

a memory for storing an indication of an access level assigned to a first entity;

a processor for determining, after a request for private information has been received from a first entity, using the stored indication, whether the first entity is entitled to the requested private information and, if there is entitlement, enabling the first entity access to the private information.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the private information is information identifying the location of the radio telecommunications device.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the assigned access level defines at least one condition the satisfaction of which determines whether the first entity is or is not entitled to access the private information.

17. A radio telecommunications device as claimed in claim 14 comprising a user interface for enabling the user to change the access level assigned to the first entity.

18. A radio telecommunications device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor automatically determines whether the first entity is entitled to access the requested private information.

19. A radio telecommunications device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the processor is arranged to allocate an authentication code to the first entity depending on the access level that the first entity has been assigned and the transmitter is arranged to transmit an authentication code to the first entity.

20. A radio telecommunications device as claimed in claim 14, wherein a request for private information comprises an authentication code and the processor is arranged to determine if the authentication code used in the request from the first entity entitles the first entity to access the private information.

21. A radio telecommunications device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first device also comprises a transmitter for transmitting requests for private information to another device and a receiver for receiving private information from the another device.

22. A radio telecommunications device comprising;

a user interface for enabling a user of the device to assign different access rights to private information to different entities, wherein the device responds to requests for private information from an entity in dependence upon the access right previously assigned to the entity.

23. A computer program comprising program instructions for enabling access to private information and comprising;

means for enabling a user of a first device to assign to a first entity an access level, and

means for determining, after a request for private information has been received from the first entity, using the assigned access level, whether the first entity is entitled to the requested private information and, if there is entitlement, enabling the first entity access to the private information.

24. A physical entity embodying the computer program as claimed in claim 23.

25. An electromagnetic carrier signal carrying the computer program as claimed in claim 23.

26. A method for enabling access to a plurality of different types of private information at a first radio telecommunications device comprising;

enabling a user of the first device to assign an access level to a first entity wherein the access level defines which of the plurality of different types of private information the first entity is entitled to access;

receiving a request for a first type of private information from the first entity;

determining, using the assigned access level, whether the first entity is entitled to access the requested first type of private information; and

if there is entitlement, enabling the first entity to access the requested first type of private information.

27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the access level for private information assigned to the first entity is one of a plurality of defined access levels wherein each level defines a different combination of types of private information.

28. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the type of private information includes contemporaneous variables relating to the current environment of the first device.

29. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the type of private information includes one or more of:

private information, temperature information, user input information.

30. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the access level entitles the first entity to access a type of private information only at certain times.

31. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the access level entitles the first entity to access a type of private information only when the first device is in a particular mode.

32. A radio telecommunications device comprising;

a transmitter for transmitting a plurality of different types of private information,

a receiver for receiving requests for a plurality of different types of private information,

a user interface for enabling a user of the device to assign to a first entity an access level wherein the access level defines which of the plurality of different types of private information the first entity is entitled to access,

a processor for determining, after a request for a first type of private information has been received from a first entity, whether the first entity is entitled to the requested first type of private information and, if there is entitlement, enabling the first entity access to the first type of private information.

33. A radio telecommunications device as claimed in claim 32, wherein the user interface enables the user to assign an access level for private information, from a plurality of defined access levels for private information, to the first entity wherein each access level defines a different type of private information.

34. A radio telecommunications device as claimed in claim 32, comprising means for enabling the user to control what combinations of types of private information are accessible with an access level.

35. A method for transmitting private information from a first radio telecommunications device to a second radio telecommunications device comprising;

receiving, at the second device, an authentication code from the first device; and

sending a request for private information to the first device, comprising the authentication code.

36. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the private information is private information.

37. A method as claimed in claim 35, wherein there are a plurality of different types of private information, the authentication code is dependent upon the type of private information to which the second device is entitled, and the request for private information to the first device comprises an identification of the type of private information and the authentication code.

38. A radio telecommunications device comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting requests for private information where the request comprises an authentication code,

a receiver for receiving private information, and

a processor for managing authentication codes so that the request for private information to another device is sent with an authentication code allocated by the another device.