APPLICATION ACCESS CONTROL IN A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080160958A1
• Filed: 12/28/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Cellular Corporation (Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United States Cellular Corporation (Telephone & Data Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Saxena, Narothum, Irizarry, Michael, Abichandani, Jaideep, Poplett, John, Haran, Narayanan
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A system and method are described whereby a mobile device controls access to mobile applications based on access conditions associated with a current access network. To prevent mobile applications from running when the access conditions are not suitable, the mobile device includes a policy database used to store a list of access conditions that are inappropriate for launching the installed applications. The access conditions are based on the type of the current access network used by the mobile device for launching or maintaining the requested application session. The access conditions indicate whether the mobile device is currently accessing its home network or roaming on another provider'"'"'s network. Similarly, the access conditions indicate the type of network access interface used by the current network to provide the data connection necessary to run the requested application. The policy database correlates predetermined actions with the access conditions associated with a given application session.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to an application, the application capable of running on a mobile device by connecting to an access network, the method comprising:

registering the application with the mobile device;

populating a record on the mobile device, the record specifying one or more conditions for controlling access to the application, the one or more conditions associated with the access network;

monitoring the one or more conditions; and

controlling access to the application from the mobile device based on the one or more conditions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more conditions include a roaming condition.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more conditions include an access network technology condition.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is one of a multimedia application and a firmware update application.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the access network is wireless.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising launching the application if the one or more conditions are not present.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to an occurrence of the one or more conditions, sending an event to the application, the event forcing the application to quit.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the record is populated wirelessly.

9. A mobile device capable of running an application by connecting to an access network, the mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a wireless interface for connecting to the access network; and

a computer readable medium having thereon instructions for;

registering the application with the mobile device;

populating a record on the mobile device, the record specifying one or more conditions for controlling access to the application, the one or more conditions associated with the access network;

monitoring the one or more conditions; and

controlling access to the application from the mobile device based on the one or more conditions.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the one or more conditions include at least one of a roaming condition and an access network technology condition.

11. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the application is one of a multimedia application and a firmware update application.

12. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the mobile device launches the application if the one or more conditions are not present.

13. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein, in response to an occurrence of the one or more conditions, the mobile device sends an event to the application, the event forcing the application to quit.

14. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the record is populated wirelessly.

15. A system for controlling access to an application, the application capable of running on a mobile device by connecting to an access network, the system comprising:

(a) the mobile device capable of storing a record for specifying one or more conditions for controlling access to the application, the one or more conditions associated with the access network, the mobile device comprising;

an access network monitor module configured to monitor the one or more conditions; and

an application manager module configured to control access to the application from the mobile device based on the one or more conditions reported by the access network monitor module; and

(b) a device management server having a management connection to the mobile device for populating the record.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the management connection is wireless.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the one or more conditions include at least one of a roaming condition and an access network technology condition.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the application is one of a multimedia application and a firmware update application.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the access network is wireless.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the application manager module grants access to the application if the one or more conditions are not present.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein, in response to an occurrence of the one or more conditions, the application manager module sends an event to the application, the event forcing the application to quit.