METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING A PLURALITY OF MODES OF OPERATION ON A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20120079609A1
• Filed: 04/30/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Bender, Christopher Lyle, Little, Herbert Anthony, Brown, Michael Kenneth, Brown, Michael Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,147,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method, device and system for establishing plural modes of operation on a mobile device, including: associating each application on the mobile device with one of a plurality of modes; and restricting access to data on the mobile device to only a subset of applications based on the mode associated for the each application. A system includes connection of an untrusted device to a trusted device and restricting data access for restricted data to a subset of trusted applications on the untrusted device.

Claims

1. A method of establishing plural modes of operation on a mobile device, the method comprising:

associating each application on the mobile device with one of a plurality of modes; and

restricting access to data on the mobile device to only a subset of applications based on the mode associated with the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modes comprise a personal mode and a corporate mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is associated with one of the plurality of modes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the restricting comprises adding group permissions to the data and providing each application with access based on the group permission.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the data associated with one of the plurality of modes is encrypted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applications in one of the plurality of modes implement access restrictions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the access restrictions include a password requirement to start the applications in the one of the plurality of modes.

8. A mobile device configured for plural modes of operation, the mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

memory,

wherein the processor and memory cooperate to;

associate each application on the mobile device with one of a plurality of modes; and

restrict access to data on the mobile device to only a subset of applications based on the mode associated with the application.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the modes comprise a personal mode and a corporate mode.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the data is associated with one of the plurality of modes.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the restricting comprises adding group permissions to the data and providing each application with access based on the group permission.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the data associated with one of the plurality of modes is encrypted.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein applications in one of the plurality of modes implement access restrictions.

14. The mobile device of claim 1314, wherein the access restrictions include a password requirement to start the applications in the one of the plurality of modes.

15. A system comprising:

a trusted device configured to receive restricted data, the trusted device having;

a processor;

memory;

wherein the processor and memory cooperate to;

associate each application on the trusted device with one of a plurality of modes; and

restrict access to data on the trusted device to only a subset of applications based on the designated mode for the application;

the trusted device further including server software; and

an untrusted device, the untrusted device having;

a processor;

memory;

wherein the untrusted device processor and memory cooperate to;

associate a subset of applications on the untrusted device as associated with a trusted mode;

the untrusted device further having a client capable of communicating with the server on the trusted device,

wherein the client restricts access to the restricted data on the trusted device to the subset of applications on the untrusted device belonging to the trusted mode.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the untrusted device comprises a tablet.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the modes comprise a personal mode and a corporate mode.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the data is associated with one of the plurality of modes.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the restricting comprises adding group permissions to the data and providing each application with access based on the group permission.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the data associated with one of the plurality of modes is encrypted.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein applications in one of the plurality of modes implement access restrictions.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the access restrictions include a password requirement to start the applications in the one of the plurality of modes.