INFORMATION PRIVACY SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120246739A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mebed, Amr Mohamed
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing privacy for information. In one non-limiting embodiment, a system includes an environment monitoring component configured to monitor an aspect of an environment; and a privacy component configured to: determine whether factors associated with the environment are triggered; and obscure access or provide access to data or a program associated with the factors based on determining that the factors are triggered. Factors can be based on the time and the location or network connectivity of a device associated with the system, the detected presence or absence of an authorized person other than the user logged into the device or the privacy state of the user logged into the device. Motion detectors, cameras, biometric sensors and other devices can be employed in the determination of whether to provide or obscure access to the information.

Claims

1. An information privacy system, comprising:

an environment monitoring component configured to monitor an aspect of an environment; and

a privacy component configured to;

determine whether one or more factors associated with the environment are triggered; and

at least one of obscure access or provide access to at least one of data, a program or a device associated with the one or more factors based on a determination that the one or more factors are triggered.

2. The information privacy system of claim 1, wherein the environment monitoring component comprises at least one of a camera, a motion sensor, a biometrics sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a body area network, a wireless body area network, a body sensor network, or a sensor configured to determine whether a device associated with the information privacy system is communicatively coupled to a selected network or a global positioning system sensor.

3. The information privacy system of claim 1, wherein the aspect comprises an event associated with time at a location on Earth at which a device associated with the information privacy system is located relative to a location on another celestial body.

4. The information privacy system of claim 1, wherein the event is at least one of sunrise or sunset.

5. The information privacy system of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors comprise at least one of a first computing device associated with the information privacy system being disconnected from a designated network, a location of the first computing device associated with the information privacy system being outside of a designated area, or a presence or absence of a second computing device associated with a designated person.

6. The information privacy system of claim 5, wherein the privacy component is configured to provide access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device based on a detection that the second computing device associated with the designated person is within a selected distance of a device associated with the information privacy system.

7. The information privacy system of claim 6, wherein the designated person is other than a user logged into the device associated with the information privacy system.

8. The information privacy system of claim 6, wherein the environment monitoring component is configured to detect the designated person utilizing at least one of a camera, a motion sensor, a biometrics sensor, a fingerprint sensor or a sensor configured to scan for devices transmitting a designated beacon signal.

9. The information privacy system of claim 6, wherein the environment monitoring component is configured to detect the device associated with the designated person utilizing a sensor configured to scan for the devices transmitting the designated beacon signal.

10. The information privacy system of claim 5, wherein the privacy component is configured to obscure access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device based on a detection that a third computing device associated with a non-designated person is within a selected distance of the first computing device associated with the information privacy system.

11. The information privacy system of claim 10, wherein the environment monitoring component is configured to detect the third computing device associated with the non-designated person utilizing a sensor configured to scan for the devices transmitting the designated beacon signal.

12. A method of enhancing privacy, comprising:

executing on a computing device, instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

associating at least one of data, a program or a device with an availability of an authorized person, wherein the authorized person is other than a user logged into a computing device attempting to access the at least one of the data, the program or the device;

determining that the authorized person is available; and

providing access to or unlocking the data, the program or the device based on the determining that the authorized person is available.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the authorized person is available comprises determining that a radio signal is emitted from the computing device associated with the authorized person.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the authorized person is available comprises determining that the authorized person is accessing a designated network substantially concurrently with the computing device attempting to access the at least one of the data, the program or the device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device comprises at least one of storing the data at a network location accessible by the device attempting to access the data, decrypting the data, unlocking the program or the device, or maintaining the program or the device in an unlocked state.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising preventing access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device based on the determining that the authorized person is unavailable.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the preventing access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device comprises at least one of deleting the data, hiding the data, storing the data at a network location inaccessible by the device attempting to access the data, encrypting the data, locking the program or the device, or maintaining the program or the device in a locked state.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

associating at least one of data, a program or a device with a privacy state of an authorized person, wherein the privacy state is indicated by whether others other than the authorized person are detected within a distance of the authorized person;

determining the privacy state of the authorized person;

at least one of obscuring or providing access to the data, the program or the device based on the privacy state of the authorized person.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting that an other of the others other than the authorized person is within a distance of the authorized person and obscuring access to the data, the program or the device based on the detecting the other; and

failing to detect the other within the distance of the authorized person and providing access to the data, the program or the device based on the failing to detect the other.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the detecting comprises utilizing a motion sensor or camera.