PROTECTED MODE FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATION AND OTHER DEVICES

• US 20120291101A1
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ahlstrom, Eric, Lee, Jenna
• Granted Patent: US 9,076,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724634 With partially locked states, e.g. when some telephonic functional locked states or applications remain accessible in the locked states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

An electronic device includes at least one memory unit, a plurality of applications residing on at least one of the memory units and a database residing on at least one of the memory units. The database is configured to store a record specifying a subset of the plurality of applications that are to be inaccessible to a user when in a protected mode of operation. The protected mode is designed for a user (e.g., child or friend borrowing the device) who can potentially use the device with setting that are configured under the primary user'"'"'s (e.g. parent, device administrator) supervision. The device also includes a user interface through which a primary user and not other users can specify the subset of the plurality of applications to be included in the record. A processor is operatively associated with the memory unit, the database and the user interface. The processor is configured to switch, in response to a request from the primary user and not other users, between a normal mode operation in which all of the applications in the plurality of applications are available for use and the protected mode of operation.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable storage media containing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors disposed in a computing device, perform a method comprising:

receiving a request from a device administrator to enter a protected mode of operation that limits access to one or more features available from the computing device;

switching from a normal mode of operation in which full device functionality is available to the protected mode of operation;

receiving a request from a user while in the protected mode of operation to access at least one feature available on the device;

determining if the feature requested by the user is included in a database specifying features of the device to be inaccessible to the user while in the protected mode of operation; and

if the feature requested by the user is included in the database, preventing the user from accessing the feature while the device is in the protected mode of operation.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising presenting a menu of features to the device administrator and receiving from the device administrator an identification of a selected subset of the features which are to be either accessible or inaccessible to the user when the device is in the protected mode of operation.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a mobile communications device.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising entering the protected mode of operation upon receipt of a predetermined input from the device administrator.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4 further comprising entering the protected mode of operation upon receipt of a predetermined input from the device administrator, said predetermined input including a password or code.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the features of the device include applications resident on the device.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the features of the device include receipt of incoming voice calls or text messages.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising receiving a request from the device administrator to remap at least one hardware input element so that it performs a different function in the protected mode of operation relative to the normal mode of operation and remapping the at least one hardware input element in accordance therewith.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the selected subset of the features that are inaccessible to the user remain inaccessible to the user until the device administrator switches the device back to the normal mode of operation.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising accessing a default set of features and disabling the features in the default set of features when the device enters the protected mode of operation.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising receiving from the device administrator a maximum period of time that at least one feature available when the device is in the protected mode of operation can be used by the user while in the protected mode of operation and further comprising disabling the feature after expiration of the maximum period of time during which the at least one feature is in use.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

at least one memory unit;

a plurality of applications residing on at least one of the memory units;

a database residing on at least one of the memory units, said database being configured to store a record specifying a subset of the plurality of applications that are to be inaccessible to a user when in a protected mode of operation;

a user interface through which a device administrator and not other users can specify the subset of the plurality of applications to be included in the record; and

a processor operatively associated with the at least one memory unit, the database and the user interface, said processor being configured to switch, in response to a request from the device administrator and not other users, between a normal mode operation in which all of the applications in the plurality of applications are available for use and the protected mode of operation.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to distinguish between the device administrator and other users by receiving a predetermined input from the device administrator that is not available to other users.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the user interface is further configured to present a menu of features to the device administrator and receive from the device administrator an identification of a selected subset of the applications which are to be either accessible or inaccessible to the user when the device is in the protected mode of operation.

15. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a request from the device administrator to remap at least one hardware input element so that it performs a different function in the protected mode of operation relative to the normal mode of operation, said processor being further configured to remap the at least one hardware input element in accordance therewith.

16. The electronic device of claim 12 wherein the database is further configured to store different records for different users, each of which specifies a different subset of the plurality of applications that are to be inaccessible to the respective user when in the protected mode of operation.

17. A method of controlling user access to a computing device, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to access at least one feature available from a computing device while the computing device is in a protected mode of operation;

determining if the feature requested by the user is accessible while the computing device is in the protected mode of operation; and

allowing the user to access the requested feature only if the requested feature is determined to be accessible while the computing device is in the protected mode of operation.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving a predetermined input that causes the computing device to switch from the protected mode of operation to a normal mode of operation in which full functionality of the computing device is available and, in response to the predetermined input, switching the computing device to the normal mode of operation.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the computing device includes an operating system for managing system tasks of the computing device and further comprising using the operating system to allow the user to access the requested feature only if the requested feature is determined to be accessible while the computing device is in the protected mode of operation.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining if the feature requested by the user is accessible while the computing device is in the protected mode of operation by accessing a record associated with the user, said record specifying a subset of the plurality of features that are to be inaccessible to the user when in the protected mode of operation.