PRIVATE AND PUBLIC APPLICATIONS

• US 20120304280A1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hayashida, Jeffrey Y.
• Granted Patent: US 10,078,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/16
• 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 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

Designating applications for public access or private access on a computing device is disclosed. An application on the computing device is designated for private functionality or public functionality. A security wall is enforced with respect to the application if the application is designated for private functionality, wherein enforcing the security wall includes preventing access to the application until a security input is received. Access to the application is provided if the application is designated for public functionality, wherein providing access to the application includes allowing a user to access the application without receiving the security input from the user.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more processors executing on a computer system, the method comprising:

designating an application on the computer system for private functionality or public functionality;

enforcing a security wall with respect to the application if the application is designated for private functionality, wherein enforcing the security wall includes preventing access to the application until a security input is received; and

providing access to the application if the application is designated for public functionality, wherein providing access to the application includes allowing a user to access the application without receiving the security input from the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing access to the application includes requiring a second input from the user before allowing the user to access the application, the second input different from the security input.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second input includes a predefined sequence of multiple inputs associated with a tactile button on the computer system, the tactile button associated with receiving input for a functionality of the computer system different from functionality provided by the application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is designated based on a request received from the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is automatically designated based on at least one of an application type associated with the application, a time since the application was previously accessed, or a frequency of use of the application.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein providing access to the application includes generating for display a visual indicator of availability of the application in a public mode of the computer system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein generating for display the visual indicator includes displaying a particular visual indicator for each application in a group of applications, wherein each application in the group of applications is designated for public functionality.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the group of applications is a subset of all applications designated for public functionality and the displayed group of applications is displayed based on at least one of a geographic location of the computer system, a current date or time of day, a context associated with the user, a recent action performed by the user, or a level of importance of information associated with a particular application.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein designating the application includes designating at least one of a plurality of functions of the application for public functionality while designating a remaining portion of the plurality of functions of the application for private functionality.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein enforcing the security wall includes preventing access to the remaining portion of the plurality of functions designated for private functionality until the security input is received and allowing the user to access the at least one function of the application designated for public functionality without receiving the security input.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically designating a particular application for private functionality after a certain time period has elapsed since a previous use of the particular application.

12. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform the following operations:

determining that a first functionality of an application is designated for public functionality and a second functionality of the application is designated for private functionality;

providing access to the first functionality of the application, wherein providing access to the first functionality of the application includes allowing a user to access the first functionality of the application without receiving a security input from the user; and

enforcing a security wall with respect to the second functionality of the application, wherein enforcing the security wall includes preventing access to the second functionality of the application until the security input is received.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein providing access to the first functionality of the application includes requiring a second input from the user before allowing the user to access the application, the second input different from the security input.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the second functionality of the application includes a purchasing functionality allowing the user to conduct a purchase through the application.

15. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the first functionality of the application is automatically determined as designated for public functionality based on a type of functionality associated with the first functionality and the second functionality of the application is automatically determined as designated for private functionality based on a type of functionality associated with the second functionality.

16. A system comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium operable to store instructions of an application;

a security wall module operable to enforce a security wall with respect to the application if the application is designated for private functionality, wherein enforcing the security wall includes preventing access to the application until a security input is received, the security wall module further operable to provide access to the application if the application is designated for public functionality, wherein providing access to the application includes allowing a user to access the application without receiving the security input from the user.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein providing access to the application includes requiring a second input from the user before allowing the user to access the application, the second input different from the security input.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the second input includes a predefined sequence of multiple inputs associated with a tactile button on the computer system, the tactile button associated with receiving input for a functionality of the computer system different from functionality provided by the application.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein providing access to the application includes displaying a particular visual indicator for each application in a group of applications, wherein each application in the group of applications is designated for public functionality.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the group of applications is a subset of all applications designated for public functionality and the displayed group of applications is displayed based on at least one of a geographic location of the computer system, a current date or time of day, a context associated with the user, a recent action performed by the user, or a level of importance of information associated with a particular application.