LOCK SCREENS TO ACCESS WORK ENVIRONMENTS ON A PERSONAL MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20130145448A1
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: NEWELL, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

One or more embodiments of the invention provide access to a work environment in a mobile device from a lock screen presented by a personal environment of the mobile device, wherein the work environment is running in a virtual machine supported by a hypervisor running within the personal environment and wherein the personal environment is a host operating system (OS) of the mobile device. The host OS receives an authentication credential from a user in response to a presentation of the lock screen on a user interface (UI) of the mobile device and then determines whether the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment or the work environment. If the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment, access is enabled only to the personal environment. If the authentication credential is valid for the work environment, access is enabled to both the personal environment and the work environment.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to a work environment in a mobile device from a lock screen presented by a personal environment of the mobile device, wherein the work environment is running in a virtual machine supported by a hypervisor running within the personal environment and wherein the personal environment is a host operating system (OS) of the mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving at the host OS an authentication credential from a user in response to a presentation of the lock screen on a user interface (UI) of the mobile device;

determining whether the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment or the work environment;

enabling access only to the personal environment if the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment; and

enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment further comprises requesting the hypervisor to transmit a power-on command to the hardware emulation layer of the virtual machine

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the power-on command includes an indication that the user has already been authenticated such that the hardware emulation layer of the virtual machine requests a guest OS of the virtual machine to bypass a default presentation of a lock screen for the work environment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment further comprises requesting the host OS to launch a user interface (UI) proxy application, wherein the UI proxy application facilitates access by a hardware framebuffer of the mobile device to contents of a memory buffer that is updated with display data for the work environment when the virtual machine, upon being powered on, populates a virtual framebuffer in the hardware emulation layer with the display data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a swiping finger motion (i) in a first direction if the authentication credential is meant for the personal environment, and (ii) in a second direction if the authentication credential is meant for the work environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a pattern motion as the authentication credential.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a password as the authentication credential.

8. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a processor in a mobile device, causes the processor to provide access to a work environment in the mobile device from a lock screen presented by a personal environment of the mobile device, wherein the work environment is running in a virtual machine supported by a hypervisor running within the personal environment and wherein the personal environment is a host operating system (OS) of the mobile device, by performing the steps of:

receiving at the host OS an authentication credential from a user in response to a presentation of the lock screen on a user interface (UI) of the mobile device;

determining whether the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment or the work environment;

enabling access only to the personal environment if the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment; and

enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the step of enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment further comprises requesting the hypervisor to transmit a power-on command to the hardware emulation layer of the virtual machine

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the power-on command includes an indication that the user has already been authenticated such that the hardware emulation layer of the virtual machine requests a guest OS of the virtual machine to bypass a default presentation of a lock screen for the work environment.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the step of enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment further comprises requesting the host OS to launch a user interface (UI) proxy application, wherein the UI proxy application facilitates access by a hardware framebuffer of the mobile device to contents of a memory buffer that is updated with display data for the work environment when the virtual machine, upon being powered on, populates a virtual framebuffer in the hardware emulation layer with the display data.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a swiping finger motion (i) in a first direction if the authentication credential is meant for the personal environment, and (ii) in a second direction if the authentication credential is meant for the work environment.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a pattern motion as the authentication credential.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a password as the authentication credential.

15. A mobile device comprising a processor configured to provide access to a work environment in the mobile device from a lock screen presented by a personal environment of the mobile device, wherein the work environment is running in a virtual machine supported by a hypervisor running within the personal environment and wherein the personal environment is a host operating system (OS) of the mobile device, by performing the steps of:

receiving at the host OS an authentication credential from a user in response to a presentation of the lock screen on a user interface (UI) of the mobile device;

determining whether the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment or the work environment;

enabling access only to the personal environment if the authentication credential is valid for the personal environment; and

enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the step of enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment further comprises requesting the hypervisor to transmit a power-on command to the hardware emulation layer of the virtual machine

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the power-on command includes an indication that the user has already been authenticated such that the hardware emulation layer of the virtual machine requests a guest OS of the virtual machine to bypass a default presentation of a lock screen for the work environment.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the step of enabling access to both the personal environment and the work environment if the authentication credential is valid for the work environment further comprises requesting the host OS to launch a user interface (UI) proxy application, wherein the UI proxy application facilitates access by a hardware framebuffer of the mobile device to contents of a memory buffer that is updated with display data for the work environment when the virtual machine, upon being powered on, populates a virtual framebuffer in the hardware emulation layer with the display data.

19. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a swiping finger motion (i) in a first direction if the authentication credential is meant for the personal environment, and (ii) in a second direction if the authentication credential is meant for the work environment.

20. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the lock screen requests the user to produce a password as the authentication credential.