Management of Application Access

• US 20140033326A1
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chien, Ginger Li
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for management of application access. A security management application can be configured to set access controls and/or other security settings relating to application programs. Additionally, or alternatively, particular functions and/or functionality associated with application programs may be individually configured. Settings reflecting the access controls and/or other security settings can be stored and can be applied at the user device. The security management application also can be configured to determine if security settings and/or access controls are to be overridden. Data can be collected from various sensors and/or other sources to use in determining if particular application programs and/or application program functionality is to be allowed. Thus, normally disallowed activities can be allowed in emergency conditions, when in a business location associated with a particular device, and/or at other times and/or under other circumstances.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting, with a security management application executing at a computing device, an application program installed at the computing device;

setting an access control associated with the application program, the access control defining whether access to the application program is to be allowed when the computing device is in a secured state; and

storing a setting defining the access control associated with the application program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if tiered access is to be configured for the application program, wherein the application program is executable to provide a plurality of functions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein setting the access control comprises:

selecting a function of the plurality of functions; and

assigning a function access control for the function.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the function comprises:

presenting a list comprising data indicating at least one of the plurality of functions and a user interface control for assigning the function access control; and

receiving input corresponding to the function access control assigned to the function via the user interface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein setting the access control comprises:

presenting a list comprising data indicating the application program and a user interface control for assigning the access control to the application program; and

receiving input corresponding to the access control assigned to the application program via the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exiting the security management application;

again launching the security management application;

collecting data at the user device; and

determining if the access control is to be overridden based, at least partially, upon the data collected.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein collecting the data comprises collecting sensor data indicating an emergency condition at the user device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising in response to determining that the access control is to be overridden based upon the emergency condition, overriding the access control to allow access to the application program.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein collecting the data comprises determining a geographic location of the user device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising in response to determining that the access control is to be overridden based upon the geographic location, overriding the access control to allow access to the application program, wherein the geographic location corresponds to a business location associated with an owner of the user device.

11. A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

select, by a security management application, an application program installed at the computer;

set an access control associated with the application program, the access control defining whether access to the application program is to be allowed when the computing device is in a secured state; and

store a setting defining the access control associated with the application program.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

determine if tiered access is to be configured for the application program, wherein the application program is executable to provide a plurality of functions;

select a function of the plurality of functions; and

assign a function access control for the function.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 12, wherein selecting the function comprises

presenting a list comprising data indicating at least one of the plurality of functions and a user interface control for assigning the function access control, and

receiving input corresponding to the function access control assigned to the function via the user interface.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein setting the access control comprises

presenting a list comprising data indicating the application program and a user interface control for assigning the access control to the application program, and

receiving input corresponding to the access control assigned to the application program via the user interface.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

exit the security management application;

launch the security management application;

collect data at the user device; and

determine if the access control is to be overridden based, at least partially, upon the data collected.

16. A mobile computing device comprising a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored thereon for providing a security management application, wherein the processor is configured, via execution of the security management application, to:

select, using the security management application, an application program installed at the mobile computing device, the application program being selected from a plurality of application programs;

determine if tiered access is to be configured for the application program;

in response to determining that tiered access is not to be configured,

set an access control associated with the application program, the access control defining whether access to the application program is to be allowed when the computing device is in a secured state, and

store a setting defining the access control associated with the application program; and

in response to determining that the tiered access is to be configured,

select a function of the plurality of functions,

assign a function access control for the function, and

store a setting defining the function access control associated with the application program.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein the mobile computing device comprises a smartphone, and wherein the secured state comprises a lock screen.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein selecting the function comprises

presenting a list comprising data indicating at least one of the plurality of functions and a user interface control for assigning the function access control, and

receiving input corresponding to the function access control assigned to the function via the user interface.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein setting the access control comprises

presenting a list comprising data indicating the application program and a user interface control for assigning the access control to the application program, and

receiving input corresponding to the access control assigned to the application program via the user interface.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein the security management application further comprises computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

exit the security management application;

launch the security management application;

collect data at the mobile computing device using a sensor associated with the mobile computing device; and

determine if the access control is to be overridden based, at least partially, upon the data collected.