Method and System for Providing Limited Usage of an Electronic Device

• US 20140189801A1
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rokusek, Daniel S., Gupta, Sanjay, Vanyek, David A., Brann, Edward D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,973,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• 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 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

An electronic device (100) includes a control circuit (208) and one or more modules (210) operable with the control circuit. An application usage module (211) is operable with the control circuit to define one or more applications (104,105,106,107), operable with the control circuit and otherwise available for use by a user (101) when the electronic device is in an unlocked state, that are precluded from use by an authorized person when the electronic device is operably connected to a predefined peripheral accessory (300) when unlocked.

Claims

1. A method of providing limited usage of an electronic device, comprising:

receiving an unlocking input locally at a user interface of the electronic device when the electronic device is operably connected to a peripheral device;

performing an unlocking operation in response to the unlocking input to transition the electronic device from a locked state to an unlocked state; and

after the performing the unlocking operation, precluding, while the electronic device is connected to the peripheral device, use of at least some applications of the electronic device that are otherwise available for use in the unlocked state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the precluding comprises causing the at least some applications to remain locked and inaccessible so long as the electronic device is connected to the peripheral device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising allowing the at least some applications to be unlocked in response to the unlocking input after the peripheral device is disconnected from the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving control input defining which applications to preclude from use when the electronic device and connected to the peripheral device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the control input further defines an identifier of the peripheral device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the control input is received remotely from an administrator of the electronic device having usage privileges superior to user privileges of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising authenticating the administrator is authorized to provide the control input by receiving administrator credentials.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the administrator credentials comprise parental control credentials.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising preventing user override of the control input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the operably connecting comprises:

detecting the peripheral device;

electronically verifying an identity of the peripheral device; and

referencing a stored list of peripheral devices in the electronic device;

wherein the precluding occurs only where the identity is found in the stored list of peripheral devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the operably connecting comprises wirelessly communicating with the peripheral device.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a control circuit; and

an application usage module to define one or more applications, operable with the control circuit and otherwise available for use by a user when the electronic device is in an unlocked state, that are precluded from use when the electronic device is operably connected to a predetermined peripheral device when unlocked.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising an authentication module to determine whether a peripheral device operably connected with the electronic device is the predetermined peripheral device.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising a selective unlocking module configured to transition the electronic device from a locked mode to an unlocked mode in response to an unlocking input from the user while maintaining the one or more applications in a locked state.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising an administrator control module operable with the application usage module to restrict definition of the one or more applications, the predetermined peripheral device, or combinations thereof, to authorized administrators.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined peripheral device comprises a vehicular docking station.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the one or more applications comprise a texting application, an electronic mail application, social networking application, gaming application, or combinations thereof.

18. A method of providing limited usage of an electronic device, comprising:

receiving input at an administrator access module defining one or more applications of the electronic device that a user is to be precluded from using when the electronic device is unlocked by the user when operably connected to a predefined peripheral accessory; and

transmitting the input to an administrator control module of the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising locking the administrator control module of the electronic device to prevent user override of the one or more applications of the electronic device precluded from usage when the electronic device is unlocked by the user when operably connected to the predefined peripheral accessory.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising configuring the administrator control module to permit usage of the one or more applications of the electronic device whenever the predefined peripheral accessory is disconnected from the electronic device.

21. A peripheral accessory, comprising:

a communication circuit;

a secure memory to receive information from the communication circuit, determine one or more applications of an electronic device that are otherwise available for use by a user when the electronic device is in an unlocked state, and that are to be precluded from usage when the electronic device is operably connected to the peripheral accessory and unlocked, and transmit secure data defining the one or more applications to the communication circuit.

22. The peripheral accessory of claim 21, the secure memory comprising a secure crypto memory.

23. The peripheral accessory of claim 21, the information comprising an identifier of the electronic device, a security level, or combinations thereof.