DEVICE LOCATOR DISABLE AUTHENTICATION

• US 20140364099A1
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pai, Raghunandan K., Narayanan, Karthik
• Granted Patent: US 9,706,032 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A device locator mode or find my device (FMD) mode can allow a lost, stolen, or misplaced mobile device to be located. The FMD mode can be enabled or disabled on a mobile device. Sometimes thieves or unauthorized parties attempt to disable the FMD mode. To prevent this, the mobile device can transmit a unique device identifier to a remote server. The remote server can link the device identifier to a cloud-based user account associated with the user of the mobile device. Before an FMD mode is disabled on the mobile device, before the content or settings can be erased, and/or before a mobile device is permitted to be activated/reactivated, a user of the mobile device can be challenged for the credentials of the cloud-based user account. If valid credentials are provided, FMD can be disabled, the content or settings can be reset, and/or the device can be activated/reactivated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a mobile device with a server, wherein activating the mobile device includes transmitting a hardware identifier from the mobile device to the server;

associating, by the mobile device, a cloud-based user account with the mobile device, wherein associating the user account with the mobile device includes transmitting user account information to the server, the user account information including a user account identifier and user authentication data;

enabling, by the mobile device, a device locator mode on the mobile device, wherein the device locator mode enables the mobile device to be located by a requesting user device;

after the device locator mode has been enabled, receiving, by the mobile device, a user input on the mobile device to disable the device locator mode;

presenting, by the mobile device, a challenge to a user of the mobile device for user authentication data; and

receiving, via a user interface of the mobile device, a challenge response from the user; and

disabling the device locator mode when the challenge response is valid.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

remaining in device locator mode when the challenge response is invalid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling by the mobile device is in response to a command from the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user input on the mobile device to disable the device locator mode includes one of the following:

a user input to delete a profile for the user account that is stored on the mobile device;

a user input to restore default device settings; and

a user input to erase device content and settings.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

after the device locator mode has been enabled, erasing all user-erasable content on the mobile device;

reactivating the mobile device with the server, wherein reactivating of the mobile device includes transmitting the hardware identifier from the mobile device to the server;

denying reactivation of the mobile device unless valid user authentication data is received by the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein erasing all user-erasable content on the mobile device includes entering a device firmware update mode.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the hardware identifier is not user-erasable.

8. The method of claim 5, the mobile device has limited functionality until the mobile device is activated.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed by a processor, causes a device to perform a method including:

activating a mobile device with a server, wherein activating the mobile device includes transmitting a hardware identifier from the mobile device to the server;

associating a cloud-based user account with the mobile device;

enabling a device locator mode on the mobile device, wherein the device locator mode enables the mobile device to be located by a requesting user device;

after the device locator mode has been enabled, receiving a user input on the mobile device to disable the device locator mode;

presenting a challenge to a user of the mobile device for user authentication data; and

receiving a challenge response from the user; and

disabling the device locator mode when the challenge response is valid.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising:

remaining in device locator mode when the challenge response is invalid.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the enabling by the mobile device is in response to a command from the server.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein associating the user account with the mobile device includes transmitting user account information to the server and the user account information includes a user account identifier and user authentication data.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a hardware identifier for a mobile device and cloud-based user account identifier from the mobile device, wherein the user account identifier is associated with user authentication data;

associating, by the server, the hardware identifier with the user account identifier;

storing, in a database coupled to the server, the associated hardware identifier and user account identifier;

after a device locator mode has been enabled on the mobile device, receiving, by the server, the hardware identifier from the mobile device;

determining, with the server, whether the hardware identifier has been previously associated with the user account identifier; and

when the hardware identifier has been previously associated with the user account identifier, initiating, by the server, a challenge to the mobile device, wherein the challenge includes a request for the user authentication data;

transmitting, with the server, an instruction to disable the device locator mode to the mobile device, when a challenge response is valid, wherein the challenge response is input by a user of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, with the server, an instruction to remain in the device locator mode to the mobile device, when the challenge response is invalid.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, with the server, an instruction to deny reactivation of the mobile device to the mobile device, when the challenge response is invalid.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

after a device locator mode has been enabled, receiving, by the server, a request to disable the device locator mode.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed by a processor, causes a device to perform a method including:

receiving a hardware identifier for a mobile device and a cloud-based user account identifier, wherein the user account identifier is associated with user authentication data;

associating the hardware identifier with the user account identifier;

storing the associated hardware identifier and user account identifier;

after a device locator mode has been enabled on the mobile device, receiving the hardware identifier from the mobile device;

determining whether the hardware identifier has been previously associated with the user account identifier;

when the hardware identifier has been previously associated with the user account identifier, initiating a challenge to a user including a request for the user authentication data; and

generating an instruction to disable the device locator mode to the mobile device, when a challenge response is valid, wherein the challenge response is input by a user of the mobile device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

generating an instruction to remain in the device locator mode to the mobile device, when the challenge response is invalid.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

generating an instruction to deny reactivation of the mobile device to the mobile device, when the challenge response is invalid.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

after a device locator mode has been enabled, receiving a request to disable the device locator mode.