Long Term Evolution Machine to Machine Privacy Protection

• US 20150118996A1
• Filed: 10/30/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaw, Venson
• Granted Patent: US 9,774,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

An intelligent decision engine is configured on a mobile device that includes rules and criteria that the engine uses to determine whether to allow the mobile device to engage in M2M communications with an M2M device. The criteria may be based on user groups, location of the mobile device, privacy zones that may or may not include the M2M device, “black” and/or “white” access lists, time of day, traffic on a wireless link to a wireless network, etc. If the communication meets all applicable criteria it is permitted to commence, and if not, it is blocked.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, at an intelligent decision engine configured on a mobile device, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication from an M2M device;

determining, at the intelligent decision engine configured on the mobile device, that the M2M communication meets a first criteria configured at the intelligent decision engine; and

responsive to determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria, the intelligent decision engine allowing the mobile device to engage in M2M communications with the M2M device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M communication meets additional criteria configured at the intelligent decision engine.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the mobile device is located at a location defined by the intelligent decision engine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is located at a location defined by the intelligent decision engine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that traffic on a communications link between the mobile device and a wireless network is below a threshold defined by the intelligent decision engine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is part of a user group defined by the intelligent decision engine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is listed on a list of approved M2M devices defined by the intelligent decision engine.

8. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a memory comprising executable instructions; and

a processor, wherein the processor, when executing the executable instructions, effectuates operations comprising;

detecting a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication from an M2M device;

determining that the M2M communication meets a first criteria configured at an intelligent decision engine executing on the wireless mobile device; and

responsive to determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria, allowing the wireless mobile device to engage in M2M communications with the M2M device.

9. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M communication meets additional criteria configured at the intelligent decision engine.

10. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M communication meets additional criteria configured at the intelligent decision engine.

11. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is located at a location defined by the intelligent decision engine.

12. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that traffic on a communications link between the wireless mobile device and a wireless network is below a threshold defined by the intelligent decision engine.

13. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is part of a user group defined by the intelligent decision engine.

14. The wireless mobile device of claim 8, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is listed on a list of approved M2M devices defined by the intelligent decision engine.

15. A tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising:

detecting, at an intelligent decision engine configured on a mobile device, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication from an M2M device;

determining, at the intelligent decision engine configured on the mobile device, that the M2M communication meets a first criteria configured at the intelligent decision engine; and

responsive to determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria, the intelligent decision engine allowing the mobile device to engage in M2M communications with the M2M device.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M communication meets additional criteria configured at the intelligent decision engine.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the mobile device is located at a location defined by the intelligent decision engine.

18. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is located at a location defined by the intelligent decision engine.

19. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that traffic on a communications link between the mobile device and a wireless network is below a threshold defined by the intelligent decision engine.

20. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein determining that the M2M communication meets the first criteria comprises determining that the M2M device is part of a user group defined by the intelligent decision engine.