CLIPBOARD MANAGEMENT

• US 20150310220A1
• Filed: 07/07/2015
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Good Technology Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: HAWKINS, Siavash James Joorabchian, BROOKS, Simon, RANKIN, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,255,446 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

Embodiments provide methods, devices and computer program arranged to control access to clipboards by applications. In one embodiment a user device comprises: at least one processor; and at least one memory comprising computer program code and an application that has been provisioned by an application provisioning entity, the application having access to a first clipboard of a first type, to which data can be transferred and/or from which data can be retrieved by a further, different, application on the user device, wherein the application is configured with an encryption key for the transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from a second clipboard of a second, type, clipboard, the encryption key being associated with the application provisioning entity. The user device can control the transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the second clipboard by the application via the encryption key.

Claims

1. A user device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program code and an application that has been provisioned by an application provisioning entity, the application having access to a first clipboard of a first type, to which data can be transferred and/or from which data can be retrieved by a further, different, application on the user device, wherein the application is configured with an encryption key for the transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from a second clipboard of a second, different type, the encryption key being associated with the application provisioning entity,

the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user device to control the transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the second clipboard by the application via the encryption key.

2. The user device according to claim 1, wherein the application is configured to encrypt a data item on the basis of the encryption key and transfer an encrypted data item to the second clipboard.

3. The user device according to claim 2, wherein the application can execute in a foreground operational state and a background operational state and, in response to an indication that the application is transiting into the background operational state, the application is configured to associate an identifier with the encrypted data item and transfer the encrypted data item from the second clipboard to the first clipboard on the basis of a predetermined rule.

4. The user device according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined rule comprises one or more of the following:

a policy specified by the application provisioning entity;

a timestamp associated with the encrypted data item; and

a data type associated with the encrypted data item.

5. The user device according to claim 3, wherein, in response to an indication that the application has transited into the foreground operational state, the application is configured to:

retrieve the encrypted data item on the basis of the associated identifier from the first clipboard; and

transfer the encrypted data item to the second clipboard.

6. The user device according to claim 1, wherein the application can execute in a foreground operational state and a background operational state and, in response to an indication that the application has transited into the foreground operational state, the application is configured to:

retrieve a data item from the first clipboard;

determine whether the retrieved data item has been encrypted on the basis of the encryption key;

in dependence on the determination, encrypt the retrieved data on the basis of the encryption key; and

transfer the encrypted data item to the second clipboard.

7. The user device according to claim 1, wherein the application has access to a third clipboard of the second type and is configured with a user key for transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the third clipboard, the user key being associated with a user.

8. The user device according to claim 7, wherein the application has access to a fourth clipboard of the second type and is configured with a provisioning key for transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the fourth clipboard, the provisioning key being associated with an application provisioning repository from which the application was downloaded.

9. The user device according to claim 8, wherein, the user device comprises a processing system configured to:

determine which of the clipboards is accessible by the application; and

selectively allow transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from one of the accessible clipboards on the basis of a predetermined criterion.

10. The user device according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined criterion comprises one or more of the following:

a policy specified by the corresponding application provisioning entity;

an indication of whether a clipboard comprises at least one data item; and

a timestamp associated with data items maintained by at least one of the accessible clipboards.

11. A method of controlling clipboard operations on a user device, the user device comprising an application that has been provided by an application provisioning entity, the application having access to a first clipboard of a first type, to which data can be transferred and/or from which data can be retrieved by a further, different application on the user device, wherein the application is configured with an encryption key for the transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from a second clipboard of a second, different type, the encryption key being associated with the application provisioning entity, the method comprising:

controlling the transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the second clipboard by the application via the encryption key on the basis of a predetermined criterion.

12. The method according to claim 11, the method further comprising:

encrypting a data item on the basis of the encryption key; and

transferring the encrypted data item to the second clipboard.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the application can execute in a foreground operational state and a background operational state and, responsive to an indication that an application is transiting into the background operational state, the method further comprising:

associating an identifier with the encrypted data item and transferring the encrypted data item from the second clipboard to the first clipboard on the basis of a predetermined rule.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined rule comprises one or more of the following:

a policy specified by the application provisioning entity;

a timestamp associated with the encrypted data item;

or

a data type associated with the encrypted data item.

15. The method according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

responsive to an indication that the application has transited into the foreground operational state;

retrieving the encrypted data item on the basis of the associated identifier from the first clipboard; and

transferring the encrypted data item to the second clipboard.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the application can execute in a foreground operational state and a background operational state and, the method further comprising:

in response to an indication that the application has transited into the foreground operational state;

retrieving a data item from the first clipboard;

determining whether the retrieved data item has been encrypted on the basis of the encryption key;

in dependence on the determination, encrypting the retrieved data on the basis of the encryption key; and

transferring the encrypted data item to the second clipboard.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the application has access to a third clipboard of the second type and is configured with a user key for transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the third clipboard, the user key being associated with a user, the method comprising selectively allowing the application to transfer data to and/or retrieve data from the third clipboard on the basis of the predetermined criterion.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the application has access to a fourth clipboard of the second type and is configured with a provisioning key for transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the fourth clipboard, the provisioning key being associated with an application provisioning repository from which the application was downloaded, the method further comprising:

selectively allowing the application to transfer data to and/or retrieve data from the fourth clipboard on the basis of the predetermined criterion.

19. The method according to claim 18, the method further comprising:

determining which of the clipboards is accessible by the application; and

selectively allowing transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from one of the accessible clipboards on the basis of the predetermined criterion.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined criterion comprises one or more of the following:

a policy specified by the corresponding application provisioning entity;

an indication of whether a clipboard comprises at least one data item;

or

a timestamp associated with data items maintained by at least one of the accessible clipboards.

21. A computer program comprising a set of instructions, which, when executed by a user device, cause the user device to perform a method of controlling clipboard operations on the user device, the user device comprising an application that has been provided by an application provisioning entity, the application having access to a first clipboard of a first type, to which data can be transferred and/or from which data can be retrieved by a further, different application on the user device, wherein the application is configured with an encryption key for the transfer of data and/or retrieval of data from a second clipboard of a second, different type, the encryption key being associated with the application provisioning entity, the user device comprising a processing system arranged to cause the user device to control the transfer of data to and/or retrieval of data from the second clipboard by the application via the encryption key on the basis of a predetermined criterion.