CONTROLLING ACCESS TO PROTECTED FUNCTIONALITY OF A HOST DEVICE USING A WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20160037345A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Margadoudakis, Zachary
• Application Number:
  US14/774,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037345A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3855 carried in a belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• 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 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A wearable device can establish a verified session with a host device (e.g., by establishing that the wearable device is present in the vicinity of the host device and is currently being worn). The existence of such a verified session can be used to control user access to sensitive information that may be stored in or otherwise accessible to a host device. For example, the host device and/or application programs executing thereon can be configured to restrict a user'"'"'s ability to invoke program functionality that accesses sensitive information based on whether a verified session with a wearable device is currently in progress.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method of launching an application program on a host device, the method comprising, by the host device:

establishing a verified session between the host device and a wearable device, wherein establishing the verified session comprises verifying that the wearable device is being worn, and wherein the verified session terminates when the wearable device ceases to be worn;

identifying an application program to be launched;

determining whether the application program has a protected mode;

when the application program has a protected mode;

determining whether the verified session between the host device and the wearable device is in progress; and

launching the application program in the protected mode when the verified session is in progress.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

launching the application program regardless of whether the verified session is in progress when the application program does not have a protected mode.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising, when the application has a protected mode:

determining whether the application program has a public mode; and

launching the application in the public mode when the verified session is not in progress.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the application program in the protected mode provides access to sensitive information.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the sensitive information comprises one or more of a financial record, a medical record, or a government-issued identification record.

28. A host device comprising:

a communication interface to communicate with a wearable device;

a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and the user interface, the processor configured to;

identify an application program to be launched, the application program having a protected mode;

determine whether a verified session between the host device and a wearable device is in progress, wherein the verified session becomes established when the wearable device is being worn in proximity to the host device, and wherein the verified session terminates when the wearable device ceases to be worn; and

launch the application program in the protected mode when the verified session is in progress.

29. The host device of claim 28 wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the application program has a public mode; and

launch the application program in the public mode when the verified session is not in progress.

30. The host device of claim 29 wherein the processor is further configured to decline to launch the application program when the application program does not have a public mode.

31. The host device of claim 28 wherein the determination of whether the verified session is in progress comprises the processor being further configured to:

determine whether the wearable device is currently in communication with the host device; and

determine whether an estimated distance between the wearable device and the host device is less than a threshold distance.

32. The host device of claim 31 wherein the determination of whether the verified session is in progress further comprises the processor being further configured to:

transmit a session confirmation request to the wearable device;

receive a response from the wearable device; and

determine whether the response is valid.

33. The host device of claim 32 wherein the session confirmation request comprises a random nonce, the response comprises an encrypted nonce, and determining whether the response is valid comprises the processor being further configured to:

decrypt the encrypted nonce using a session key defined for the verified session; and

compare the decrypted nonce to the random nonce.

34. The host device of claim 31 wherein the determination of whether the verified session is in progress further comprises the processor being further configured to:

obtain, from the wearable device, an assigned user identifier of the wearable device; and

compare the assigned user identifier to a user identifier of the host device.

35. The host device of claim 31 wherein the determination of whether the verified session is in progress further comprises the processor being further configured to:

obtain, from the wearable device, a device identifier of the wearable device; and

compare the device identifier to an authorized device identifier associated with the application program.

36. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program code instructions that, when executed by a processor in a host device, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a user request to invoke a functionality of the application program that is available in a protected mode of the application program;

determining whether a verified session between the host device and a wearable device is in progress, wherein the verified session becomes established when the wearable device is being worn in proximity to the host device and wherein the verified session terminates when the wearable device ceases to be worn; and

entering the protected mode of the application program when the verified session is in progress.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36 wherein entering the protected mode further comprises:

prompting the user to enter a security credential for a user account accessible to the application; and

verifying the security credential.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 36 wherein determining whether the verified session is in progress comprises:

determining whether the wearable device is currently in communication with the host device; and

determining whether an estimated distance between the wearable device and the host device is less than a threshold distance.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 wherein determining whether the verified session is in progress further comprises:

sending a session confirmation request to the wearable device;

receiving a response from the wearable device; and

determining whether the response is valid.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 39 wherein the session confirmation request comprises a random nonce, the response comprises an encrypted nonce, and determining whether the response is valid comprises:

decrypting the encrypted nonce using a session key defined for the verified session; and

comparing the decrypted nonce to the random nonce.

41. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 wherein determining whether the verified session is in progress further comprises:

obtaining, from the wearable device, an assigned user identifier of the wearable device; and

comparing the assigned user identifier to a user identifier of the host device.

42. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38 wherein determining whether the verified session is in progress further comprises:

obtaining, from the wearable device, a device identifier of the wearable device; and

comparing the device identifier to an authorized device identifier associated with the application program.