Systems and methods for preserving confidentiality of sensitive information in a point-of-care communications environment
First Claim
1. An end user device for communication with a server, comprising:
- a control entity operative to support a session with the server for an authenticated user;
a memory store operative to store sensitive information during the session;
a user interface for interfacing with the authenticated user; and
a network interface for interfacing with the server;
the control entity being further operative to (i) apply a policy based on stimuli received via the user interface and the network interface to determine whether confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved and (ii) responsive to determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved, take an action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store;
wherein said stimuli comprise user commands received via the user interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a user command to terminate the session;
wherein said stimuli comprise user commands received via the user interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a user command to suspend the session;
wherein said stimuli comprise user commands received via the user interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a user command to authenticate a new user other than the authenticated user;
wherein said stimuli comprise network commands received via the network interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a network command to terminate the session;
wherein said stimuli comprise network commands received via the network interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a network command to suspend the session;
wherein said stimuli comprise pilot messages received via the network interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a prolonged absence of pilot messages received from the network interface.
23 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A data processing apparatus comprises a memory store; a data bus connected to the memory store, the data bus being adapted for transporting data to and from the memory store; a processing entity operative to release read and write commands towards the memory store, the write command being accompanied by first data intended to be written to the memory store; and an encryption module communicatively coupled to the processing entity and to the data bus. Upon the processing entity releasing a write command accompanied by said first data, the encryption module encrypts, in accordance with an encryption key, said first data and send an encrypted version of said first data onto the data bus for writing into the memory store. The reverse operation is performed upon the processing entity releasing a read command.
75 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An end user device for communication with a server, comprising:
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a control entity operative to support a session with the server for an authenticated user; a memory store operative to store sensitive information during the session; a user interface for interfacing with the authenticated user; and a network interface for interfacing with the server; the control entity being further operative to (i) apply a policy based on stimuli received via the user interface and the network interface to determine whether confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved and (ii) responsive to determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved, take an action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store; wherein said stimuli comprise user commands received via the user interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a user command to terminate the session; wherein said stimuli comprise user commands received via the user interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a user command to suspend the session; wherein said stimuli comprise user commands received via the user interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a user command to authenticate a new user other than the authenticated user; wherein said stimuli comprise network commands received via the network interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a network command to terminate the session; wherein said stimuli comprise network commands received via the network interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a network command to suspend the session; wherein said stimuli comprise pilot messages received via the network interface and wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store is to be preserved comprises detecting a prolonged absence of pilot messages received from the network interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
an encryption module communicatively coupled to the control entity and to the data bus; the control entity being further operative to release read and write commands towards the memory store, the write command being accompanied by first data intended to be written to the memory store; upon the control entity releasing a write command accompanied by said first data, the encryption module being operative to encrypt, in accordance with an encryption key, said first data and send an encrypted version of said first data onto the data bus for writing into the memory store; upon the control entity releasing a read command, the encryption module being operative to decrypt, in accordance with a decryption key, an encrypted version of second data received from the memory store via the data bus and provide said second data to the control entity.
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17. The end user device defined in claim 16, wherein the control entity being operative to take an action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store comprises changing the decryption key.
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18. The end user device defined in claim 16, wherein the control entity being operative to take an action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store comprises deleting the decryption key.
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19. The end user device defined in claim 16, wherein the control entity being operative to take an action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store comprises causing the encryption module to use a new decryption key different from the previous decryption key.
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20. The end user device defined in claim 19, wherein the control entity being operative to take an action to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store further comprises storing the previous decryption key prior to causing the encryption module to use the new decryption key.
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21. The end user device defined in claim 20, the control entity further operative to (iii) determine whether confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store no longer needs to be preserved and (iv) responsive to determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store no longer needs to be preserved, cause the encryption module to use said previous decryption key.
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22. The end user device defined in claim 1, the control entity being further operative to (iii) determine whether confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store no longer needs to be preserved and (iv) responsive to determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store no longer needs to be preserved, take an action to reverse the action previously taken to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store.
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23. The end user device defined in claim 22, wherein the control entity being operative to determine whether confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store no longer needs to be preserved comprises the control entity being operative to apply a policy based on stimuli received via the user interface and the network interface.
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24. The end user device defined in claim 23, wherein said stimuli comprise user commands received via the user interface arid wherein determining that confidentiality of the sensitive information stored in the memory store no longer needs to be preserved comprises detecting a host command to unsuspend a suspended session.
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25. The end user device defined in claim 1 being a mobile wireless device.
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26. The end user defined in claim 1, further comprising a label indicative of an inability to function outside a predetermined location.
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27. A method, comprising:
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establishing a healthcare session with an end user device servicing an authenticated user; providing sensitive healthcare information to the end user device for storage thereon during the healthcare session; detecting existence of a requirement to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information; and responsive to the detecting, sending a message to the end user device for causing the end user device to preserve the confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information; wherein detecting existence of a requirement to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information comprises detecting a distance between the authenticated user and the end user device and determining that the distance exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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28. A method, comprising:
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establishing a healthcare session with an end user device servicing an authenticated user; providing sensitive healthcare information to the end user device for storage thereon during the healthcare session; detecting existence of a requirement to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information; and responsive to the detecting, sending a message to the end user device for causing the end user device to preserve the confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information; wherein detecting existence of a requirement to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information comprises detecting a distance between the authenticated user and the end user device and determining that the distance continuously exceeds a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time.
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29. A method, comprising:
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establishing a healthcare session with an end user device servicing an authenticated user; providing sensitive healthcare information to the end user device for storage thereon during the healthcare session; detecting existence of a requirement to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information; and responsive to the detecting, sending a message to the end user device for causing the end user device to preserve the confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information; wherein detecting existence of a requirement to preserve confidentiality of the sensitive healthcare information comprises detecting a distance between the authenticated user and the end user device and determining that an integral of the distance over time exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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Specification