Location based security modification system and method

• US 7,591,020 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Combs, Ray, Kammer, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser G
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEDIN, SHANTO
• Application Number:
  US10/053,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,797 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 713/169, 713/200, 713/1, 713/100, 709/220, 709/223, 709/225, 709/227, 342/450, 342/457, 726/2, 726/26, 726/27, 726/9, 726/1, 380/258, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• 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

Abstract

A method or system for providing a level of data security dependent on the location of the user of a wireless device is disclosed. One exemplary embodiment relates to a method of adjusting security for a network user node in communication with a network based upon the location of the node. The method is performed by determining the location of a network user node, selecting a single level of security from a group of more than two security levels based on the determined location, and modifying the security protection for the network user node based upon the selected level of security.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting security for a network user node in wireless communication with a network based upon the location of the node, comprising:

storing a table comprising a plurality of security settings indexed by location in the memory of the network user node;

determining the location of a network user node;

selecting a single level of security from the plurality of security settings stored in the table based on the determined location, wherein at least one of the plurality of security levels is a default security setting selected based at least on a determination that the table does not have a location corresponding to the determined location or based at least on the location of the network user node being unknown; and

modifying a security protection for the network user node based upon the selected level of security, wherein the step of modifying the security protection for the network user node includes modifying a data encryption parameter to change whether wireless data transmitted by the network user node will be encrypted,

wherein the determined location and the security protection for the network user node are updated repeatedly.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network user node is a mobile computing device having a display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network user node'"'"'s location is determined using a location sensing system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the location sensing system is a global positioning satellite (GPS) system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the location sensing system uses nearby access points to determine location.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the location sensing system uses signal bouncing and triangulation to determine network user node location.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the network user node is in direct communication with the location sensing system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending a data signal includes transmitting the data signal using a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the WLAN protocol includes the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the WLAN protocol includes the Bluetooth wireless network protocol.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein the security levels are provided by the user of the network user node for a variety of locations.

12. A method of claim 1, wherein the security level is based on the type of location determined for the network user node.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the security protection for the network user node includes restricting access to information unless a password is properly entered.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the network user node is a portable handheld device.

15. A computer system for modifying security settings for wireless communications with a network user node based on the location of the node comprising:

an input device having a communicative coupling with a system for determining the location of a network user node;

a storage device for storing a table of security modifications to be performed based on a plurality of locations for the network user node, the security modifications including a plurality of levels, the security modifications being defined by a user of the network user node;

a processor configured to select a data encryption parameter based on the location and the table of security modifications to change whether wireless data transmitted by the computer system to the user node will be encrypted, wherein the processor is configured to select a default security setting if the location is not determined; and

a communication device capable of transmitting a data signal to the network user node based on the selected data encryption parameter;

wherein the location of the network user node and the security protection for the network user node are updated repeatedly.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network user node is a mobile computing device having a display.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system for determining the location of a network user node accesses and interprets global positioning satellite (GPS) signals.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the system for determining the location of a network user node uses nearby access points to determine the location.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the system for determining the location of a network user node uses signal bouncing and triangulation to determine location.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication device transmits the data signal using a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the WLAN protocol includes the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the WLAN protocol includes the Bluetooth wireless network protocol.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the table stored on the storage device includes security levels customized based upon the type of location received from the system providing the location of the network user node.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the network user node is a portable handheld device.

25. A method of adjusting security for a network user node having a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, a wireless transceiver, and a physical location determining device, wherein the network user node is in communication with a network based upon the physical location of the node, comprising:

storing a table comprising selectable encryption levels indexed by location for each of a plurality of locations in the memory of the network user node;

receiving physical location information using a network user node;

using the network user node to set security protection for wireless data communication to a default encryption level based at least on a determination that the table does not have a location corresponding to the received physical location or based at least on the location of the network user node being unknown; and

using a network user node to modify security protection for wireless data communication to an encryption level selected from the selectable encryption levels based upon the physical location information;

wherein the table is configurable by a user of the network user node; and

wherein the physical location information and the security protection for the network user node are updated repeatedly.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the network user node is a mobile computing device having a display.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the network user node sends and receives data over a wireless local area network (WLAN).

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the WLAN protocol includes the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

29. The method of claim 27, where the WLAN protocol includes the Bluetooth wireless network protocol.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the network user node is a portable handheld device.

31. A system implemented on a network user node for modifying security settings based on the physical location of the node comprising:

a system for determining the physical location of the network user node coupled to the network user node;

a processor for processing information, storing information on a storage device, and accessing a table of security modifications, the table configured to store security modifications for more than two physical locations; and

a storage device for storing the table of security modifications;

wherein the network user node performs security modifications based on the physical location of the network user node, wherein the security modifications comprise modifying a data encryption parameter to change whether wireless data transmitted by the network user node will be encrypted, wherein a default security setting is selected based at least on a determination that the table does not have a location corresponding to the received physical location or based at least on the location of the network user node being unknown; and

wherein the physical location and the performance of security modifications for the network user node are updated repeatedly.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the network user node is a mobile computing device having a display.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the system for determining the physical location of the network user node accesses and interprets global positioning satellite (GPS) signals.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the system for determining the physical location of the network user node uses nearby access points to determine location.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the system for determining the physical location of the network user node uses signal bouncing and triangulation to determine location.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the network user node can transmit and receive data signals using a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the WLAN protocol includes the IEEE 802.11 protocol.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the WLAN protocol includes the Bluetooth wireless network protocol.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the table stored on the storage device includes user defined protection settings based on at least one physical location.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein the table stored on the storage device includes protection settings customized based upon the type of location of the network user node.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the network user node system modifies information access restrictions based upon a security modification associated with the physical location of the network user node.

42. The system of claim 31, wherein the network user node is a portable handheld device.