Over-the-air device kill pill and lock

• US 7,603,435 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Prasad, Srikiran, Welingkar, Bharat
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US11/560,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-218, 709223-229, 455/410, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A client device may be managed in the event of, for example, device loss or mislocation. In such a case, a user can effectively cause a restriction command to be generated, where the restriction command is wirelessly transmitted to the client device. The restriction command can be specified to either lock user data on the client device or erase user data on the client device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an instruction interface configured to receive an instruction from a user to restrict access to user data stored on a mobile computing device; and

a transmission interface configured to wirelessly transmit a computing command executable by the mobile computing device, wherein the computing command is generated in response to the instruction to restrict access to the user data, wherein execution of the computing command results in the mobile computing device erasing the user data on the mobile computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the computing command results in the mobile computing device locking the user data from being accessible through use of the mobile computing device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the computing command results in the mobile computing device, prior to the erasing of the user data, wirelessly transmitting a copy of the user data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing command is wirelessly communicated in a form of at least one of an HTTP message and an SMS message.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a phone functionality of the mobile computing device is accessible after restriction of the accessibility to the user data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is configured to wirelessly transmit a status signal indicating one of a completion and failure of the restriction of the accessibility to the user data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein execution of the computing command results in the mobile computing device carrying out the restriction of the accessibility to the user data regardless of whether the mobile computing device is connected to a service network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device is any one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable e-mail device, and a laptop computer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instruction interface is further configured to authenticate the user prior to wirelessly sending the computing command to the mobile computing device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user data comprises at least one of calendar data, contact data, task data, memo data, browser bookmark data, phone application shortcut data, speed dial number data, call log data, application settings data, and SMS message history data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing command is not dependent on a synchronization engine used by the mobile computing device to synchronize data.

12. A method of managing a client device, comprising:

receiving an instruction from a user to restrict access to user data stored on the client device;

authenticating the user;

in response to successful authentication, generating a restriction command corresponding to the received instruction;

wirelessly transmitting the restriction command for execution by the client device; and

allowing a phone functionality of the client device to be accessible after the restriction of the accessibility to the user data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation from the client device, the confirmation indicating whether the restriction command was successfully executed by the client device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein execution of the restriction command results in the client device locking the user data from being accessible using the client device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein execution of the restriction command results in the client device locking the user data from being accessible using the client device and wirelessly backing up the user data to a remote data store.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein execution of the restriction command results in the client device erasing the user data from the client device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein execution of the restriction command results in the client device locking the user data from being accessible using the client device and erasing the user data from the client device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein execution of the restriction command results in the client device locking the user data from being accessible using the client device, wirelessly backing up the user data to a remote data store, and erasing the user data from the client device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the restriction command is wirelessly communicated to the client device in a form of an HTTP message and an SMS message.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the client device is any one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable e-mail device, a desktop computer, and a laptop computer.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the user data comprises at least one of calendar data, contact data, task data, memo data, browser bookmark data, phone application shortcut data, speed dial number data, call log data, application settings data, and SMS message history data.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the restriction command is not dependent on a synchronization engine used by the client device to synchronize data.

23. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a first module configured to wirelessly receive a first command and further configured to, in response to receiving the first command, locking user data on the mobile computing device from being accessible using the mobile computing device; and

a second module configured to wirelessly receive a second command and further configured to, in response to receiving the second command, erasing user data on the mobile computing device.

24. The mobile computing device of claim 23, wherein the user data comprises at least one of calendar data, contact data, task data, memo data, browser bookmark data, phone application shortcut data, speed dial number data, call log data, application settings data, and SMS message history data.

25. The mobile computing device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first command and the second command are wirelessly received in a form of at least one of an HTTP message and an SMS message.

26. The mobile computing device of claim 23, wherein the second module is further configured to wirelessly backup the user data to a remote data store prior to erasing the user data.

27. The mobile computing device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first command and the second command is not dependent on a synchronization engine used by the mobile computing device to synchronize data.

28. The mobile computing device of claim 23, further comprising:

a third module configured to enable a phone functionality of the mobile computing device, wherein the third module is further configured to allow accessibility to the phone functionality after at least one of the first module has locked the user data and the second module has erased the user data.

29. The mobile computing device of claim 23, wherein at least one of the first command and the second command are wirelessly received by the mobile computing device in response to a user instruction received and authenticated at a remote system.

30. The mobile computing device of claim 23, wherein the first module is further configured to wirelessly transmit a status signal indicating one of successful completion and failure of the locking of the user data.

31. The mobile computing device of claim 23, wherein the second module is further configured to wirelessly transmit a status signal indicating one of successful completion and failure of the erasing of the user data.