Method and system for securing a mobile device

• US 7,783,281 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Satapathy, Durga, Cook, Fred S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US10/829,711
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 455/414.1, 455418-420, 455/466, 455/556.2, 455/404.1, 455/404.2, 4554121- 2, 455/421, 455/456.4, 455/567, 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

When the loss or theft of a mobile device is detected, script interpretation logic executes a script to disable one or more functions or the mobile device, such as personal organizer functions in the mobile device. The script may be stored locally on the mobile device, so that the mobile device detects loss or theft and then executes the local disabling script. Alternatively, the script may be stored at a service provider and may be sent to the mobile device when loss or theft of the mobile device is detected or reported. The script may, for example, include instructions to encrypt private data on the mobile device, to send the private data to a data storehouse, and/or to otherwise disable one or more of the personal organizer functions of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of securing a mobile device, comprising:

detecting displacement of a mobile device;

storing, in a database entry associated with the mobile device, data identifying the mobile device as displaced;

receiving a registration message from the mobile device;

in response to receiving the registration message, checking the database to determine whether the mobile device is identified as displaced; and

after determining that the mobile device has been displaced, sending a disabling script to the mobile device, wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to send personal data from the mobile device to a data storehouse and an instruction to issue an audible alert when the mobile device is in a specified location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting displacement includes receiving a displacement signal from the mobile device indicating that the mobile device is lost or stolen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting displacement includes receiving a telephone report that the mobile device is lost or stolen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting displacement includes receiving a report over the Internet that the mobile device is lost or stolen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to delete personal information stored in the mobile device.

6. A system for securing a mobile device, comprising:

detection logic in the mobile device operative to detecting a displacement condition indicating that the mobile device is lost or stolen;

state reporting logic in the mobile device operative to send to a service provider a displacement message indicating that the mobile device is lost or stolen;

registration request logic in the mobile device for sending a registration message to the service provider;

a network interface in the mobile device for receiving a disabling script; and

script interpretation logic in the mobile device for executing the disabling script;

wherein the script interpretation logic is responsive to an instruction in the disabling script to send personal data from the mobile device to a data storehouse and to an instruction to issue an audible alert when the mobile device is in a specified location.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection logic is operative to detect when a number of incorrect passwords exceeds a threshold number.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection logic is operative to detect when the mobile device leaves a predefined geographic range.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection logic is operative to detect a message sent from a service provider indicating that the mobile device has been displaced.

10. In a service provider operative to provide wireless communications with a mobile device, a security system comprising:

displacement reporting logic operative to receive a report that a mobile device is displaced;

registration processing logic for receiving a registration message from the mobile device;

a network interface for sending a disabling script to the mobile device in response to receiving the registration message from the mobile device, wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to issue an audible alert when the mobile device is in a specified location; and

a data storehouse, wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to send personal data from the mobile device to the data storehouse.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to encrypt personal data on the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to delete personal data from the mobile device.

13. A mobile device security system implemented at a service provider, comprising:

a network interface;

a processor; and

data storage;

wherein the data storage stores instructions executable by the processor (i) to receive a notification that a mobile device is displaced;

(ii) to receive a registration message from the mobile device; and

(iii) to send a disabling script to the mobile device in response to the registration message from the mobile device, wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to send personal data from the mobile device to a data storehouse, and wherein the disabling script includes an instruction to issue an audible alert when the mobile device is in a specified location.