Device, method, and system for secure mobile data storage

• US 8,407,759 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monolith Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Monolith Innovations LLC
• Inventors: Sotos, Ilias P., Miller, Sean K.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US13/404,904
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A device, method, and system for secure mobile data storage includes a mobile data storage device having a short-range communication circuit, a long-range communication circuit, and a data storage for storing data. The mobile data storage device is used to store data used by a paired mobile communication device. The mobile data storage device and the mobile communication device communicate control signals over a wireless control link established using the short-range communication circuit and data over a wireless data link, different from the wireless control link, established using the long-range communication circuit. The mobile data storage device and/or mobile communication device may monitor a distance between the devices and perform a security function in response the devices being separated from each other. The mobile data storage device may backup data on a remote data server and/or repopulate data from the remote data server using the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A mobile data storage device comprising:

a first communication circuit to establish a wireless control link with a mobile communication device using a short-range communication protocol;

a second communication circuit, different from the first communication circuit, to establish a wireless data link with the mobile communication device using a long-range communication protocol;

a data storage to store data received from the mobile communication device; and

a processing circuit to (i) communicate with the mobile communication device via the wireless control link to receive commands from the mobile communication device, (ii) retrieve data from the data storage and transmit the retrieved data to the mobile communication device using the wireless data link in response to a first command received via the wireless control link, (iii) receive data from the mobile communication device via the wireless data link and store the received data in the data storage in response to a second command received via the wireless control link, (iv) determine whether the mobile communication device is within a reference security range of the mobile data storage device as a function of the wireless control link, and (v) perform at least one security function on the mobile data storage device in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

2. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the first communication circuit has a bandwidth that is substantially lower than a bandwidth of the second communication circuit.

3. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is to determine whether the mobile communication device is within a reference security communication range with the mobile data storage device by determining a distance between the mobile data storage device and the mobile communication device, and

perform the at least one security function comprises to perform at least one security function in response to the distance being greater than a reference distance.

4. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, further comprising an alarm, and wherein the processing circuit is to activate the alarm in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

5. The mobile data storage device of claim 4, wherein the alarm comprises at least one of an audible alarm, a visual alarm, and a tactile alarm.

6. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit to disconnect the wireless data link in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

7. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit to encrypt unencrypted data stored in the data storage in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

8. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit to retrieve data from the data storage in response to receiving a data request from the mobile communication device and transmit the retrieved data to the mobile communication device over the wireless data link.

9. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit to receive data from the mobile communication device over the wireless data link and store the received data in the data storage.

10. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit to transfer data over the wireless data link to the mobile communication device and communicate control signals over the wireless control link to the mobile communication device contemporaneously with the transfer to the data.

11. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source; and

a power management circuit coupled to the power source, the power management circuit to transmit an alert to the mobile communication device over the wireless control link in response to the power level of the power source being less than a reference threshold level.

12. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit to determine a distance between the mobile data storage device and the mobile communication device, and further comprising a power management circuit to adjust an output power of the second communication circuit as a function of determined distance.

13. The mobile data storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit to detect the loss of the wireless data link and transmit an alert to the mobile communication device across the wireless control link in response to detecting the loss of the wireless data link.

14. A mobile data storage device comprising:

a short-range communication circuit to establish a wireless control link with a mobile communication device using a short-range, low-bandwidth communication protocol;

a long-range communication circuit, different from the first communication circuit, to establish a wireless data link with the mobile communication device using a long-range, high-bandwidth communication protocol, the long-range communication circuit having a maximum communication range substantially greater than the short-range communication circuit and a maximum bandwidth greater than the short-range communication circuit;

a data storage to store data received from the mobile communication device; and

a processing circuit to (i) communicate with the mobile communication device via the wireless control link to receive commands from the mobile communication device, (ii) retrieve data from the data storage and transmit the retrieved data to the mobile communication device using the wireless data link in response to a first command received via the wireless control link, (iii) receive data from the mobile communication device via the wireless data link and store the received data in the data storage in response to a second command received via the wireless control link, (iv) determine whether the mobile communication device is within a reference security range of the mobile data storage device as a function of the wireless control link, and (v) perform at least one security function on the mobile data storage device in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

15. The mobile data storage of claim 14, wherein the short-range communication circuit comprises a Bluetooth®

communication circuit and the long-rage communication circuit comprises a Wi-Fi™

communication circuit.

16. The mobile data storage device of claim 14, further comprising an alarm, and wherein the processing circuit is to activate the alarm in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

17. The mobile data storage device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit to disconnect the wireless data link in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

18. The mobile data storage device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit to encrypt unencrypted data stored in the data storage in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

19. The mobile data storage device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit to transfer data over the wireless data link to the mobile communication device and communicate control signals over the wireless control link to the mobile communication device contemporaneously with the transfer to the data.

20. The mobile data storage device of claim 14, further comprising:

a power source; and

a power management circuit coupled to the power source, the power management circuit to transmit an alert to the mobile communication device over the wireless control link in response to the power level of the power source being less than a reference threshold level.

21. The mobile data storage device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit to determine a distance between the mobile data storage device and the mobile communication device, and further comprising a power management circuit to adjust an output power of the long-range communication circuit as a function of determined distance.

22. The mobile data storage device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit to detect the loss of the wireless data link and transmit an alert to the mobile communication device across the wireless control link in response to detecting the loss of the wireless data link.

23. A method for secure mobile data storage, the method comprising:

establishing, on a mobile data storage device, a wireless control link with a mobile communication device using a short-range communication protocol, the wireless control link to communicate control signals with the mobile communication device;

establishing, on the mobile data storage device, a wireless data link with the mobile communication device using a long-range communication protocol, the wireless data link to transfer data with the mobile communication device;

communicating with the mobile communication device via the wireless control link to receive commands from the mobile communication device;

retrieving data from a data storage of the mobile data storage device and transmitting the retrieved data to the mobile communication device using the wireless data link in response to a first command received via the wireless control link;

receiving data from the mobile communication device via the wireless data link and store the received data in the data storage in response to a second command received via the wireless control link;

determining whether the mobile communication device is within a reference security communication range with the mobile data storage device as a function of the wireless control link; and

performing at least one security function in response to the mobile communication device being out of the reference security communication range.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein performing at least one security function comprises performing at least one of (i) disabling the wireless data link and (ii) encrypting unencrypted data stored on the mobile data storage device.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

detecting the loss of the wireless data link between the mobile data storage device and the mobile communication device; and

transmitting an alert to the mobile communication device across the wireless control link in response to detecting the loss of the wireless data link.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the mobile communication device comprises a first mobile communication device and the wireless data link comprises a first wireless data link, and further comprising:

establishing a second wireless data link between the first mobile communication device and a second mobile communication device.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the wireless data link comprises a first wireless data link, and further comprising:

establishing a second wireless data link between the mobile communication device and data server over a network.