Restricted testing access for electronic device

• US 8,577,334 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Smith, Nathan A., Stone, M. Jeffrey, Wick, Ryan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US13/161,496
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method of providing privileged access to an electronic device is provided. The method comprises receiving a first request for an activation code, where the first request comprises an identifier of the electronic device. An activation expiration time is determined by a computer system. An activation code is determined based on the identifier of the electronic device, and the activation code is transmitted. A second request for a token to unlock privileged access to the electronic device is received, where the second request comprises the activation code and the identifier of the electronic device. When the activation code received in the second request correlates with the identifier of the electronic device provided in the second request and when the second request is received before the activation expiration time, the token to unlock privileged access to the electronic device is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of providing privileged access to an electronic device, comprising:

receiving a first request for an activation code, wherein the first request comprises an identifier of the electronic device;

determining an activation expiration time by a computer system;

determining an activation code based on the identifier of the electronic device;

transmitting the activation code;

receiving a second request for a token to unlock privileged access to the electronic device, wherein the second request comprises the activation code and the identifier of the electronic device; and

when the activation code received in the second request correlates with the identifier of the electronic device provided in the second request and when the second request is received before the activation expiration time, transmitting the token to unlock privileged access to the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the activation code comprises processing the identifier of the electronic device with a shared private key.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation expiration time is less than two hours.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the activation code comprises transmitting the activation code to the electronic device based on the identifier of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifier of the electronic device comprises one of a phone number, an electronic serial number (ESN), or a mobile subscriber identity (MSID).

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the activation code has been previously used to request the token to unlock privileged access, wherein transmitting the token to unlock privileged access to the electronic device is further conditioned on the absence of a previous use of the activation code.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an access category based on one of the identifier of the electronic device and an identity of an organization, wherein the token to unlock privileged access identifies the access category.

8. A method of providing privileged access to an electronic device, comprising:

receiving by the electronic device a first message comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) and an activation code;

presenting by the electronic device at least a portion of the first message;

receiving by the electronic device an input selecting the uniform resource locator;

analyzing by the electronic device the uniform resource locator;

based on analyzing the uniform resource locator, executing on the electronic device an access mediation application that consumes the uniform resource locator;

transmitting by the electronic device, the activation code and an identity of the electronic device;

receiving by the electronic device a second message comprising at least one access permission;

receiving by the electronic device an input selecting a user interface control; and

in response to receiving the input selecting the user interface control and based on the at least one access permission, the access mediation application comparing the current time to an expiration time and when the current time is not past the expiration time presenting a user interface control to access privileged functions of the electronic device, wherein the at least one access permission identifies an access category, wherein the access mediation application enables privileged downloading from a computer system external to the electronic device for a first access category, and wherein the access mediation application enables privileged downloading from a media card connected to the electronic device and prohibits privileged downloading from a computer system external to the electronic device for a second access category.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic device is one of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a media player.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the identity of the electronic device is one of a phone number, an electronic serial number (ESN), and a mobile subscriber identity (MSID).

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising

storing the at least one access permission and the expiration time in a memory of the electronic device;

and

when the current time is past the expiration time, deleting the at least one access permission from the memory of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising encrypting the access permission based on the identity of the electronic device and a shared private key, and wherein storing the access permission in the memory of the electronic device comprises storing the encrypted access permission in the memory of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the privileged access enables loading an interface and applications pack into the memory of the electronic device, further comprising deleting the contents of the interface and applications pack from the memory when the current time is past the expiration time, wherein the interface and applications pack comprises a self-installation routine and further comprises two or more of a media file, an application, a web widget, and a network service.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining by the electronic device the expiration time after receiving the second message.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the expiration time is determined based on the access category.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the second message further comprises the expiration time.

17. A mobile phone, comprising:

an antenna;

a radio transceiver coupled to the antenna;

a processor;

a user interface coupled to the processor;

a memory; and

an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor,

receives via the radio transceiver a first message comprising a uniform resource locator (URL) and an activation code,

receives via the user interface an input selecting the uniform resource locator,

analyzes the uniform resource locator,

based on analyzing the uniform resource locator, consumes the uniform resource locator,

transmits via the radio transceiver the activation code and an identity of the mobile phone,

receives via the radio transceiver a second message comprising at least one access permission,

receives via the user interface an input selection;

in response to receiving the input selection and based on the at least one access permission, compares the current time to an expiration time,

when the current time is not past the expiration time presents via the user interface an interface control to access privileged functions of the mobile phone;

saves the at least one access permission in the memory after the second message is received; and

deletes the at least one access permission from the memory when the current time is past the expiration time and the input selection is received.

18. The mobile phone of claim 17, wherein the privileged functions allow loading an interface and applications pack into the memory, wherein the interface and applications pack comprises a self-installation routine and further comprises two or more of a media file, an application, a web widget, and a network service.