Grouping and ranking of application permissions

• US 8,595,489 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Faaborg, Alexander, Ludwig, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, BRANDON S
• Application Number:
  US13/668,493
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/166
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for a mobile device to run an application that requires one or more permissions. The mobile device may comprise a screen and a processor. The one or more permissions may be displayed graphically on the screen prior to the application being installed by the processor.

Claims

1. A device operable to run an application that requires one or more permissions, wherein the device comprises:

a screen that operates to display the one or more permissions graphically prior to the application being installed, wherein a permission in the one or more permissions is associated with a group according to a potential for causing an effect, and wherein the permission is associated with a rank within the associated group according to a severity of the effect; and

a processor that operates to install the application.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the rank determines a relative location for display on the screen.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a permission associated with a first group has a potential for causing an effect related to an invasion of privacy.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein a permission associated with a second group has a potential for causing an effect related to a degradation of a current state of the device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first group is displayed above the second group.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more permissions are displayed graphically with an icon.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein each permission that has a potential for causing a similar effect is displayed with the same icon.

8. A method for communicating one or more permissions, wherein the method comprises:

receiving a request to install an application that requires the one or more permissions;

associating each permission in the one or more permissions with a potential effect;

grouping the one or more permissions into one or more groups according to the associated potential effect of each permission;

ranking the one or more permissions within the one or more groups; and

graphically displaying the one or more ranked permissions prior to installing the application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more permissions are ranked according to an undesirability of the associated potential effect of each permission.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the potential effect of each permission in one group is related to an invasion of privacy.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the potential effect of each permission in one group is related to a degradation of a current state of the device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein a permission that could affect privacy is displayed above a permission that could affect the device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more permissions are displayed graphically by an icon.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein two permissions, each associated with a common effect, are displayed graphically by the same icon.

15. A system for controlling a device, wherein the system comprises:

a memory for storing a plurality of applications; and

a processor operable to communicate one or more permissions required by an application prior to installation;

wherein each permission in the one or more permissions is associated with a potential effect;

wherein the one or more permissions are categorized into one or more groups according to the associated potential effect of each permission; and

wherein the one or more permissions are ranked to determine a relative location for display within the one or more groups.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the rank of each of the one or more permissions is based on an undesirability of the associated potential effect of each permission.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the undesirability of one group is related to a damage to privacy.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the undesirability of one group is related to a degradation of a current state of the device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein a permission that could affect privacy is displayed above a permission that could affect to the device.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more permissions are displayed graphically by an icon.