Mobile communication device monitoring systems and methods

• US 8,712,396 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eAgency, Inc.
• Original Assignee: eAgency, Inc.
• Inventors: Lotter, Robert A., Allard, Timothy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US13/405,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20120157039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.3, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/410
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• 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 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems and methods are directed to monitoring the communications to and from a mobile communication device in accordance with one or more embodiments. For example in accordance with an embodiment, each of the data services on a mobile communication device may be monitored against rules stored in a central data center repository. The data services may include all forms of communications between the mobile communication device and a third party along with changes to application or data within the mobile communication device. An alert may be provided to an administrator when unauthorized data service activity and/or a message may be sent to the mobile communication device to prevent the unauthorized data service activity.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a service provider configured to provide a network to support communications for a plurality of mobile communications devices; and

a network data monitor associated with the service provider and configured to monitor communications of the plurality of mobile communications devices communicating through the service provider and generate monitoring information to provide to a data center, the monitoring information including information on data services uses of the mobile communications devices;

wherein the data services uses, for data services associated with each mobile communications device, comprise;

inbound and outbound communications of the mobile communications device;

one or more additions, modifications, and/or deletions within the mobile communication device of applications; and

one or more additions, modifications, and/or deletions within the mobile communication device to application data, wherein the network data monitor comprises an alert monitor program configured to determine whether at least one of the data service uses is allowed based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with at least one of the mobile communications devices and associated with the at least one of the data service uses is found in a database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network data monitor comprises:

a memory configured to store programs and data, including the monitoring information;

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to run the programs stored in the memory;

a communications port configured to communicate with the data center directly or via the service provider; and

wherein the network data monitor comprises one or more of the programs stored in the memory, and wherein the monitoring information includes contextual information associated with the data services uses.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the service provider comprises:

a mobile switching center configured to generate call detail record information associated with the communications of each mobile communications device; and

wherein the network data monitor uses the call detail record information to monitor communications of the plurality of mobile communications devices and to generate the monitoring information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data services uses comprise a phone application and/or a short message service text application, and wherein the monitoring information comprises:

telephone call information for the phone application data service use, including associated originating or destination telephone number and contextual data;

messages information for the short message service text application data service use, including associated telephone number along with contextual data; and

wherein the contextual information comprises any combination of text, files, pictures, and audio information associated with the data services uses.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the data services uses comprise an email application, an instant messaging application, a web browser application, an installation application, and/or a multimedia application;

and

wherein the monitoring information comprises;

email information for the email application data service use, including email address, date/time stamp, and contextual data;

instant messaging information for the instant messaging application data service use, including username, date/time stamp, and contextual data;

web browser information for the web browser application data service use, including date/time stamp, uniform resource locator, and contextual data;

installation application information for the installation application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the installation application addition, modification, and/or deletion; and

multimedia application information for the multimedia application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the multimedia application addition, modification, and/or deletion.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the network data monitor is configured to access a multimedia messaging service database to obtain the multimedia application information and is configured to access a short message service database to obtain the messages information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data services uses, for data services associated with each mobile communications device, comprise any attempt by an application to access privileged user information within the mobile communications device and wherein the database comprises at least one of an address book database and a permissions database.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising the plurality of mobile communications devices, wherein each mobile communications device comprises:

a first memory configured to store mobile programs and mobile data;

a first processor, coupled to the first memory, configured to run the mobile programs stored in the first memory;

a first communications port configured to wirelessly communicate with the data center via the service provider; and

wherein the mobile programs comprise a data monitor program configured to;

monitor data services uses of the mobile communications device;

compile information, including contextual information, of the data services uses; and

transmit the information to the data center via the communications port and the service provider;

wherein the information comprises;

address book information for an address book application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the address book addition, modification, and/or deletion;

calendar information for a calendar application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the calendar addition, modification, and/or deletion; and

/or

task information for a task application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the task addition, modification, and/or deletion.

9. A system, comprising:

a data center, comprising;

a memory configured to store programs and database information;

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to access the database information and run the programs;

a communication gateway, coupled to the processor, configured via a service provider to receive information, including contextual information, on data services uses of mobile communications devices, being monitored by the data center, the service provider having a network data monitor configured to;

monitor each data service use for each mobile communications device;

compile the monitoring information associated with each data service use for each mobile communications device; and

provide the monitoring information associated with each data service use for each mobile communications device to be received by the communication gateway;

wherein the data services uses, for data services associated with the mobile communications device, comprise;

inbound and outbound communications of the mobile communications device; and

one or more additions, modifications, and/or deletions within the mobile communications device to application data, wherein the information associated with the data services uses comprise message information for a message application data service use, including at least one of associated originating or destination email address, username, or telephone number along with contextual data;

wherein the database information comprises;

an activity log database configured to store an entry for each data service use based on the monitoring information, including contextual information, received from the mobile communications device; and

a permissions database configured to store rules as to whether each data service use is allowed for the mobile communications device; and

wherein the programs comprise;

an alert monitor program configured to compare the entry for each data service use stored in the activity log database to the associated rule stored in the permissions database and to provide an alert if the data service use of the mobile communications device is not allowed, wherein the alert monitor program determines whether at least one of the data service uses is allowed based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with at least one of the mobile communications devices and associated with the at least one of the data service uses is found in a database.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each mobile communications device comprises:

a first memory configured to store mobile programs and mobile data;

a first processor, coupled to the first memory, configured to run the mobile programs stored in the first memory;

a first communications port configured to wirelessly communicate with the data center via the service provider; and

wherein the mobile programs comprise a data monitor program configured to;

monitor data services uses of the mobile communications device;

compile information, including contextual information, of the data services uses; and

transmit the information to the data center via the communications port and the service provider;

wherein the information comprises;

address book information for an address book application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the address book addition, modification, and/or deletion;

calendar information for a calendar application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the calendar addition, modification, and/or deletion; and

/or

task information for a task application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the task addition, modification, and/or deletion.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the data services uses further comprise any addition, modification, and/or deletion within the mobile communications device of an application, and wherein the monitoring information comprises:

telephone call information for a phone application data service use, including associated originating or destination telephone number and contextual data; and

changes to application data information for at least one of an address book or a calendar along with contextual data.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the data services uses, for data services associated with each mobile communications device, comprise any attempt by an application to access privileged user information within the mobile communications device, and wherein the data services associated with the mobile communications device comprise a location determination application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein an alert is provided if the data service use attempted is not permitted in a location of the mobile communications device;

and

wherein the programs further comprise a data gateway program tool configured to route the information on the data service use received from the mobile communications device being monitored to the memory and to route the alert from the alert monitor program to a designated external device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the data services associated with the mobile communications device comprise a phone application and a short message service text application;

wherein the alert monitor program is configured to analyze the contextual information along with an associated telephone number, email address, or username to determine if the data service use for the mobile communications device is not allowed; and

wherein the information includes identification of the mobile communications device along with a date and time associated with the data service use.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the database information further comprises:

an address book database, wherein the address book database is configured to store address book information of the mobile communications device; and

a calendar database configured to store calendar information of the mobile communications device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the data center monitors communications to and from each mobile communications device by analyzing the monitoring information on the data services uses to detect unauthorized activity, and wherein the data center further provides web-based access to the database information for an administrator to review the monitoring information on the data services uses of the mobile communications device and modify the corresponding rules.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the alert is provided to the mobile communications device to prevent the data service use that is not allowed based on the rules stored in the permissions database.

18. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a first memory configured to store mobile programs and mobile data;

a first processor, coupled to the first memory, configured to run the mobile programs stored in the first memory;

a first communications port configured to wirelessly communicate with a data center via a service provider; and

wherein the mobile programs comprise a data monitor program configured to;

monitor data services uses of the mobile communications device;

compile information, including contextual information, of the data services uses; and

transmit the information to the data center via the communications port and the service provider;

wherein the information comprises;

address book information for an address book application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the address book addition, modification, and/or deletion;

calendar information for a calendar application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the calendar addition, modification, and/or deletion; and

/or

task information for a task application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the task addition, modification, and/or deletion, wherein the data monitor program comprises an alert monitor program configured to determine whether at least one of the data service uses is allowed based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with at least one of the mobile communications devices and associated with the at least one of the data service uses is found in a database.

19. The mobile communications device of claim 18, wherein the database comprises at least one of an address book database and a permissions database.

20. A method of monitoring a mobile communications device communicating via a service provider, the method comprising:

storing rules associated with data services uses for the mobile communications device at a data center, wherein the data services uses, for data services associated with the mobile communications device, comprise;

inbound and outbound communications of the mobile communications device;

any additions, modifications, and/or deletions within the mobile communications device to applications; and

any additions, modifications, and/or deletions within the mobile communications device to application data;

receiving monitoring information, including the corresponding contextual information, for one of the data services uses of the mobile communications device, the monitoring information generated by a network data monitor associated with the service provider;

storing the monitoring information for the data service use;

checking the data service use based on the monitoring information to the corresponding rule associated with the data service use, wherein the checking is based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with the mobile communications device and associated with the data service use is an authorized entry within a database associated with the mobile communications device; and

providing an alert if the data service use is unauthorized based on the corresponding rule.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing the alert to the mobile communications device to prevent the data service use that is unauthorized and/or providing the alert to an administrator to notify of the data service use that is unauthorized;

wherein the data services uses comprise a phone application use, a short message service text application use, an email application use, an instant messaging application use, a multimedia application use, and a web browser application use; and

wherein the contextual information includes any combination of text, message content, files, pictures, and audio information associated with the data services uses.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving monitoring information, including the corresponding contextual information, for one of the data services uses of the mobile communications device, from the mobile communications device;

wherein the monitoring information from the mobile communications device is generated by a data monitor program within the mobile communications device, wherein the monitoring information generated by the data monitor program comprises;

address book information for an address book application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the address book addition, modification, and/or deletion;

calendar information for a calendar application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the calendar addition, modification, and/or deletion; and

/or

task information for a task application data service use, including date/time stamp and contextual data associated with the task addition, modification, and/or deletion.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the monitoring information generated by the data monitor program comprises any attempt by an application to access privileged user information within the mobile communications device.