Method and devices for managing permission requests to allow access to a computing resource

• US 8,763,080 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Carrara, Michael Anthony, Major, Daniel Jonas, Adams, Neil Patrick, Davis, Dinah Lea Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, ELLEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/155,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 726/1, 726/2, 726/4, 726/17
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication

Abstract

Methods and devices for managing permission requests to allow access to a computing resource are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, the method comprises: for an application to be installed on the computing device, determining an application category that the application is associated with, and retrieving a common permissions list for the application category, wherein the common permissions list identifies at least one computing resource that applications associated with the application category are configured to access; during an installation of the application on the computing device, determining one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device; determining which computing resources, of the one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device, are not identified in the common permissions list; and for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is not identified in the common permissions list, providing, in a user interface of the computing device, a permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource.

Claims

1. A method of managing permission requests to allow access to computing resources on a computing device, the method comprising:

for an application to be installed on the computing device,

determining an application category that the application is associated with, and

retrieving a common permissions list for the application category, wherein the common permissions list identifies at least one computing resource that applications associated with the application category are configured to access;

during an installation of the application on the computing device, determining, using data from a source other than the common permissions list, one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device;

determining which computing resources, of the one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device, are not identified in the common permissions list; and

for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is not identified in the common permissions list, providing, in a user interface of the computing device, a first permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and

for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is identified in the common permissions list, providing, in the user interface of the computing device, a second permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource;

wherein the first permission request is visually distinguishable, when displayed in the user interface of the computing device, from the second permission request.

2. The method of claim 1, further displaying the first permission request more prominently than the second permission request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of highlighting, warning language, or markings, is applied to the first permission request but not to the second permission request, so that the first permission request is displayed more prominently than the second permission request in the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source other than the common permissions list comprises an installation manifest associated with the application, wherein the installation manifest identifies the one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising downloading the installation manifest to the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading, to the computing device, the application to be installed on the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is not identified in the common permissions list, allowing the application to access the computing resource if the first permission request for the computing resource is accepted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an application category that the application is associated with comprises receiving a user-assigned application category as input via the user interface of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving data from an application server to determine the application category that the application is associated with.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the common permissions list is retrieved from an application server.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the application category is used by an application server as a basis for organizing applications available for purchase in an application store, and wherein the application category that the application is associated with is determined based on a categorization of the application in the application store.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the application is associated with a user-assigned application category on the computing device; and

transmitting data to an application server, wherein the data notifies the application server that the application has been associated with the user-assigned application category on the computing device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the common permissions list is retrieved from an enterprise server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the common permissions list is provided in a security policy.

15. A computing device configured to manage permission requests to allow access to computing resources on the computing device, wherein the computing device comprises a processor configured to:

for an application to be installed on the computing device, determine an application category that the application is associated with, and

retrieve a common permissions list for the application category, wherein the common permissions list identifies at least one computing resource that applications associated with the application category are configured to access;

during an installation of the application on the computing device, determine, using data from a source other than the common permissions list, one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device;

determine which computing resources, of the one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device, are not identified in the common permissions list; and

for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is not identified in the common permissions list, provide, in a user interface of the computing device, a first permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and

for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is identified in the common permissions list provide, in the user interface of the computing device, a second permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource;

wherein the first permission request is visually distinguishable, when displayed in the user interface of the computing device, from the second permission request.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the processor to perform a method of managing permission requests to allow access to computing resources on the computing device, an wherein the method comprises:

for an application to be installed on the computing device,

determining an application category that the application is associated with, and

retrieving a common permissions list for the application category, wherein the common permissions list identifies at least one computing resource that applications associated with the application category are configured to access;

during an installation of the application on the computing device, determining, using data from a source other than the common permissions list, one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device;

determining which computing resources, of the one or more computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device, are not identified in the common permissions list;

for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is not identified in the common permissions list, providing, in a user interface of the computing device, a first permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and

for each computing resource that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device that is identified in the common permissions list providing, in the user interface of the computing device a second permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource;

wherein the first permission request is visually distinguishable, when displayed in the user interface of the computing device, from the second permission request.

18. A method of adding at least one computing resource to a common permissions list the common permissions list for identifying computing resources that applications associated with an application category are configured to access on a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of applications associated with the application category;

for each of the plurality of applications associated with the application category, determining, using data from a source other than the common permissions list for the application category, which computing resources the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device;

for each of at least one computing resource,

computing how many of the plurality of applications associated with the application category are configured to access the computing resource, and

if the number of applications that are configured to access the computing resource exceeds a particular threshold, adding the computing resource to the common permissions list for the application category.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the method is performed at an application server.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the application category is used by the application server as a basis for organizing applications that are available for purchase in an application store, and wherein for each of the plurality of applications associated with the application category, the application category that the application is associated with is determined based on a categorization of the application in the application store.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the common permissions list for the application category to the computing device.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising, for at least one of the plurality of applications, transmitting, to the computing device, data usable by the computing device to determine the application category that the application is associated with.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein for each of the plurality of applications associated with the application category, the source other than the common permissions list comprises an installation manifest associated with the application, wherein the installation manifest identifies the plurality of computing resources on the computing device that the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

for each of a plurality of computing devices, receiving, from each computing device, data indicating that an identified application of the plurality of applications has been associated with a user-assigned application category on the computing device; and

changing an association of the identified application to the user-assigned application category, if data indicating that the identified application of the plurality of applications has been associated with the user-assigned application category is received from at least a number of computing devices.

25. A server device configured to add at least one computing resource to a common permissions list, the common permissions list for identifying computing resources that applications associated with an application category are configured to access on a computing device, the server device comprising a processor configured to:

determine a plurality of applications associated with the application category;

for each of the plurality of applications associated with the application category, determine, using data from a source other than the common permissions list for the application category, which computing resources the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device;

for each of at least one computing resource,

compute how many of the plurality of applications associated with the application category are configured to access the computing resource, and

if the number of applications that are configured to access the computing resource exceeds a particular threshold, add the computing resource to the common permissions list for the application category.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a server device, cause the processor to perform a method of adding at least one computing resource to a common permissions list, the common permissions list for identifying computing resources that applications associated with an application category are configured to access on a computing device, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of applications associated with the application category;

for each of the plurality of applications associated with the application category, determining, using data from a source other than the common permissions list for the application category, which computing resources the application is configured to access when the application is executed on the computing device;

for each of at least one computing resource,

computing how many of the plurality of applications associated with the application category are configured to access the computing resource, and

if the number of applications that are configured to access the computing resource exceeds a particular threshold, adding the computing resource to the common permissions list for the application category.