Management of application access

• US 8,819,850 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chien, Ginger Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Dada, Beemnet
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHESHTI SHIRAZI, SAYED ARESH
• Application Number:
  US13/557,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20140033326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 726/1, 726/6, 726/19, 726/27, 455/411, 713/166, 715/863, 709/217
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for management of application access. A security management application can be configured to set access controls and/or other security settings relating to application programs. Additionally, or alternatively, particular functions and/or functionality associated with application programs may be individually configured. Settings reflecting the access controls and/or other security settings can be stored and can be applied at the user device. The security management application also can be configured to determine if security settings and/or access controls are to be overridden. Data can be collected from various sensors and/or other sources to use in determining if particular application programs and/or application program functionality is to be allowed. Thus, normally disallowed activities can be allowed in emergency conditions, when in a business location associated with a particular device, and/or at other times and/or under other circumstances.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting, at a computing device executing a security management application, an application program installed at the computing device, wherein the application program provides a plurality of functions;

determining, by the computing device, that tiered access should be configured for the application program;

presenting, by the computing device, a list indicating the plurality of functions and user interface controls that assign function access controls to the plurality of functions;

setting, by the computing device and via a user interface control, a function access control for a function of the plurality of functions, the function access control defining whether access to the function should be allowed when the computing device is in a lock state; and

storing, by the computing device, a setting defining the function access control.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exiting the security management application;

again launching the security management application;

collecting data at the user device; and

determining if the function access control should be overridden based upon the data collected.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein collecting the data comprises collecting sensor data indicating an emergency condition at the user device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising in response to determining that the function access control should be overridden based upon the emergency condition, overriding the function access control to allow access to the function.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein collecting the data comprises determining a geographic location of the user device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising in response to determining that the access control should be overridden based upon the geographic location, overriding the access control to allow access to the application program, wherein the geographic location corresponds to a business location associated with an owner of the user device.

7. A non-transitory computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

selecting an application program installed at a computer;

determining that tiered access should be configured for the application program, wherein the application program provides a plurality of functions;

presenting a list comprising data indicating the plurality of functions and user interface controls that assign function access controls to the plurality of functions;

receiving input corresponding to selection of a function of the plurality of functions and a function access control for the function via the user interface;

setting the function access control for the function to define if the function is allowed when the computer is in a lock state; and

storing a setting defining the function access control.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 7, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

exiting the security management application;

launching the security management application;

collecting data at the computer; and

determining if the function access control should be overridden based upon the data collected.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein collecting the data comprises collecting sensor data indicating an emergency condition at the user device.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

in response to determining that the function access control should be overridden based upon the emergency condition, overriding the function access control to allow access to the function.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein collecting the data comprises determining a geographic location of the user device.

9. A mobile computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

selecting, using the security management application, an application program installed at the mobile computing device, the application program being selected from a plurality of application programs and comprising a multi-function application program,

determining that tiered access should be configured for the application program,

presenting a list comprising indications of the plurality of functions and user interface controls that assign function access controls to the plurality of functions,

receiving input corresponding to selection of a function of the plurality of functions and assignment of a function access control for the function, wherein the function access control defines if the function is allowed when the mobile computing device is in a lock state, and

storing a setting defining the function access control associated with the function.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 9, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

exiting the security management application;

launching the security management application;

collecting data at the mobile computing device using a sensor associated with the mobile computing device; and

determining if the function access control should be overridden based upon the data collected.

14. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein collecting the data comprises collecting sensor data indicating an emergency condition at the mobile computing device.

15. The mobile computing device of claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

in response to determining that the function access control should be overridden based upon the emergency condition, overriding the function access control to allow access to the function.

16. The mobile computing device of claim 10, wherein collecting the data comprises determining a geographic location of the mobile computing device.