Mobility device security

• US 8,923,817 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: de Sousa, David Reis
• Primary Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/567,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20140038556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 455410-411, 455418-420, 709203-206
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system to establish a stable ownership relationship between an online identity and a mobile device. This relationship is persistent across device wipes and operating system reinstalls. Remote commands enable a user to: locate the mobile device; wipe user data off the mobile device; disable the mobile device; display a permanent message on the mobile device; and return a disabled mobile device to normal. Ownership is established when the mobile device is purchased. Thereafter, the ownership is maintained in a host sever through an association between a unique identifier of the mobile device and the owner'"'"'s online identity. The owner of the mobile device may remotely send an encrypted command to the mobile device, for example, if the mobile device is lost or stolen. The encrypted command is decrypted by the mobile device and the result of the command may be returned remotely to the owner.

Claims

1. A server for communication with a mobile device, wherein the server comprises:

a memory that operates to store a unique identifier associated with the mobile device;

a network connection that operates to receive a command intended for the mobile device;

a processor that operates to verify ownership of the mobile device according to the unique identifier and an online identity of the user, wherein the ownership of the mobile device is automatically established by adding an account to the mobile device after a device wipe or after the mobile device is first sold; and

a transmitter that operates to transmit the command to the mobile device.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the command instructs the mobile device to perform one or more functions.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein the one or more functions comprise locating the mobile device based on a GPS signal;

disabling the mobile device;

removing data from the mobile device;

controlling an audiovisual output from the mobile device; and

reenabling a previously disabled mobile device.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is stored in the memory when the ownership of the mobile device is established by the user.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is updated according to a change in the mobile device.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the command is encrypted by a user according to a passkey.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein the passkey is unknown to the server.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is unresponsive to a command that is generated by the server.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the network connection operates to transmit the response from the mobile device to the user.

10. A mobile device in a communication network, wherein the mobile device comprises:

a unique identifier;

a receiver that operates to receive a command from a server, wherein the server verifies an ownership of the mobile device prior to sending the command to the mobile device, and wherein the ownership of the mobile device is automatically established by adding an account to the mobile device after a device wipe or after the mobile device is first sold;

a processor that operates to decrypt and execute the command; and

a transmitter that operates to send a response to the user via the server according to a result of the command.

11. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the response enables the user to locate the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the response acknowledges that the command has been executed by the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein server is operable to store the unique identifier and verify the ownership of the mobile device by using the unique identifier.

14. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the passkey is unknown to the server.

15. The mobile device of claim 10, wherein the mobile device is unresponsive to a command that is generated by the server.

16. A method for secure control of a mobile device, wherein the method comprises:

storing, by a computing device, a unique identifier associated with the mobile device;

receiving a command intended for the mobile device;

verifying, by the computing device, an ownership of the mobile device according to the unique identifier, wherein the ownership of the mobile device is automatically established by adding an account to the mobile device after a device wipe or after the mobile device is first sold;

transmitting the command to the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the command is encrypted by a user according to a passkey and verifying the ownership of the mobile device does not require decrypting the encrypted command.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein ownership of the mobile device is terminated by performing a factory reset and selecting an option to sever the ownership.