Mobile device management

• US 8,953,799 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Major, Harry Richmond, Gagne, Alain Rene, Creditor, Karen Jean, Boudreau, Jesse J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cribbs, Malcolm
• Application Number:
  US13/706,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

A device management method, is disclosed in which available features on a slave mobile device are managed (monitored or controlled) by a slave manager module commanded by a master device through secure messages exchanged between the two devices using respective electronic messaging capabilities on the two devices. Selection of the features of the slave mobile device to be controlled or monitored is facilitated on the master device through a master manager module resident thereon. The features that are controlled or monitored may comprise any user-accessible feature incorporated or installed on the slave mobile device and user access to the feature may be prevented according to at least one criterion, such as date of use, time of day of use, number of times of use, originator and recipient. User access to the feature may be prevented access to the user-accessible feature when usage limitations for the feature have been reached.

Claims

1. A slave mobile device comprising:

a processor configured to implement a user-accessible communications feature and a two way electronic messaging capability; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon for execution by the processor, the instructions for implementing a slave manager module capable of;

decrypting a message received through the electronic messaging capability, the message including a request, and

managing access to the user-accessible communications feature in accordance with the request by permitting user access to the user-accessible communications feature for the purpose of communication with authorized persons, notwithstanding the presence of at least one access restriction preventing user access to the user-accessible communications feature.

2. The slave mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the user-accessible communications feature is selected from a group consisting of:

a telephone module, an electronic messaging module, a browser module, a game, and a social networking module.

3. The slave mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the user-accessible communications feature is selected from a group consisting of:

an e-mail function, an SMS messaging function and a PIN messaging function.

4. The slave mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one access restriction comprises reaching a maximum usage limitation of at least one criterion.

5. The slave mobile device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one criterion is selected from a group consisting of:

number of times of use and number of minutes of use.

6. The slave mobile device of claim 1 wherein the slave mobile device is a handset.

7. The slave mobile device of claim 1, wherein the slave manager module is capable of pairing with a master device to permit encrypted communication between the slave mobile device and the master device through the electronic messaging capability.

8. The slave mobile device of claim 1, wherein the slave manager module is capable of pairing with a master device utilizing a key exchange protocol to jointly establish a shared secret key over an insecure communications channel.

9. A master device comprising:

a processor configured to implement a two way electronic messaging capability; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon for execution by the processor, the instructions for implementing a master management module capable of generating, encrypting, and transmitting an electronic message to a paired slave mobile device, the message being transmitted through the electronic messaging capability and including a request to manage access to a user-accessible communications feature of the slave mobile device in accordance with the request by allowing user access to the user-accessible communications feature for the purpose of communication with authorized persons, notwithstanding the presence of at least one access restriction preventing user access to the user-accessible communications feature.

10. The master according to claim 9, wherein the user-accessible communications feature is selected from a group consisting of:

a telephone module, an electronic messaging module, a browser module, a game, and a social networking module.

11. The master device according to claim 9, wherein the user-accessible communications feature is selected from a group consisting of:

an e-mail function, an SMS messaging function and a PIN messaging function.

12. The master device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one access restriction comprises reaching a maximum usage limitation of at least one criterion.

13. The master according to claim 12, wherein the at least one criterion is selected from a group consisting of:

number of times of use and number of minutes of use.

14. A method of managing a slave mobile device comprising:

decrypting an electronic message received through a two-way electronic messaging capability of the slave mobile device, the message including a request; and

managing access to a user-accessible communications feature of the slave mobile device in accordance with the request by permitting user access to the user-accessible communications feature for the purpose of communication with authorized persons, notwithstanding the presence of at least one access restriction preventing user access to the user-accessible communications feature.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user-accessible communications feature is selected from a group consisting of:

a telephone module, an electronic messaging module, a browser module, a game, and a social networking module.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the user-accessible communications feature is selected from a group consisting of:

an e-mail function, an SMS messaging function and a PIN messaging function.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one access restriction comprises reaching a maximum usage limitation of at least one criterion.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one criterion is selected from a group consisting of:

number of times of use and number of minutes of use.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the slave mobile device is a handset.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

pairing the slave device with the master device to permit encrypted communication between the slave mobile device and the master device through the electronic messaging capability.