Owner privacy in a shared mobile device

• US 9,066,234 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2013
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Karlson, Amy, Brush, Alice Jane Bernheim, Schechter, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/875,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20130247224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 726/1, 726/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Systems and methods that regulate range of access to personal information of a mobile unit'"'"'s owner. The access control component can designate granularity for access levels and/or a spectrum of access modes—(as opposed to a binary choice of full access or no access at all). Such access can be based on a spectrum and/or discrete trust relationship between the owner and user of the mobile unit. A profile definition component can exploit an owner'"'"'s trust relationships to designate levels of security. The profile definition component can further define a profile based on a set of applications, such as entertainment mode, browser mode, and the like.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing computer-executable instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the memory comprising;

an analysis component to analyze one or more applications stored on a mobile device for presence and an amount of personal information that is accessible by the one or more applications, the personal information associated with an owner of the mobile device;

a usage profile to designate a range of access for a non-owner user of the mobile device to the personal information; and

an access control component to regulate the range of access for the non-owner user based at least in part on an access mode automatically designated in response to determining, by the analysis component, the amount of the personal information that is accessible by the one or more applications.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the usage profile is further configured to designate one or more trust relationships between the owner of the mobile device and the non-owner user.

3. The computer implemented system of claim 1, further comprising mapping information to map the presence of the personal information in each of the one or more applications to nodes of a non-owner network of non-owner users who can share the mobile device.

4. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the access control component including a profile selection component to select the usage profile.

5. The computer implemented system of claim 1, further comprising an artificial intelligence component to infer one or more associations between the personal information and the one or more applications on the mobile device.

6. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the analysis component is further configured to recommend the access mode specifying the range of access, wherein the recommendation is based at least in part on the amount of the personal information that is accessible by the one or more applications.

7. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein the analysis component is further configured to recommend the access mode specifying the range of access, wherein the recommendation is based on one or more trust relationships indicated by the owner for one or more users other than the non-owner user.

8. The computer implemented system of claim 1, wherein a trust relationship between the owner and the non-owner user is representable as a spectrum of trust levels.

9. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the usage profile further including one or more personality profiles for the non-owner user.

10. A computer implemented method comprising:

analyzing, by one or more processors, one or more applications stored on a mobile device for existence of personal data accessible by the one or more applications, the personal data stored on the mobile device and associated with an owner of the mobile device;

defining, by at least one of the one or more processors, a usage profile to designate a range of access for a non-owner user of the mobile device to the personal data;

automatically designating, by at least one of the one or more processors, an access mode based at least in part on determining an amount of the personal data that is accessible by the one or more applications; and

regulating, by at least one of the one or more processors, the range of access to the personal data based at least in part on the access mode.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the defining the usage profile is further based on one or more trust relationships between the owner of the mobile device and the non-owner user.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising supplying a spectrum of choices for the one or more trust relationships to the owner.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising granting the access mode to the non-owner user, the access mode specifying the range of access for the non-owner user.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, further comprising recommending the access mode based at least in part on the amount of the personal data that is accessible by the one or more applications.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising mapping the existence of the personal data associated with each of the one or more applications to nodes of a non-owner network of non-owner users who can share the mobile device.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing display, on the mobile device, of a spectrum for choosing a trust level associated with the non-owner user; and

adjusting the range of access for the non-owner user based at least in part on user-selection of the trust level.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising recommending the access mode for the non-owner user that specifies the range of access for the non-owner user, the recommending based on one or more trust relationships indicated by the owner for one or more users other than the non-owner user.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 10, further comprising inferring the access mode.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18, wherein inferring the access mode is based at least in part on a social network of the owner.

20. A tangible computer readable storage device storing instructions that enable actions for controlling access to a mobile device, the actions comprising:

analyzing one or more applications stored on the mobile device for presence of personal information accessible by the one or more applications, the personal information stored on the mobile device and associated with an owner of the mobile device;

automatically designating an access level for a non-owner user of the mobile device based at least in part on determining an amount of the personal information that is accessible by the one or more applications; and

regulating a range of access for the non-owner users to the personal information based at least in part on the access level.