Methods and devices for controlling access to computing resources

• US 9,112,866 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Ben C
• Application Number:
  US14/132,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/54 by adding security routines or objects to programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/656 while running
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Methods and devices for controlling access to resources are disclosed herein. In one example embodiment, the method comprises: executing an application at a first computing device, wherein an attempt to access a computing resource on the computing device is made by the application; determining that the application is not configured to access the computing resource, in response to the attempt; displaying, in a user interface of the computing device, a permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and transmitting data from the computing device to the application server, the data notifying the application server that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application when the application was not configured to access the computing resource, and the data being usable by the application server to determine whether a corresponding computing resource on at least one different computing device is likely to be accessed when the application is executed on the at least one different computing device.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data from a computing device to an application server, the method comprising:

executing an application at the computing device, wherein an attempt to access a computing resource on the computing device is made by the application;

determining, in response to the attempt to access the computing resource, that the application is not configured to access the computing resource because an installation manifest associated with the application fails to identify the computing resource as a resource that the application will access on the computing device when the application is executed;

displaying, in a user interface of the computing device, a permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and

transmitting data from the computing device to the application server, wherein the data indicates that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application while the application was not configured to access the computing resource;

wherein receipt of the data at the application server triggers the application server to transmit, to a developer device associated with an application developer for the application, information indicating that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application and a request that an installation manifest associated with the application be updated to indicate that the computing resource will be accessed by the application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before executing the application:

downloading the application to the computing device;

downloading the installation manifest associated with the application to the computing device; and

installing the application on the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the installation manifest and the application are downloaded to the computing device from the application server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the application to access the computing resource on the computing device if an acceptance of the permission request is received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transmitted from the computing device to the application server comprises a version of the application that attempted to access the computing resource on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receipt of the version of the application at the application server triggers the application server to transmit the version of the application to the developer device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the application server verifies that a number of computing devices from which the data is transmitted meets or exceeds a threshold prior to transmitting, to the developer device, the information indicating that an attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device, result in:

executing an application at the computing device, wherein an attempt to access a computing resource on the computing device is made by the application;

determining, in response to the attempt to access the computing resource, that the application is not configured to access the computing resource because an installation manifest associated with the application fails to identify the computing resource as a resource that the application will access on the computing device when the application is executed;

displaying, in a user interface of the computing device, a permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and

transmitting data from the computing device to a application server, wherein the data indicates that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application while the application was not configured to access the computing resource;

wherein receipt of the data at the application server triggers the application server to transmit, to a developer device associated with an application developer for the application, information indicating that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application and a request that an installation manifest associated with the application be updated to indicate that the computing resource will be accessed by the application.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further result in allowing the application to access the computing resource on the computing device if an acceptance of the permission request is received.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data transmitted to the application server comprises a version of the application that attempted to access the computing resource on the computing device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein receipt of the version of the application at the application server triggers the application to transmit the version of the application to the developer device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the application server verifies that a number of computing devices from which the data is transmitted meets or exceeds a threshold prior to transmitting, to the developer device, the information indicating that an attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application.

13. A computing device configured to transmit data to an application server, wherein the computing device comprises a processor configured to:

execute an application, wherein an attempt to access a computing resource on the computing device is made by the application;

determine, in response to the attempt to access the computing resource, that the application is not configured to access the computing resource because an installation manifest associated with the application fails to identify the computing resource as a resource that the application will access on the computing device when the application is executed;

display, in a user interface of the computing device, a permission request to allow the application to access the computing resource; and

transmit data to the application server, wherein the data indicates that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application while the application was not configured to access the computing resource;

wherein receipt of the data at the application server triggers the application server to transmit, to a developer device associated with an application developer for the application, information indicating that the attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application and a request that an installation manifest associated with the application be updated to indicate that the computing resource will be accessed by the application.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured, before the application is executed, to:

download the application to the computing device;

download the installation manifest associated with the application to the computing device; and

install the application on the computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the installation manifest and the application are downloaded to the computing device from the application server.

16. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to allow the application to access the computing resource on the computing device if an acceptance of the permission request is received.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the data transmitted to the application server comprises a version of the application that attempted to access the computing resource on the computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein receipt of the version of the application at the application server triggers the application server to transmit the version of the application to the developer device.

19. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the application server verifies that a number of computing devices from which the data is transmitted meets or exceeds a threshold prior to transmitting, to the developer device, the information indicating that an attempt to access the computing resource was made by the application.

20. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile device.