Information privacy system and method

• US 9,189,606 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mebed, Amr Mohamed
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, CHAU D
• Application Number:
  US13/052,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 726 16- 19, 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• 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 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing privacy for information. In one non-limiting embodiment, a system includes an environment monitoring component configured to monitor an aspect of an environment; and a privacy component configured to: determine whether factors associated with the environment are triggered; and obscure access or provide access to data or a program associated with the factors based on determining that the factors are triggered. Factors can be based on the time and the location or network connectivity of a device associated with the system, the detected presence or absence of an authorized person other than the user logged into the device or the privacy state of the user logged into the device. Motion detectors, cameras, biometric sensors and other devices can be employed in the determination of whether to provide or obscure access to the information.

Claims

1. An information privacy system, comprising:

an environment monitoring component configured to monitor an aspect of an environment; and

a privacy component executed on a first computing device configured to;

determine whether one or more factors associated with the environment are triggered; and

at least one of obscure access or provide access to at least one of data stored on the first computing device associated with the information privacy system, a program stored on the first computing device, or a device in the first computing device based on a determination that the one or more factors are triggered;

the one or more factors comprising at least the first computing device associated with the information privacy system being disconnected from a designated network due to the first computing device being moved outside of a designated area, the designated network being a computer network.

2. The information privacy system of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors comprises at least one of the first computing device associated with the information privacy system being disconnected from the designated network, a location of the first computing device associated with the information privacy system being outside of a designated area or a presence, or absence of a second computing device associated with a designated person;

and

wherein the environment monitoring component comprises at least one of a camera, a motion sensor, a biometrics sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a body area network, a wireless body area network, a body sensor network, or a sensor configured to determine whether a device associated with the information privacy system is communicatively coupled to a selected network or a global positioning system sensor.

3. The information privacy system of claim 2, wherein the privacy component is configured to provide access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device based on a detection that the second computing device associated with the designated person is within a selected distance of a device associated with the information privacy system.

4. The information privacy system of claim 3, wherein the designated person is other than a user logged into the device associated with the information privacy system.

5. The information privacy system of claim 3, wherein the environment monitoring component is configured to detect the designated person utilizing at least one of a camera, a motion sensor, a biometrics sensor, a fingerprint sensor or a sensor configured to scan for devices transmitting a designated beacon signal.

6. The information privacy system of claim 3, wherein the environment monitoring component is configured to detect the device associated with the designated person utilizing a sensor configured to scan for the devices transmitting the designated beacon signal.

7. The information privacy system of claim 2, wherein the privacy component is configured to obscure access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device based on a detection that a third computing device associated with a non-designated person is within a selected distance of the first computing device associated with the information privacy system.

8. The information privacy system of claim 7, wherein the environment monitoring component is configured to detect the third computing device associated with the non-designated person utilizing a sensor configured to scan for the devices transmitting the designated beacon signal.

9. The information privacy system of claim 2, wherein the aspect comprises an event associated with time at a location on Earth at which a device associated with the information privacy system is located relative to a location on another celestial body.

10. The information privacy system of claim 9, wherein the event is at least one of sunrise or sunset.

11. The information privacy system of claim 1, wherein the device in the first computing device is a magnetic storage device.

12. A method of enhancing privacy, comprising:

executing on a computing device, instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

associating at least one of data stored on the computing device, a program stored on the computing device, or a device in the computing device with an availability of an authorized person, the authorized person being other than a user logged into the computing device attempting to access the at least one of the data, the program or the device;

determining that the authorized person is available;

providing access to or unlocking the data, the program, or the device based on the determining that the authorized person is available;

determining that the computing device has been disconnected from a designated network; and

obscuring access to at least one of the data, the program, or the device subsequent to determining that the computing device has been disconnected from the designated network, the designated network persisting subsequent to the computing device being disconnected and including at least one of a local area network, a wide area network, an enterprise network, or the Internet.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the authorized person is available comprises determining that a radio signal is emitted from the computing device associated with the authorized person.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the authorized person is available comprises determining that the authorized person is accessing the designated network substantially concurrently with the computing device attempting to access the at least one of the data, the program or the device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the providing access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device comprises at least one of storing the data at a network location accessible by the device attempting to access the data, decrypting the data, unlocking the program or the device, or maintaining the program or the device in an unlocked state.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising preventing access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device based on determining that the authorized person is unavailable.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the preventing access to the at least one of the data, the program or the device comprises at least one of deleting the data, hiding the data, storing the data at a network location inaccessible by the device attempting to access the data, encrypting the data, locking the program or the device, or maintaining the program or the device in a locked state.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

associating at least one of data stored on the computing device, a program stored on the computing device, or a device in the computing device with a privacy state of an authorized person, the privacy state being indicated by whether others other than the authorized person are detected within a distance of the authorized person;

determining the privacy state of the authorized person;

providing access to the data, the program, or the device based on the privacy state of the authorized person; and

obscuring access to at least one of the data, the program, or the device subsequent to a determination that the computing device has been disconnected from a designated network, the designated network being an enterprise network.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, further comprising:

detecting that one of the others other than the authorized person is within a distance of the authorized person and obscuring access to the data, the program or the device based on the detecting the other; and

failing to detect the one of the others within the distance of the authorized person and providing access to the data, the program or the device based on the failing to detect the other.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the detecting comprises utilizing a motion sensor or camera.