Method and apparatus for separation of connection data by perimeter type

• US 9,306,948 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tse, Chi Chiu, Mazzuca, Elliott Michael Guy, Hammel, Konrad
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabor, Amare F
• Application Number:
  US13/717,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20130219465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726/15, 726/28, 455/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method and a mobile device having a plurality of modes of operation, the method associating each connection interface on the mobile device with one of a plurality of modes; and restricting access to a profile for each connection interface on the mobile device to only a subset of applications based on the mode associated with the profile.

Claims

1. A method on a mobile device having one or more applications, a plurality of modes of operation and one or more network connections, each network connection associated with one of one or more network connection profiles and each application associated with one of the plurality of modes of operation, the method comprising:

associating each of the one or more network connection profiles with at east one of the plurality of modes of operation;

receiving a request from an application of the one or more applications to access a network connection of the one or more network connections;

determine a first mode of operation associated with the application;

determine a network connection profile associated with the network connection;

determining a second mode of operation associated with the network connection profile; and

if the first mode of operation is the same as the second mode of operation, allowing access to the network connection by the application;

wherein each of the one or more network connections define a link between a network element and the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modes of operation comprise a personal mode and an enterprise mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating comprises storing each network connection profile in a file system for an associated mode of operation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing backup or restoring of each network connection profile in at least one of the plurality of modes of operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network connections comprise a virtual private network connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network connections comprise a Wi-Fi network connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating utilizes an information technology policy for the device to match network connection profiles with at least one of the plurality of modes of operation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating utilizes a source for configuration information for each network connection to match each network connection profile with at least one of the plurality of modes of operation.

9. A user equipment comprising:

a processor; and

a communications subsystem,

wherein the user equipment is configured to;

associate each network connection with one of one or more network connection profiles and each application with one or more of a plurality of modes of operation;

associate each of the one or more network connection profiles with at least one of the plurality of modes of operation;

receive a request from an application to access a network connection;

determine a first mode of operation associated with the application;

determine a network connection profile associated with the network connection;

determine a second mode of operation associated with the network connection profile; and

if the first mode of operation is the same as the second mode of operation, allow access to the network connection by the application;

wherein each of the one or more network connections define a link between a network element and the mobile device.

10. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the modes of operation comprise a personal mode and an enterprise mode.

11. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the associating each of the one or more network connection profiles comprises storing each network connection profile in a file system for an associated mode of operation.

12. The user equipment of claim 9, further comprising preventing backup or restoring of each network connection profile in at least one of the plurality of modes of operation.

13. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the one or more network connections comprise a virtual private network connection.

14. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the one or more network connections comprise a Wi-Fi network connection.

15. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is configured to associate by utilizing an information technology policy for the device to match network connection profiles with at least one of the plurality of modes of operation.

16. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the user equipment is configured to associate each of the one or more network connection profiles by utilizing a source for configuration information for each network connection to match each network connection profile with at least one of the plurality of modes of operation.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a user equipment having one or more applications, a plurality of modes of operation and one or more network connections, each network connection associated with one of one or more network connection profiles and each application associated with one of the plurality of modes of operation, the instructions comprising code for:

associating each of the one or more network connection profiles with at least one of the plurality of modes of operation;

receiving a request from an application of the one or more applications to access a network connection of the one or more network connections;

determining a first mode of operation associated with the application;

determining a network connection profile associated with the network connection;

determining a second mode of operation associated with the network connection profile; and

if the first mode of operation is the same as the second mode of operation, allowing access to the network connection by the application;

wherein each of the one or more network connections define a link between a network element and the user equipment.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the modes of operation comprise a personal mode and an enterprise mode.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the code for associating includes code for storing each network connection profile in a file system for an associated mode of operation.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more network connections comprise a virtual private network connection.