Method and apparatus for mobile device security

• US 9,342,977 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, Donnie
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/053,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20140038555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• 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 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/79 Radio fingerprint

Abstract

A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and apparatus for providing security on a mobile endpoint device are disclosed. For example, the method scans for a radio frequency signal, determines a state of the mobile endpoint device and triggers an alarm on the mobile endpoint device if the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time and the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.

Claims

1. A method for triggering an alarm on a mobile endpoint device, the method comprising:

scanning, by a processor, for a radio frequency signal, wherein the radio frequency signal is emitted by a radio frequency tag located proximate to a user of the mobile endpoint device;

determining, by the processor, a state of the mobile endpoint device; and

triggering, by the processor, the alarm on the mobile endpoint device when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time due to the radio frequency tag being moved out of range of the mobile endpoint device and only when the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning is performed by a near field communications reader on the mobile endpoint device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alarm comprises an audible notification.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a communication that includes location information of the mobile endpoint device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate endpoint device of a user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate contact that is predefined by a user.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication is sent to a network service provider and the network service provider is tasked with contacting a user of the mobile endpoint device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication comprises a message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the message includes a multimedia attachment.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication comprises an automated telephone call.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a second predefined period of time and the state of the mobile endpoint device is the inactive state, locking the mobile endpoint device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for triggering an alarm on a mobile endpoint device, the operations comprising:

scanning for a radio frequency signal, wherein the radio frequency signal is emitted by a radio frequency tag located proximate to a user of the mobile endpoint device;

determining a state of the mobile endpoint device; and

triggering the alarm on the mobile endpoint device when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time due to the radio frequency tag being moved out of range of the mobile endpoint device and only when the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the scanning is performed by a near field communications reader on the mobile endpoint device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

sending a communication that includes location information of the mobile endpoint device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate endpoint device of a user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the communication is sent to an alternate contact that is predefined by a user.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the communication is sent to a network service provider and the network service provider is tasked with contacting a user of the mobile endpoint device.

18. An apparatus for triggering an alarm on a mobile endpoint device, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

scanning for a radio frequency signal, wherein the radio frequency signal is emitted by a radio frequency tag located proximate to a user of the mobile endpoint device;

determining a state of the mobile endpoint device; and

triggering the alarm on the mobile endpoint device when the radio frequency signal is not detected for a predefined period of time due to the radio frequency tag being moved out of range of the mobile endpoint device and only when the state of the mobile endpoint device is an inactive state.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the alarm comprises an audible notification.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

sending a communication that includes location information of the mobile endpoint device.