Stateful data geofencing

• US 9,378,378 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Arenburg, Robert T, Barillaud, Franck, Dutta, Shivnath, Mendoza, Alfredo V
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHAO, DON GORDON
• Application Number:
  US14/444,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• 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 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

An apparatus includes a boundary module that determines if a mobile device is within a secure area. The mobile device includes a computing device capable of connecting to a wireless network. The apparatus includes a download module that downloads a latest version of a file from a secure server to the mobile device in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has entered the secure area. The apparatus includes a copy module that copies the file from the mobile device to the secure server in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has left the secure area and a deletion module that deletes the file from the mobile device in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has left the secure area and in response to the copy module completing copying the file from the mobile device to the secure server.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a boundary module, implemented by one or more hardware processors executing instructions, that determines if a mobile device communicatively coupled with the apparatus is within a secure area, the mobile device comprising a computing device capable of connecting to a secured wireless network;

a download module, implemented by the one or more hardware processors executing the instructions, that downloads a latest version of a file from a secure server to the mobile device in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has entered the secure area, wherein the mobile device connects with the secure server wirelessly over the secured wireless network while the mobile device is in the secure area;

a copy module, implemented by the one or more hardware processors executing the instructions, that copies the file including the latest version of the file from the mobile device to the secure server in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has left the secure area, wherein the copy module copies the file including the latest version of the file from the mobile device to the secure server using a second wireless network independent from the secured wireless network and extending beyond the secure area; and

a deletion module, implemented by the one or more hardware processors executing the instructions, that deletes the file including all versions of the file from the mobile device in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has left the secure area and in response to the copy module having completed copying the file from the mobile device to the secure server.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the mobile device further comprising a sync module, implemented by the one or more hardware processors executing the instructions, that maintains a most current version of the file on the secure server, wherein the sync module overwrites a version of the file on the secure server with the file from the mobile device in response to determining that the file on the mobile device is a version of the file more current than the file on the secure server.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the copy module copies the file from the mobile device to the secure server in response to the sync module determining that one or more of:

the version of the file on the mobile device differs from the version of the file on the secure server; and

the version of the file on the mobile device is a most current version of the file.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the copy module does not copy the file from the mobile device to the secure server in response to the sync module determining that one of:

the version of the file on the mobile device is the same as the version of the file on the secure server; and

the version of the file on the mobile device is less current than the version of the file on the secure server,

wherein the deletion module deletes the file from the mobile device in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has left the secure area without the copy module copying file from the mobile device to the secure server.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sync module further synchronizes the file on the secure server and the version of the file on the mobile device with one or more versions of the file from other users.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the boundary module uses global positioning system (“

GPS”

) data from the mobile device to determine if the mobile device is within the secure area.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the boundary module uses signal strength data of a wireless connection between the mobile device and the secured wireless network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the boundary module determines that the mobile device is not in the secure area when the signal strength data indicates that the mobile device is not connected to the secured wireless network.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the download module downloads the latest version of the file in response to the boundary module determining that the mobile device has entered the secure area and in response to a user of the mobile device providing a username and a password.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the copy module copies the file and the deletion module deletes the file from the mobile device without input from a user of the mobile device.

11. A method comprising:

determining if a mobile device is within a secure area, the mobile device comprising a computing device capable of connecting to a secured wireless network;

downloading a latest version of a file from a secure server to the mobile device in response to determining that the mobile device has entered the secure area, wherein the mobile device connects with the secure server wirelessly over the secured wireless network while the mobile device is in the secure area;

copying the file including the latest version of the file from the mobile device to the secure server in response to determining that the mobile device has left the secure area, wherein copying the file including the latest version of the file from the mobile device to the secure server comprises using a second wireless network independent from the secured wireless network and extending beyond the secure area; and

deleting the file including all versions of the file from the mobile device in response to determining that the mobile device has left the secure area and in response to having completed copying the file from the mobile device to the secure server.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising maintaining a most current version of the file on the secure server, wherein maintaining the most current version of the file on the secure server comprises overwriting a version of the file on the secure server with the file from the mobile device in response to determining that the file on the mobile device is a version of the file more current than the file on the secure server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the file is copied from the mobile device to the secure server in response to determining that one or more of:

the version of the file on the mobile device differs from the version of the file on the secure server; and

the version of the file on the mobile device is a most current version of the file.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the file is not copied from the mobile device to the secure server in response to determining that one of:

the version of the file on the mobile device is the same as the version of the file on the secure server; and

the version of the file on the mobile device is less current than the version of the file on the secure server,

wherein the file is deleted from the mobile device in response to determining that the mobile device has left the secure area without copying file from the mobile device to the secure server.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein determining if the mobile device is within the secure area comprises using global positioning system (“

GPS”

) data from the mobile device to determine if the mobile device is within the secure area.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

determine if a mobile device is within a secure area, the mobile device comprising a computing device capable of connecting to a secured wireless network;

download a latest version of a file from a secure server to the mobile device in response to determining that the mobile device has entered the secure area, wherein the mobile device connects with the secure server wirelessly over the secured wireless network while the mobile device is in the secure area;

copy the file including the latest version of the file to the secure server in response to determining that the mobile device has left the secure area, wherein copying the file including the latest version of the file from the mobile device to the secure server comprises using a second wireless network independent from the secured wireless network and extending beyond the secure area; and

delete the file including all versions of the file from the mobile device in response to determining that the mobile device has left the secure area and in response to having completed copying the file from the mobile device to the secure server.