Selectively permitting or denying usage of wearable device services

• US 9,473,509 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muthukurussi Mana, Dilip S., Arsanjani, Ali P., Jalaldeen, Ahamed, Kavungathodika, Shihabudheen V.
• Primary Examiner(s): JHAVERI, JAYESH M
• Application Number:
  US14/500,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/21 Indexing scheme relating to G06F21/00 and subgroups addressing additional information or applications relating to security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• 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 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

Selectively permitting or denying usage of a service available on a device is provided. Usage restrictions on usage of services available on the device are maintained, the usage restrictions including customizable restrictions on usage of the services available on the device. A usage restriction for a service indicates usage parameter(s) of the device under which the service is usable or is unusable to users of the device. Based on detecting an event associated with the device, current usage parameter(s) of the device are identified and compared to usage parameter(s) indicated by a usage restriction to determine whether the service is to be usable or unusable. Usage of the service by a user of the device is then permitted or denied based the comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining a set of usage restrictions on usage of one or more services available on a wearable device, the usage restrictions comprising customizable restrictions on usage of the one or more services available on the wearable device, wherein a usage restriction for a service of the one or more services indicates at least one usage parameter of the wearable device enabling or disabling usage of the service by at least one user of the wearable device;

detecting an event associated with the wearable device, the event indicating an update to at least one current usage parameter of the wearable device, the update to the at least one current usage parameter describing an updated usage context in which the wearable device is being used;

based on determining that the update to the at least one current usage parameter is relevant to the usage restriction for the service, comparing the updated at least one current usage parameter and the indicated at least one usage parameter indicated by the usage restriction to determine whether the service is to be enabled or disabled for usage by the at least one user of the wearable device;

enabling or disabling the service for usage based on the comparing, and

based on an attempt by the at least one user to use the service, permitting or denying, the attempt to use the service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging an indication of the permitting or denying in a log being securely maintained to facilitate preventing modification thereof by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising securely providing the log to an entity to facilitate establishing timeframes during which usage of the service was permitted or denied.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the update to the at least one current usage parameter comprises a change in location of the wearable device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining input from a sensor of the wearable device and using the obtained input from the sensor to determine the updated at least one current usage parameter of the wearable device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor comprises a camera, wherein the usage restriction indicates an activity-based parameter corresponding to an activity, and wherein determining the updated at least one current usage parameter comprises:

obtaining one or more images using the camera;

performing an analysis on the obtained one or more images, the analysis comprising analyzing one or more views of the camera for presence or absence of objects suggesting a correlation to the at least one usage parameter indicated by the usage restriction; and

determining, based on the analysis, that the user is engaging in the activity or that the user is not engaging in that activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service comprises a service to provide guided navigation to the user, or a service to capture or view images or video.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein usage of the service is dependent on access by the wearable device to a facility of a remote system, wherein the permitting or denying comprises denying the attempt to use the service, and wherein the denying comprises disabling, at the remote system, access by the wearable device to the facility of the remote system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage restriction indicates at least one of a time-based usage parameter, a location-based usage parameter, or an activity-based usage parameter, and wherein permitting or denying the attempt to use the service is based on at least one of a current time, a location of the wearable device, or an activity of a user, determined at least in part based on input from one or more input channels.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the usage restriction indicates a location-based parameter corresponding to a geographic jurisdiction, and wherein permitting or denying the attempt to use the service is based on a legal or regulatory requirement of that geographic jurisdiction.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the usage restriction indicates a location-based parameter corresponding to a type of facility in which the wearable device is located, and wherein permitting or denying the attempt to use the service is based on a wearable device usage policy of that type of facility.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the usage restriction indicates an activity-based parameter corresponding to an activity in which the user is engaging, and wherein permitting or denying the attempt to use the service is based on whether the user is determined to be engaging in the activity.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the set of usage restrictions based on a jurisdictional legal authority implementing a jurisdictional legal limitation against usage of one or more services available on the wearable device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitting or denying temporarily denies usage of the service, and wherein the method further comprises, subsequent to performing the permitting or denying:

based on detecting another update to the at least one current usage parameter, comparing the updated at least one current usage parameter and the indicated at least one usage parameter indicated by the usage restriction to determine whether the service is to be enabled or disabled for usage, wherein the comparing determines that the service is to be enabled for usage based on the another update to the at least one current usage parameter; and

permitting, based the comparing, a subsequent attempt to use the service.

15. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the system is configured to perform a method comprising;

maintaining a set of usage restrictions on usage of one or more services available on a wearable device, the usage restrictions comprising customizable restrictions on usage of the one or more services available on the wearable device, wherein a usage restriction for a service of the one or more services indicates at least one usage parameter of the wearable device enabling or disabling usage of the service by at least one user of the wearable device;

detecting an event associated with the wearable device, the event indicating an update to at least one current usage parameter of the wearable device, the update to the at least one current usage parameter describing an updated usage context in which the wearable device is being used;

based on determining that the update to the at least one current usage parameter is relevant to the usage restriction for the service, comparing the updated at least one current usage parameter and the indicated at least one usage parameter indicated by the usage restriction to determine whether the service is to be enabled or disabled for usage by the at least one user of the wearable device;

enabling or disabling the service for usage based on the comparing; and

based on an attempt by the at least one user to use the service, permitting or denying the attempt to use the service.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises obtaining input from a sensor of the wearable device and using the obtained input from the sensor to determine the updated at least one current usage parameter of the wearable device, wherein the sensor comprises a camera, wherein the usage restriction indicates an activity-based parameter corresponding to an activity, and wherein determining the updated at least one current usage parameter comprises:

obtaining one or more images using the camera;

performing an analysis on the obtained one or more images, the analysis comprising analyzing one or more views of the camera for presence or absence of objects suggesting a correlation to the at least one usage parameter indicated by the usage restriction; and

determining, based on the analysis, that the user is engaging in the activity or that the user is not engaging in that activity.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the usage restriction indicates a location-based parameter, wherein permitting or denying the attempt to use the service is based on a location of the wearable device corresponding to a geographic jurisdiction and based further on a legal requirement of that geographic jurisdiction, and wherein the method further comprises updating the set of usage restrictions based on a jurisdictional legal authority implementing a jurisdictional legal limitation against usage of one or more services of the collection of services.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the permitting or denying temporarily denies usage of the service, and wherein the method further comprises, subsequent to performing the permitting or denying:

based on detecting another update to the at least one current usage parameter, comparing the updated at least one current usage parameter and the indicated at least one usage parameter indicated by the usage restriction to determine whether the service is to be enabled or disabled for usage, wherein the comparing determines that the service is to be enabled for usage based on the another update the at least one updated current usage parameter; and

permitting, based the comparing, a subsequent attempt to use the service.

19. 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 perform a method comprising:

maintaining a set of usage restrictions on usage of one or more services available on a wearable device, the usage restrictions comprising customizable restrictions on usage of the one or more services available on the wearable device, wherein a usage restriction for a service of the one or more services indicates at least one usage parameter of the wearable device enabling or disabling usage of the service by at least one user of the wearable device;

detecting an event associated with the wearable device, the event indicating an update to at least one current usage parameter of the wearable device, the update to the at least one current usage parameter describing an updated usage context in which the wearable device is being used;

based on determining that the update to the at least one current usage parameter is relevant to the usage restriction for the service, comparing the updated at least one current usage parameter and the indicated at least one usage parameter indicated by the usage restriction to determine whether the service is to be enabled or disabled for usage by the at least one user of the wearable device;

enabling or disabling the service for usage based on the comparing; and

based on an attempt by the at least one use to use the service, permitting or denying the attempt to use the service.