Geographical restrictions for application usage on a mobile device

• US 9,537,869 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blue Cedar Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Cedar Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Erik L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucknor, Olanrewaju
• Application Number:
  US14/223,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• 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 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• 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

Apps are secured or security-wrapped either before they are downloaded onto a device, such as a smart phone or tablet device, or after they are downloaded but before they are allowed to access the device operating system and cause any potential damage to the device. The app is secured before it is allowed to access the operating system of the device, thereby preventing the app from malicious behavior. App object code is substituted with security program object code, thereby creating a security-wrapped app. The app is provisioned with a geo-fencing policy which prevents execution of an app outside a pre-defined geographical area. If the device is within the defined area, the app is allowed to execute. The geographical area, such as a building or company campus, is defined using longitude and latitude coordinates and a location accuracy value. Device location is obtained using location/GPS services on the device.

Claims

1. A method of executing an application on a device using a geographical fencing policy comprising:

generating Java class files for an application security program, said Java class files dictated by the geographical fencing policy;

replacing Java class files for the application with the Java class files for the application security program, wherein the Java class files for the application that are being replaced function as a proxy between the application and a device operating system;

creating a security-wrapped application by completing said replacing of Java class files for the application, said security-wrapped application provisioned with the geographical fencing policy;

obtaining global positioning satellite location data of the device from location services on the device, including device coordinates and a device-provided accuracy value;

calculating a circular area based on a user-selected location accuracy value and device coordinates, wherein said device coordinates are a center of the circular area and the user-selected location accuracy value is a radius of the circular area;

determining whether the circular area intersects with an allowed area or is entirely within the allowed area; and

enabling application execution when the device-provided accuracy value is less than or equal to the user-selected location accuracy value and when the circular area intersects with the allowed area or is entirely within the allowed area.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

not allowing execution of the application when the device-provided location accuracy value is greater than the user-selected location accuracy value.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

not allowing execution of the application if the circular area does not intersect with the allowed area or is not entirely within the allowed area.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

not allowing execution when the allowed area does not encompass the device coordinates and when the user-selected location accuracy value is zero.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the application is secured using an application security program and a geographical fencing policy and wherein the application receives geographical data defining an allowed area using longitudinal and latitudinal data in which the application is allowed to execute.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the application receives the user-selected location accuracy value when the application is secured.