Systems and methods to synchronize data to a mobile device based on a device usage context

• US 9,578,445 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optio Labs
• Original Assignee: Optio Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharpe, Grayson Gates, White, Christopher Jules, Dougherty, Brian, Clancy, Thomas Charles III, Hamrick, David Alexander, Hanlin, Robert Austin, Zienkiewicz, Krzysztof Kamil, Thompson, Christopher Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US14/210,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/012 Identifying whether indoors or outdoors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/017 Detecting state or type of motion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for synchronizing policy data on a device based on device usage context. By synchronizing policy data on the device based on device usage context, security, bandwidth and energy efficiency concerns associated with the current data synchronization art by intelligently organizing and prioritizing the updating of policy data in compliance with policy data.

Claims

1. A method for selectively synchronizing data to a device by polling a server, comprising:

applying initial policy data to the device via a policy engine;

determining applicable device contexts based on the policy data;

detecting the presence of an applicable device context based on at least one of a device state or event;

determining a time to synchronize policy data with the server based on the detected device context;

synchronizing policy data with the server at the determined time to generate updated policy data, wherein one or more aspects of synchronizing the policy data is secured via an external security module connected to the device, and wherein securing the one or more aspects of synchronizing the policy data comprises one or more of encrypting a request to the server, authenticating the device to the server, authenticating the server to the device, verifying the integrity of data received from the server, or verifying the context of the device;

applying updated policy data to the device via the policy engine; and

determining updated applicable device contexts based on the updated policy data,

wherein communications with the server are encrypted by an encryption element within a trusted code zone of the device, and one or more aspects of the device context are verified by a verification element within the trusted code zone of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device event is an event regarding the cyber-state of the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device event comprises at least one of device locking, device unlocking, the screen of the device turning on, the screen of the device turning off, the launch of an application, the connection to a specific network, or the disconnection from a specific network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device state is a physical state of the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the physical state comprises at least one of the location of the device within a building as determined by an indoor navigation system, the current velocity or speed of the device, or the presence or absence of short range data signals in a device environment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device context is determined based on the device state and a GPS coordinate of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a time comprises accelerating synchronization with the server already scheduled to occur.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device context is determined by an external short range signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining what data to selectively synchronize with the server based on the device context.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the device context includes information on an in-process financial transaction and the data synchronized with the server includes one or more pieces of information relevant to the financial transaction.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to;

apply initial policy data to a device via a policy engine;

determine applicable device contexts based on the policy data;

detect the presence of an applicable device context based on at least one of a device state or event;

determine a time to synchronize policy data with a server based on the detected device context;

synchronize policy data with the server at the determined time to generate updated policy data, wherein one or more aspects of synchronizing the policy data is secured via an external security module connected to the device, and wherein securing the one or more aspects of synchronizing the policy data comprises one or more of encrypting a request to the server, authenticating the device to the server, authenticating the server to the device, verifying the integrity of data received from the server, or verifying the context of the device;

apply updated policy data to the device via the policy engine; and

determine updated applicable device contexts based on the updated policy data, wherein communications with the server are encrypted by an encryption element within a trusted code zone of the device, and one or more aspects of the device context are verified by a verification element within the trusted code zone of the device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the device event comprises at least one of device locking, device unlocking, the screen of the device turning on, the screen of the device turning off, the launch of an application, the connection to a specific network, or the disconnection from a specific network.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the device state comprises at least one of the location of the device within a building as determined by an indoor navigation system, the current velocity or speed of the device, or the presence or absence of short range data signals in a device environment.

14. A system for accessing a file system, comprising:

one or more hardware processors communicatively coupled to a file system, wherein the hardware processors are additionally communicatively coupled to a server via a network, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to;

apply initial policy data to a device via a policy engine;

determine applicable device contexts based on the policy data;

detect the presence of an applicable device context based on at least one of a device state or event;

determine a time to synchronize policy data with the server based on the detected device context;

synchronize policy data with the server at the determined time to generate updated policy data, wherein one or more aspects of synchronizing the policy data is secured via an external security module connected to the device, and wherein securing the one or more aspects of synchronizing the policy data comprises one or more of encrypting a request to the server, authenticating the device to the server, authenticating the server to the device, verifying the integrity of data received from the server, or verifying the context of the device;

apply updated policy data to the device via the policy engine; and

determine updated applicable device contexts based on the updated policy data, wherein communications with the server are encrypted by an encryption element within a trusted code zone of the device, and one or more aspects of the device context are verified by a verification element within the trusted code zone of the device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more hardware processors further comprise the encryption element within a trusted code zone of the one or more hardware processors.