Mobile computing device and wearable computing device having automatic access mode control

• US 9,647,887 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Aminzade, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bucknor, Olanrewaju
• Application Number:
  US14/640,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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: H04M 1/724094 Interfacing with a device worn on the user's body to provide access to telephonic functionalities, e.g. accepting a call, reading or composing a message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724095 Worn on the wrist, hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A system can include a mobile computing device and a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device can include a sensor that outputs an indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn. Responsive to receiving the indication that the wearable computing device is being not being worn, one or both of the devices can be operable to change an access mode of computing environment provided by the respective device from an increased access mode to a reduced access mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a wearable computing device, an indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by a user of the wearable computing device; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user;

changing, by the processor, an access mode of a computing environment of the wearable computing device from a first increased access mode to a first reduced access mode; and

transmitting, by the processor of the wearable computing device, to a mobile computing device, an instruction to change an access mode of a computing environment of the mobile computing device from a second increased access mode to a second reduced access mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the processor receives the indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user from a sensor, and

the sensor comprises at least one of a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a physical contact on a connecting structure of the wearable computing device, an electrical contact on a connecting structure of the wearable computing device, and a pressure sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to receiving the indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user of the wearable computing device, the wearable computing device is operating in the first increased access mode and the mobile computing device is operating in the second increased access mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wearable computing device remains in the first increased access mode and the mobile computing device remains in the second increased access mode until the processor of the wearable computing receives the indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user of the wearable computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor of the wearable computing device, an indication that the wearable computing device is being worn by the user of the wearable computing device;

outputting, by the processor of the wearable computing device, a security challenge;

receiving, by the processor of the wearable computing device, an indication of a response to the security challenge; and

changing, based at least in part on the indication that the wearable computing device is being worn and the indication of the response to the security challenge, the access mode of the computing environment of the wearable computing device from the first reduced access mode to the first increased access mode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the processor, for display by a display device of the wearable computing device, a graphical user interface including one or more user interface elements.

7. A system comprising:

a mobile computing device comprising one or more mobile computing device processors;

a wearable computing device comprising one or more wearable computing device processors and a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a first indication that the wearable computing device is being worn by a user and a second indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user;

a mobile computing device access mode module operable by the one or more mobile computing device processors to receive the second indication and change, based at least in part on the second indication, an access mode of a computing environment of the mobile computing device from a first increased access mode to a first reduced access mode in which the user is permitted access to a smaller set of functionality provided by the mobile computing device than when operating in the first increased access mode; and

a wearable computing device access mode module operable by the one or more wearable computing device processors to receive the second indication and change, based at least in part on the second indication, an access mode of a computing environment of the wearable computing device from a second increased access mode to a second reduced access mode in which the user is permitted access to a smaller set of functionality provided by the wearable computing device than when operating in the second increased access mode.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a physical contact on a connecting structure of the wearable computing device, an electrical contact on a connecting structure of the wearable computing device, and a pressure sensor.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein, prior to receiving the second indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user of the wearable computing device, the wearable computing device is operating in the second increased access mode and the mobile computing device is operating in the first increased access mode.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the wearable computing device remains in the second increased access mode and the mobile computing device remains in the first increased access mode until after the sensor generates the second indication.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the wearable computing device access module is further operable by one or more wearable computing device processors to:

receive the first indication;

output, using a user interface module, a security challenge;

receive an indication of a response to the security challenge; and

change, based at least in part on the first indication and an indication of the response to the security challenge, the access mode of the computing environment of the wearable computing device from the second reduced access mode to the second increased access mode.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the wearable computing device further comprises a user interface module operable to output, for display by a display device of the wearable computing device, a graphical user interface including one or more user interface elements.

13. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a mobile computing device to:

while the mobile computing device is operating in a first increased access mode and a wearable computing device is operating in a second increased access mode, receive an indication that a wearable computing device separate from the mobile computing device is not being worn by a user of the wearable computing device; and

responsive to receiving the indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user, change a first access mode of a computing environment of the mobile computing device from a first increased access mode to a first reduced access mode, and transmit to the wearable computing device an instruction to change an access mode of a computing environment of the wearable computing device from the second increased access mode to a second reduced access mode.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein:

the indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user is generated by a sensor; and

the sensor comprises at least one of a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a physical contact on a connecting structure of the wearable computing device, an electrical contact on a connecting structure of the wearable computing device, and a pressure sensor.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the wearable computing device remains in the second increased access mode and the mobile computing device remains in the first increased access mode until after the at least one processor of the mobile computing device receives the indication that the wearable computing device is not being worn by the user of the wearable computing device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the wearable computing device comprises a user interface module operable to output, for display by a display device of the wearable computing device, a graphical user interface including one or more user interface elements.