Contextual device locking/unlocking

• US 9,781,119 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matus, Jonathan Arie
• Primary Examiner(s): ZAIDI, SYED A
• Application Number:
  US14/823,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20150347730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 726 17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2139 Recurrent verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

Particular embodiments of a computing device associated with a user may detect an event using a sensor of the computing device. The event may be a lock-triggering event or an unlock-triggering event. The computing device may assess a state of the device. The computing device may also access further information associated with the user. The computing device may also monitor activity on the computing device to detect further events if such further monitoring is warranted. Based on the gathered information, the computing device may update a lock status of the device to lock or unlock access interfaces of the computing device, functionality of the computing device, or content accessible from the computing device. If the event comprised the computing device detecting an attempt by a third party to use the device, the device may attempt to identify the third party to determine if they are authorized to use the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices of an online system, an indication from a first device of a first user of the online system, that a second device of a second user of the online system is within a proximity distance from the first device;

accessing, by one or more computing devices of the online system, social-networking information associated with the first user and the second user, wherein the social-networking information is stored on the online system;

determining, by one or more computing devices of the online system, that the second device is a trusted device based on the social-networking information; and

sending, by one or more computing devices of the online system, to the first device, instructions to update a lock status of the first device based on the determination that the second device is a trusted device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by one or more computing devices of the online system, a level of access to access interfaces of the first device, functionality of the first device, or content accessible from the first device, wherein the determining is based on the social-networking information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instructions to update a lock status of the first device are based on the determined level of access.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more computer devices of the online system, from the first device, a state of the first device;

wherein

the determining the level of access is further based on the state of the first device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the state of the first device comprises:

a lock status of the first device;

a location of the first device;

a communications environment of the first device;

other devices that are in physical proximity to the first device;

whether a screen of the first device is visible;

what is being displayed on the screen;

a length of time that the first device has been idle;

or

a length of time since the first device was last used by the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication received from the first device is based on global positioning system information of the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication received from the first device is based on a short-range radio frequency signal associated with the second device and detected at the first device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication received from the first device is based on a near-field communication associated with the second device and detected at the first device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the social-networking information indicates that the second user is authorized to use the first device, and wherein the second device is determined to be a trusted device based on the second user being authorized to use the first device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the online system comprises a social graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising:

a first node corresponding to the first user of the online system; and

a plurality of second nodes, one of the second nodes corresponding to the second user of the online system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the social-networking information comprises a degree of separation between the first node and the second node corresponding to the second user, and wherein determining that the second device is a trusted device is based on the degree of separation between the first node and the second node corresponding to the second user being less than a threshold degree of separation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the second device is a trusted device is further based on settings of the first device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a lock status of the first device is updated based on the instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein updating the lock status of the first device based on the instructions comprises:

locking one or more access interfaces of the first device;

unlocking one or more access interfaces of the first device;

locking one or more functions of the first device;

unlocking one or more functions of the first device;

blocking access to particular content or all content accessible from the first device;

allowing access to particular content or all content accessible from the first device;

or

logging the event in association with the lock status and a timestamp.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the online system is a social-networking system.

16. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software operable when executed to:

receive an indication from a first device of a first user of an online system, that a second device of a second user of the online system is within a proximity distance from the first device;

access social-networking information associated with the first user and the second user, wherein the social-networking information is stored on the online system;

determine that the second device is a trusted device based on the social-networking information; and

send to the first device, instructions to update a lock status of the first device based on the determination that the second device is a trusted device.

17. The media of claim 16, wherein the software is further operable when executed to determine a level of access to access interfaces of the first device, functionality of the first device, or content accessible from the first device, wherein the determining is based on the social-networking information.

18. The media of claim 17, wherein the instructions to update a lock status of the first device are based on the determined level of access.

19. A computing device comprising:

one or more computing devices of an online system; and

a memory coupled to the one or more computing devices comprising instructions executable by the one or more computing devices, the one or more computing devices operable when executing the instructions to;

receive an indication from a first device of a first user of an online system, that a second device of a second user of the online system is within a proximity distance from the first device;

access social-networking information associated with the first user and the second user, wherein the social-networking information is stored on the online system;

determine that the second device is a trusted device based on the social-networking information; and

send to the first device, instructions to update a lock status of the first device based on the determination that the second device is a trusted device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more computing devices are further operable when executing the instructions to determine a level of access to access interfaces of the first device, functionality of the first device, or content accessible from the first device, wherein the determining is based on the social-networking information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the instructions to update a lock status of the first device are based on the determined level of access.