Protection of confidential data being displayed or input in a mobile device

• US 9,904,799 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaladgi, Mohammed Mujeeb, Kaladgi, Jameel Ahmed, Kaladgi, Ruqiya Nikhat, Sawant, Yashwant Ramkishan
• Primary Examiner(s): LEMMA, SAMSON B
• Application Number:
  US15/003,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20170213048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

A display is presented on a screen of a mobile device having an electromagnetic radiation source. The electromagnetic radiation source is activated while confidential data is being input in an input field of the display. The electromagnetic radiation source is deactivated after completion of the confidential data in the input field of the display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a display on a screen of a mobile device having an electromagnetic radiation source;

activating the electromagnetic radiation source while confidential data is being input in an input field of the display;

deactivating the electromagnetic radiation source after completion of the confidential data in the input field of the display; and

wherein presenting the display comprises presenting the display by a mobile application executing on the mobile device and wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is activated, by an operating system executing on the mobile device, in response to a screen focus of the display changing to include the input field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is activated in response to determining that a location of the mobile device is such that an external imaging device can visually capture an image of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is activated in response to determining that a location of the mobile device is such that an external imaging device can visually capture the confidential data being input into the input field.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the electromagnetic radiation source comprises activating a front-facing electromagnetic radiation source on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the electromagnetic radiation source comprises varying an intensity of electromagnetic radiation being emitted from the electromagnetic radiation source based, at least in part, on an amount of ambient light around the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation source comprises a visible light source.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the electromagnetic radiation source causes the electromagnetic radiation source to emit a blinking light emission.

8. A mobile device comprising:

a light source;

a screen;

a hardware processor; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium having program code executable to cause the mobile device to;

present a display on the screen;

activate the light source while confidential data is being input in an input field of the display;

deactivate the light source after completion of the confidential data in the input field of the display; and

wherein the program code executable to cause the mobile device to present the display comprises program code executable to cause the mobile device to present the display by a mobile application executable on the mobile device, and wherein the program code executable to cause the mobile device to activate the light source comprises program code executable to cause the mobile device to;

activate, by an operating system executable on the mobile device, the light source, in response to a screen focus of the display changing to include the input field.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the light source is activated in response to a determination that a location of the mobile device is such that the screen is visible to an external imaging device.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the light source is activated in response to a determination that a location of the mobile device is such that an external imaging device can visually capture the confidential data being input into the input field.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the light source is front-facing on the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the program code executable to cause the mobile device to activate the light source comprises program code executable to cause the mobile device to vary an intensity of light being emitted from the light source based, at least in part, on an amount of ambient light around the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the input comprises text-based input.

14. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the program code executable to cause the mobile device to activate the light source causes the light source to emit a blinking light emission.