Controlling use of a business environment on a mobile device

• US 9,985,929 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deasy, Stephen, Meyer, Robert, Newell, Craig, Sit, Emil, Wisner, Paul, Furodet, David, Gyuris, Viktor, Strudel, Fanny
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/952,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20160080546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 455419
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/21 Paper; Textile fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/30 characterised by the adhesive composition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/4557 Distribution of virtual machine instances; Migration and load balancing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45587 Isolation or security of virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45529 Embedded in an application, e.g. JavaScript in a Web browser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4437 Implementing a Virtual Machine [VM] virtual machines in general G06F9/45533
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 : Layer or component removable to expose adhesive

Abstract

A business environment on a mobile device can be controlled by an enterprise server by receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the enterprise server. A virtual phone template is transmitted to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device. The enterprise server then receives a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the enterprise server.

Claims

1. A method of controlling use of a business environment on a mobile device by an enterprise server, the method comprising:

receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the enterprise server;

transmitting a virtual phone template to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device;

receiving a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the enterprise server; and

causing an access to the virtual machine to be disabled or a virtual phone image to be erased from the mobile device without affecting a personal use of the mobile device in response to a periodic transmission from the mobile device not being received, wherein the virtual machine is executed remotely from the enterprise server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a group security policy that is set for a business group of the user to the mobile device, wherein the group security policy comprises security information that applies to each user of the user'"'"'s business group and wherein the security information comprises time interval information for the periodic transmission.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the security information further comprises password configuration information for the business environment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the enterprise server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodic transmission is transmitted by a management component running on the mobile device and wherein the management component runs in a privileged mode on the mobile device and cannot be manually terminated by the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting step further comprises transmitting a security policy to the mobile device that specifies an interval of time that the mobile device should periodically communicate with the enterprise server in order to comply with the security policy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the identifying information is information that authenticates the user to the enterprise server.

8. A server configured to control use of a business environment on a mobile device comprising a processor configured to perform:

receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the server;

transmitting a virtual phone template to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device;

receiving a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server; and

causing an access to the virtual machine to be disabled or a virtual phone image to be erased from the mobile device without affecting a personal use of the mobile device in response to a periodic transmission from the mobile device not being received, wherein the virtual machine is executed remotely from the server.

9. The server of claim 8, further comprising transmitting a group security policy that is set for a business group of the user to the mobile device, wherein the group security policy comprises security information that applies to each user of the user'"'"'s business group and wherein the security information comprises time interval information for the periodic transmission.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the security information further comprises password configuration information for the business environment.

11. The server of claim 8, further comprising receiving the periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server.

12. The server of claim 8, wherein the periodic transmission is transmitted by a management component running on the mobile device and wherein the management component runs in a privileged mode on the mobile device and cannot be manually terminated by the user.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting a security policy to the mobile device that specifies an interval of time that the mobile device should periodically communicate with the server in order to comply with the security policy.

14. The server of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the identifying information is information that authenticates the user to the server.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause a processor of a server to control use of a business environment on a mobile device by performing:

receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the server;

transmitting a virtual phone template to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device;

receiving a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server; and

causing an access to the virtual machine to be disabled or a virtual phone image to be erased from the mobile device without affecting a personal use of the mobile device in response to a periodic transmission from the mobile device not being received, wherein the virtual machine is executed remotely from the enterprise server.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising transmitting a group security policy that is set for a business group of the user to the mobile device, wherein the group security policy comprises security information that applies to each user of the user'"'"'s business group and wherein the security information comprises time interval information for the periodic transmission.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the security information further comprises password configuration information for the business environment.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving the periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the periodic transmission is transmitted by a management component running on the mobile device and wherein the management component runs in a privileged mode on the mobile device and cannot be manually terminated by the user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting a security policy to the mobile device that specifies an interval of time that the mobile device should periodically communicate with the server in order to comply with the security policy.