Methods and systems for persistent cross-application mobile device identification

• US 10,021,099 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The 41st Parameter, Inc. (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: The 41st Parameter, Inc. (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Eisen, Ori, Yalov, Raz
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mastrodonato, Margaret G
• Application Number:
  US15/358,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20170142106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for persistent cross-application mobile device identification. A mobile device may have a plurality of sandboxes in memory containing applications. The mobile device may have a shared storage which may accessible by applications from different sandboxes. A storage location identifier may be used to access information in shared storage. A universal device identifier may be stored in the shared storage to identify the mobile device and may be accessible by multiple applications and updates to applications. The universal device identifier may be used to track the mobile device for advertising, fraud detection, reputation tracking, or other purposes.

Claims

1. A system for persistently identifying a mobile device across applications, the system comprising:

a memory which comprises;

a first sandbox associated with a first application;

a second sandbox associated with a second application; and

a persistent shared storage configured to store a universal device identifier which identifies a mobile device across the first application and the second application; and

a processor programmed to;

execute the first application in the first sandbox, wherein the first application is restricted from accessing the second sandbox;

execute the second application in the second sandbox, wherein the second application is restricted from accessing the first sandbox;

receive a first request from the first application to access information associated with the mobile device, wherein the first request comprises the universal device identifier;

receive a second request from the second application to access the information associated with the mobile device, wherein the second request comprises the universal device identifier;

retrieve the universal device identifier from the persistent shared storage; and

return the universal device identifier and the information associated with the mobile device to the first application and the second application for fraud detection, in response to the first request and the second request respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the universal device identifier is generated by the first application or the second application.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

obtain the universal device identifier from the first application or the second application; and

store the universal device identifier in the persistent shared storage.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

identify data associated with the first application indicative of a fraud;

link the data associated with the first application indicative of the fraud with the universal device identifier; and

in response to the second request from the second application to access information associated with the mobile device, return the data associated with the first application indicative of the fraud to the second application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first request or the second request comprises a storage location identifier of the universal device identifier in the persistent shared storage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the first request, the processor is programmed to generate the universal device identifier;

and wherein in response to the second request, the processor is programmed to communicate the universal device identifier generated in response to the first request to the second application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the universal device ID is automatically generated by an operating system of the mobile device upon initialization of the mobile device or by a firmware process associated with a component of the mobile device.

8. A method for persistently identifying a mobile device across applications, the method comprising:

executing a first application in a first sandbox, wherein the first application is restricted from accessing a second sandbox associated with a second application;

executing the second application in the second sandbox, wherein the second application is restricted from accessing the first sandbox;

receiving a first request from the first application to access information associated with the mobile device, wherein the first request comprises a universal device identifier which identifies the mobile device across the first application and the second application;

receiving a second request from the second application to access the information associated with the mobile device, wherein the second request comprises the universal device identifier;

retrieving the universal device identifier from a persistent shared storage accessible by the first application and the second application; and

returning the universal device identifier and the information associated with the mobile device to the first application and the second application for fraud detection, in response to the first request and the second request respectively.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the universal device identifier is generated by the first application or the second application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining the universal device identifier from the first application or the second application; and

storing the universal device identifier in the persistent shared storage.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying data associated with the first application indicative of a fraud;

linking the data associated with the first application indicative of the fraud with the universal device identifier; and

in response to the second request from the second application to access information associated with the mobile device, returning the data associated with the first application indicative of the fraud to the second application.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first request or the second request comprises a storage location identifier of the universal device identifier in the persistent shared storage.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating the universal device identifier on the mobile device in response to the first request; and

communicating the universal device identifier generated in response to the first request to the second application in response to the second request.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the universal device ID is automatically generated by an operating system of the mobile device upon initialization of the mobile device or by a firmware process associated with a component of the mobile device.

15. Non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon a computer program, the computer program including executable instructions that instruct a computer system to at least:

execute a first application in a first sandbox, wherein the first application is restricted from accessing a second sandbox associated with a second application;

execute the second application in the second sandbox, wherein the second application is restricted from accessing the first sandbox;

receive a first request from the first application to access information associated with the mobile device, wherein the first request comprises a universal device identifier which identifies the mobile device across the first application and the second application;

receive a second request from the second application to access the information associated with the mobile device, wherein the second request comprises the universal device identifier;

retrieve the universal device identifier from a persistent shared storage accessible by the first application and the second application; and

return the universal device identifier and the information associated with the mobile device to the first application and the second application for fraud detection, in response to the first request and the second request respectively.

16. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the universal device identifier is generated by the first application or the second application.

17. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions further instruct the computer system to:

obtain the universal device identifier from the first application or the second application; and

store the universal device identifier in the persistent shared storage.

18. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions further instruct the computer system to:

identify data associated with the first application indicative of a fraud;

link the data associated with the first application indicative of the fraud with the universal device identifier; and

in response to the second request from the second application to access information associated with the mobile device, return the data associated with the first application indicative of the fraud to the second application.

19. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the first request or the second request comprises a storage location identifier of the universal device identifier in the persistent shared storage.

20. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 15, wherein the executable instructions further instruct the computer system to:

generate the universal device identifier on the mobile device in response to the first request; and

communicate the universal device identifier generated in response to the first request to the second application in response to the second request.