Device locator disable authentication

• US 10,447,839 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pai, Raghunandan K., Narayanan, Karthik, Chinn, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahsan, Umair
• Application Number:
  US15/623,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 114041-4042, 11410-411, 11418-419, 114561-457, 11 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A device locator mode or find my device (FMD) mode can allow a lost, stolen, or misplaced mobile device to be located. The FMD mode can be enabled or disabled on a mobile device. Sometimes thieves or unauthorized parties attempt to disable the FMD mode. To prevent this, the mobile device can transmit a unique device identifier to a remote server. The remote server can link the device identifier to a cloud-based user account associated with the user of the mobile device. Before an FMD mode is disabled on the mobile device, before the content or settings can be erased, and/or before a mobile device is permitted to be activated/reactivated, a user of the mobile device can be challenged for the credentials of the cloud-based user account. If valid credentials are provided, FMD can be disabled, the content or settings can be reset, and/or the device can be activated/reactivated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a request to disable a device locator mode of the mobile device in which an authorized requesting device can receive location information related to the mobile device;

upon receiving the request to disable the device locator mode of the mobile device;

sending, by the mobile device, a hardware identifier of the mobile device to a server;

in response to a determination that the hardware identifier is associated with a user account, receiving, by the mobile device, from the server, a challenge for credentials of the user account;

receiving, by the mobile device, credentials through a user interface;

sending, by the mobile device, the received credentials to the server;

receiving, by the mobile device, from the server, an indication that the received credentials match the credentials of the account associated with the hardware identifier; and

in response to receiving the indication, disabling the device locator mode; and

following disabling the device locator mode, entering, by the mobile device, an activation operating mode, wherein the mobile device is configured to enable one or more functions in the activation operating mode.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

while in the activation operating mode, sending, by the mobile device, to the server, information related to a new account to be associated with the hardware identifier and credentials corresponding to the new account.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

while in the activation operating mode, enabling the device locator mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the device locator mode is enabled using the information related to the new account and the credentials corresponding to the new account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to disable the device locator mode is received through a user interface element displayed on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware identifier includes a hash generated based on one or both of a media access control (MAC) address and an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

before receiving the request to disable the device locator mode, enabling the device locator mode using the credentials of the account associated with the hardware identifier.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed by a processor, causes a device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, a request to disable a device locator mode of the mobile device in which an authorized requesting device can receive location information related to the mobile device;

upon receiving the request to disable the device locator mode of the mobile device;

sending, by the mobile device, a hardware identifier of the mobile device to a server;

in response to a determination that the hardware identifier is associated with a user account, receiving, by the mobile device, from the server, a challenge for credentials of the user account;

receiving, by the mobile device, credentials through a user interface;

sending, by the mobile device, the received credentials to the server;

receiving, by the mobile device, from the server, an indication that the received credentials match the credentials of the account associated with the hardware identifier; and

in response to receiving the indication, disabling the device locator mode; and

following disabling the device locator mode, entering, by the mobile device, an activation operating mode, wherein the mobile device is configured to enable one or more functions in the activation operating mode.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise:

while in the activation operating mode, sending, by the mobile device, to the server, information related to a new account to be associated with the hardware identifier and credentials corresponding to the new account.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operations comprise:

while in the activation operating mode, enabling the device locator mode.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the device locator mode is enabled using the information related to the new account and the credentials corresponding to the new account.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the request to disable the device locator mode is received through a user interface element displayed on the mobile device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the hardware identifier includes a hash generated based on one or both of a media access control (MAC) address and an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise:

before receiving the request to disable the device locator mode, enabling the device locator mode using the credentials of the account associated with the hardware identifier.

15. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a mobile device, a request to disable a device locator mode of the mobile device in which an authorized requesting device can receive location information related to the mobile device;

upon receiving the request to disable the device locator mode of the mobile device;

sending, by the mobile device, a hardware identifier of the mobile device to a server;

in response to a determination that the hardware identifier is associated with a user account, receiving, by the mobile device, from the server, a challenge for credentials of the user account;

receiving, by the mobile device, credentials through a user interface;

sending, by the mobile device, the received credentials to the server;

receiving, by the mobile device, from the server, an indication that the received credentials match the credentials of the account associated with the hardware identifier; and

in response to receiving the indication, disabling the device locator mode; and

following disabling the device locator mode, entering, by the mobile device, an activation operating mode, wherein the mobile device is configured to enable one or more functions in the activation operating mode.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

while in the activation operating mode, sending, by the mobile device, to the server, information related to a new account to be associated with the hardware identifier and credentials corresponding to the new account.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations comprise:

while in the activation operating mode, enabling the device locator mode.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the device locator mode is enabled using the information related to the new account and the credentials corresponding to the new account.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the request to disable the device locator mode is received through a user interface element displayed on the mobile device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the hardware identifier includes a hash generated based on one or both of a media access control (MAC) address and an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of the mobile device.