METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING DATA IN A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20080034224A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Minds LLC
• Original Assignee: Applied Minds LLC
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Hillis, W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

Data in a portable electronic device is protected by using external and internal status detection means to determine if the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen. The device then takes, singly or in combination, one of several actions to protect the data on the device, including declaring its location to an owner or service provider, locking the device or specific functions of the device to disable all data retrieval functionality, erasing or overwriting all the stored data in the device or, where the data has been stored in the device in an encrypted format, destroying an internally-stored encryption key, thereby preventing unauthorized access to the encrypted data in the device.

Claims

1. A method for protecting data in a portable electronic device, comprising the steps of:

determining that the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen; and

protecting the data in the device if it is determined that the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen takes place external to the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the external determination step further comprises the steps of:

an owner determining that the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen; and

the owner notifying the device using wireless means.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of notifying the device further comprises the steps of:

the device receiving a call from the owner; and

the device receiving a code from the owner during the call that informs the device that the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the external determination step further comprises the step of:

the device receiving notice from a service provider that the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining that the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen further comprises the step of:

the device using internal self-detection to determine the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of using internal self-detection further comprises the step of:

observing a position of the device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of using internal self-detection further comprises the step of:

observing an activity level of the device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of using internal self-detection further comprises the step of:

observing dialing patterns of the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of protecting the data in the device further comprises the step of:

declaring a location of the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of declaring a location further comprises the step of:

transmitting the location of the device to a service provider.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of declaring a location further comprises the step of:

communicating the location of the device to a device owner.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of protecting the data in the device further comprises the step of:

locking the device to eliminate data retrieval functionality.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein data in the device is encrypted with an encryption key and the step of protecting the data in the device further comprises the step of:

destroying the data encryption key, thereby preventing unauthorized access to the data in the device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of protecting the data in the device further comprises the step of:

erasing the data.

16. A data protection apparatus comprising:

a portable electronic device having data storage;

means associated with said portable electronic device for determining status of the portable electronic device; and

means associated with said portable electronic device for protecting data on the portable electronic device whenever the status of the portable electronic device is determined to be undesirable.

17. The data protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining status of the portable electronic device is external to the portable electronic device.

18. The data protection apparatus of claim 17, wherein the external status determination means comprises:

means for allowing an owner to make a determination that the portable electronic device has an undesirable status;

means for allowing the owner to communicate a status code to the portable electronic device to indicate the undesirable status; and

,

means in the portable electronic device for receiving the status code from the owner.

19. The data protection apparatus of claim 17, wherein the external status determination means comprises:

means for a service provider, to determine that the portable electronic device has an undesirable status;

means for the service provider to communicate with the portable electronic device to provide a notice to the portable electronic device of the undesirable status; and

means within the portable electronic device for receiving the notice.

20. The data protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining status of the portable electronic device is internal to the portable electronic device.

21. The data protection apparatus of claim 20, wherein the internal means for determining status of the portable electronic device comprises:

means within the portable electronic device for observing a position of the portable electronic device.

22. The data protection apparatus of claim 20, wherein the internal means for determining status of the portable electronic device comprises:

means within the portable electronic device for observing an activity level of the portable electronic device.

23. The data protection apparatus of claim 20, wherein the internal means for determining status of the portable electronic device comprises:

means within the portable electronic device for observing a dialing pattern of the portable electronic device.

24. The data protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for protecting data on the portable electronic device comprises:

means within the portable electronic device for declaring a location of the portable electronic device.

25. The data protection apparatus of claim 24, wherein the portable electronic device declares the location by transmitting the location to a service provider.

26. The data protection apparatus of claim 24, wherein the portable electronic device declares its location by transmitting the location to an owner.

27. The data protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for protecting data on the portable electronic device comprises:

means within the portable electronic device for locking data retrieval functionality.

28. The data protection apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for encrypting the data in the portable electronic device with an encryption key; and

where the means for protecting data on the portable electronic device comprises;

means within the portable electronic device for destroying the data encryption key.

29. The data protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for protecting data in the portable electronic device comprises:

means within the portable electronic device erasing the data in the portable electronic device.

30. The data protection apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining status of the portable electronic device is both external and internal.

31. The data protection apparatus of claim 30, wherein the internal means for determining status of the portable electronic device comprises any of means for observing portable electronic device position, means for observing portable electronic device activity level and means for observing portable electronic device dialing patterns.

32. A method for protecting data in a portable electronic device, wherein the data is encrypted with an encryption key stored in the portable electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

an owner of the portable electronic device determining that the device has an undesirable status;

the owner calling the portable electronic device and transmitting a code to the portable electronic device indicating the undesirable status;

the portable electronic device receiving the code; and

upon receipt of the code, the portable electronic device destroying the stored encryption key;

wherein access to the data on the portable electronic device is prevented.