SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURITY ON A MOBILE DEVICE USING MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION DOMAINS

• US 20120115437A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GRAY, Michael, GISBY, Douglas, WERNER, Colin, YAP, Shen-Yuan "Michael"
• Granted Patent: US 9,112,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/06 including a wireless LAN interface

Abstract

A mobile device and a method for providing security to a mobile device having two or more communication domains is provided. The mobile device receives a communication service request. The communication domain of the communication service request is determined, the request domain being one of the two or more communication domains of the mobile device. A set of applicable restrictions is then determined from a list of communication restrictions comprising restrictions on use of services of the mobile device for each of the two or more communications domains. These applicable restrictions are then applied to the communication service request by the mobile device.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A mobile device configured to accommodate communications in two or more communication domains on a common network, the mobile device comprising:

a processor for controlling operation of the mobile device, the processor having access to a memory comprising a set of stored domain definitions for the two or more communication domains, the domain definitions defining at least one criterion for categorizing a communication service request according to the two or more communication domains and defining restrictions on the use of services of the mobile device within at least one of the two or more communication domains;

a communication subsystem for sending and receiving wireless communications and receiving incoming communication requests;

a domain module resident in the memory for execution by the processor, the domain module being configured to determine a request domain of a communication service request according to the domain definitions, the request domain being one of the two or more communication domains of the mobile device, and the communication service request being one of an incoming communication request and a mobile device-initiated communication request; and

a communication restriction module resident in the memory for execution by the processor, the communication restriction module being configured to determine a set of applicable restrictions from the set of communication restrictions based on the request domain, according to the domain definitions, and apply the set of applicable restrictions to the communication service request.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, further comprising one or more input devices and wherein the mobile device-initiated communication request is received from a user of the mobile device by the one or more input devices.

21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the communication restriction module is further configured to deny the communication service request if the request is contrary to one or more of the one or more communication restrictions and allow the communication service request otherwise.

22. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the two or more communications domains comprise at least one of:

a cellular telephone service, an enterprise network and a Wi-Fi service.

23. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the at least one criterion of the domain definitions includes a criterion for categorizing a communication service request according to a source associated with a communication service request, and the request domain is determined based on a source associated with the communication service request.

24. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the communication service request is a mobile device-initiated communication request and determining the request domain comprises receiving a domain selection from a user of the mobile device.

25. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein the mobile device further comprises a display for displaying a subset of the two or more communication domains to the user and the one or more input devices are further configured to receive a user selection of one of the two or more communication domains in the subset.

26. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the subset of the two or more communication domains is selected from the two or more communication domains based on one or more of:

user-specific rules, service-specific rules and general rules.

27. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the communication service request is a mobile device-initiated communication request and the request domain is determined based on one or more of user-specific rules, service-specific rules and general rules.

28. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the two or more communication domains include at least one high security domain, and the domain definitions define at least one restriction on transfer of data from the at least one high security domain to at least one other communication domain.

29. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the two or more communication domains include at least one high security domain, and the domain definitions define at least one restriction on joining of communications from at least one other communication domain to the at least one high security domain.

30. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the at least one criterion of the domain definitions includes a criterion for categorizing a communication service request according to an application associated with a communication service request, and the request domain is determined based on an application associated with the communication service request.

31. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the domain definitions define at least one restriction on routing of communications for at least one of the two or more communication domains.

32. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein when two or more criteria for categorizing a given communication service request conflict, the two or more criteria are evaluated according to respective priorities of the two or more criteria and the request domain is determined in order of priority of the two or more criteria.

33. A method of accommodating communications on a mobile device in two or more communication domains, the method executed by at least one processor on the mobile device, the mobile device comprising a communication subsystem for sending and receiving wireless communications and receiving incoming communication requests, the method comprising:

causing execution of a domain module resident in a memory associated with the at least one processor to determine a request domain of a received communication service request, the request domain being determined according to a set of domain definitions defining at least one criterion for categorizing a communication service request according to the two or more communication domains, and the communication service request being one of an incoming communication request and a mobile device-initiated communication request; and

causing execution of a communication restriction module resident in a memory associated with the at least one processor to determine a set of applicable restrictions according to the domain definitions defining restrictions on the use of services of the mobile device within at least one of the two or more communication domains, and apply the set of applicable restrictions to the communication service request.

34. The mobile device of claim 33, the mobile device further comprising one or more input devices and wherein the mobile device-initiated communication request is received from a user of the mobile device by the one or more input devices.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein applying the set of applicable restrictions comprises denying the communication service request if the service is contrary to one or more of the one or more communications restrictions and allowing the communication service request otherwise.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the two or more communications domains comprise one or more of:

a cellular telephone service, an enterprise network and a Wi-Fi service.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one criterion of the domain definitions includes a criterion for categorizing a communication service request according to a source associated with a communication service request, and the request domain is determined based on a source associated with the communication service request.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the communication service request is a mobile device-initiated communication request and determining the request domain comprises receiving a domain selection from a user of the mobile device.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the domain selection is from a subset of the two or more communication domains.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the subset of the two or more communication domains is selected from the two or more communication domains based on one or more of:

user-specific rules, service-specific rules and general rules.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the communication service request is a mobile device-initiated request and the request domain is determined based on one or more of:

user-specific rules, service-specific rules and general rules.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the two or more communication domains include at least one high security domain, and the domain definitions define at least one restriction on transfer of data from the at least one high security domain to at least one other communication domain.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the two or more communication domains include at least one high security domain, and the domain definitions define at least one restriction on joining of communications from at least one other communication domain to the at least one high security domain.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one criterion of the domain definitions includes a criterion for categorizing a communication service request according to an application associated with a communication service request, and the request domain is determined based on an application associated with the communication service request.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein the domain definitions define at least one restriction on routing of communications for at least one of the two or more communication domains.

46. The method of claim 33, wherein when two or more criteria for categorizing a given communication service request conflict, the two or more criteria are evaluated according to respective priorities of the two or more criteria and the request domain is determined in order of priority of the two or more criteria.