Function-based authorization to access electronic devices

• US 8,789,160 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Sheth, Niral, Jackson, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Application Number:
  US12/399,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20100229226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 726/6, 709/206
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

Systems and methods to secure authorized access are disclosed. A method includes receiving, an electronic device, a request to generate function-authorization settings including function-access data associated with a particular function of the electronic device to be protected. The method also includes prompting for and receiving function-access data. The received function-access data includes first function-access data that specifies access credentials of a first user to access the particular function and second function-access data that specifies access credentials of a second user to access the particular function. The method also includes associating the received function-access data with the particular function and storing the function-authorization settings including the received function-access data at a memory of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a function access request at a processor of a mobile communication device;

determining, via a check by the processor of a global access parameter stored in a memory of the mobile communication device, whether restricted access to functions is active for the mobile communication device in response to the function access request;

when restricted access to functions is active for the mobile communication device;

determining, via a check by the processor of function-access data stored in the memory, that a particular function associated with the function access request requires access credentials;

sending a prompt for the access credentials to a display of the mobile communication device;

receiving user input of the access credentials in response to the prompt;

determining, via a comparison by the processor of the user input to corresponding credential data of the function-access data and via verification by the processor that access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function is satisfied, that access to the particular function is permitted; and

providing, via the processor, access to the particular function while the access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function remains satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function includes a temporal access limitation that allows usage of the particular function in a time range between a first time and a second time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular function enables internet access.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular function comprises access to a subscription service associated with the mobile communication device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein performing the particular function accrues charges to a subscriber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular function enables sending and receiving email messages.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing access to the particular function associated with the function access request when restricted access is not active for the mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes a user name and a password.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular function is a high-level function, and wherein the access limitation data associated with the particular function applies to a function subservient to the particular function.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the access limitation data for the particular function includes a temporal access limitation that allows usage of the particular function for a preset amount of time.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically terminating the particular function when the preset amount of time expires.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the global access parameter is a function-authorization setting of a plurality of function-authorization settings.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a second prompt to the display for an access credential of a primary user of the mobile communication device when a request to access the plurality of function-authorization settings is received.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function for a particular user indicates that the particular function can be performed regardless of a current time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function for a particular user indicates that the particular function can be performed without restriction.

16. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile communication device, cause the processor to perform operations including:

receiving a function access;

determining in response to the function access request that a global access parameter stored in a memory of the mobile communication device indicates that restricted access to functions is active for the mobile communication device;

determining, via a check of function-access data stored in the memory, that a particular function associated with the function access request requires access credentials;

sending a prompt for access credentials to a display of the mobile communication device in response to the global access parameter indicating that restricted access to functions is active;

receiving user input of the access credentials in response to the prompt;

determining, via a comparison of the user input to corresponding credential data of the function-access data and via verification that access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function is satisfied, that access to the particular function is permitted; and

providing access to the particular function while the access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function remains satisfied.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function includes a temporal access limitation that allows usage of the particular function in a time range between a first time and a second time.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function includes a temporal access limitation that allows usage of the particular function for a preset amount of time.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further include enabling the particular function when the function-access data indicates that the particular function does not require access credentials.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function inhibits access to a set of websites.

21. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the set of websites comprises adult web sites.

22. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further include terminating access to the particular function when the access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function remains is not satisfied.

23. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions, that when executed by a processor of a mobile communication device, cause the processor to perform operations including:

receiving a function access request;

determining that a global access parameter stored in a memory of the mobile communication device indicates that restricted access to functions is active for the mobile communication device in response to the function access request;

determining, via a check of function-access data stored in the memory, that a particular function associated with the function access request requires access credentials;

sending a prompt for the access credentials to a display of the mobile communication device in response to the function access request;

receiving user input of the access credentials in response to the prompt;

determining, via a comparison of the user input to corresponding credential data of the function-access data and via verification that access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function is satisfied, that access to the particular function is permitted;

providing access to the particular function when access is permitted;

making a determination during provision of access to the particular function whether access to the particular function remains permissible based on the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function; and

terminating access to the particular function when the determination is that access to the particular function is not permitted based on the access limitation data corresponding to the particular function.

24. A mobile communication device comprising:

an antenna;

a transceiver coupled to the antenna;

an input/output interface;

a processor coupled to the transceiver and to the input/output interface;

a memory device accessible to the processor and including executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile communication device to perform operations including;

receiving, via the input/output interface, a function access request associated with a particular function of the mobile communication device;

determining in response to the function access request that a global access parameter stored in the memory device indicates that restricted access to functions is active for the mobile communication device;

determining, via a check of function-access data stored in the memory device, that the particular function requires access credentials;

prompting, via the input/output interface, for user input of the access credentials;

receiving, via the input/output interface, the user input;

determining via a comparison of the user input to corresponding credential data of the function-access data and via verification that access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function is satisfied, that access to the particular function is permitted; and

providing access to the particular function while the access limitation data of the function-access data corresponding to the particular function remains satisfied.

25. The mobile communication device of claim 24, wherein the particular function enables sending and receiving email messages.