Systems and methods for locking and disabling a device in response to a request

• US 9,179,434 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahaffey, Kevin Patrick, Hering, John Gunther, Burgess, James
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US14/051,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20140038564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/026 using e-messaging for transporting management information, e.g. email, instant messaging or chat
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A computing device may be locked and contact information associated with an owner of the computing device may be displayed. For example, a request to lock the computing device may be received. In response to such a request, at least some of the functionality of the computing device may be disabled. For example, control input or input keys of the computing device may be at least partially disabled. Furthermore, contact information may be shown on the display of the computing device. For example, the phone number, address, email address, or other information of the owner of the computing device may be displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile communications device, a request to lock the mobile communications device, the request to lock the mobile communications device being received from an application operating remotely from the mobile communications device;

disabling at least some functionality of the mobile communications device in response to the request to lock the mobile communications device; and

displaying contact information on the display of the mobile communications device in response to the request to lock the mobile communications device, the contact information including one or more alternate contact addresses or numbers corresponding to an owner of the mobile communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information is received from the application operating remotely from the mobile communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises an email address of an owner of the mobile communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises a mailing address of an owner of the mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises a telephone number of an owner of the mobile communications device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the telephone number is available as a predefined phone number available to be called from the mobile communications device while the mobile communications device is locked.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information comprises information to indicate how to contact an owner of the mobile communications device.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an icon for at least one of the one or more alternate contact addresses or numbers corresponding to the owner of the mobile communications device, the icon being displayed on the mobile communications device and activatable at the mobile communications device for contacting the owner at the alternate contact addresses or number.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a mobile communications device, a request to lock the mobile communications device, the request to lock the mobile communications device being received from an application operating remotely from the mobile communications device;

disabling at least some functionality of the mobile communications device in response to the request to lock the mobile communications device; and

displaying contact information on the display of the mobile communications device in response to the request to lock the mobile communications device, the contact information including one or more alternate contact addresses or numbers corresponding to an owner of the mobile communications device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the contact information is received from the application operating remotely from the mobile communications device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the contact information comprises an email address of an owner of the mobile communications device.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the contact information comprises a mailing address of an owner of the mobile communications device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the contact information comprises a telephone number of an owner of the mobile communications device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the telephone number is available as a predefined phone number available to be called from the mobile communications device while the mobile communications device is locked.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the contact information comprises information to indicate how to contact an owner of the mobile communications device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising generating an icon for at least one of the one or more alternate contact addresses or numbers corresponding to the owner of the mobile communications device, the icon being displayed on the mobile communications device and activatable at the mobile communications device for contacting the owner at the alternate contact addresses or number.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile communications device, a lock command for the mobile communications device, the lock command for the mobile communications device being received from an application operating remotely from the mobile communications device;

disabling at least some control input of the mobile communications device in response to the lock command for the mobile communications device; and

displaying contact information on the display of the mobile communications device in response to the lock command for the mobile communications device, the contact information including one or more alternate contact addresses or numbers corresponding to an owner of the mobile communications device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the contact information is received from the application operating remotely from the mobile communications device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the contact information comprises an email address of an owner of the mobile communications device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the contact information comprises a mailing address of an owner of the mobile communications device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the contact information comprises a telephone number of an owner of the mobile communications device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the telephone number is available as a predefined phone number available to be called from the mobile communications device while the mobile communications device is locked.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating an icon for at least one of the one or more alternate contact addresses or numbers corresponding to the owner of the mobile communications device, the icon being displayed on the mobile communications device and activatable at the mobile communications device for contacting the owner at the alternate contact addresses or number.