System and method for concealing sensitive data on a computing device

• US 9,898,619 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Original Assignee: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company (State Farm)
• Inventors: Hadsall, Jacob L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avery, Jeremiah
• Application Number:
  US14/833,275
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

A computer-implemented method may conceal sensitive data displayed within a viewport of a display of a client computing device, such as sensitive data relating to auto, home, life, or renters insurance, banking, and/or vehicle loans. In one aspect, the method may receive a user credential authenticating a user of the computing device and determine that a sensitive data flag has been triggered. The sensitive data flag may indicate that sensitive user data is displayed within a viewport of the computing device. The method may also initiate a biometric detection service, application, and/or functionality in response to determining that the sensitive data flag has been triggered and detect a first biometric identifier belonging to the user of the computing device. The method may further detect a second biometric identifier belonging to someone other than the user, and obscure the sensitive user data displayed within the viewport of the computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying potential eavesdroppers when hiding sensitive information, the method comprising:

commencing, at one or more processors in a first computing device, an eavesdropping detection functionality in response to detecting a trigger event;

directing, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, a camera mounted on the first computing device to capture one or more images including one or more persons looking at or potentially viewing a display screen on the first computing device;

analyzing, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, the one or more images to detect an unauthorized viewer or eavesdropper is viewing, or potentially viewing, the display screen on the first computing device for more than a threshold duration of at least one second; and

transmitting, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, the one or more images which include the unauthorized viewer or the eavesdropper to a second computing device to be displayed to a user on the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, instructions to the second computing device to provide an alert to the user that one or more images which include the unauthorized viewer or the eavesdropper are being displayed on the second computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving a gesture by the user on the display of the second computing device, creating, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, a biometric fingerprint associated with authorized users based upon a biometric identifier for the unauthorized viewer or eavesdropper.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving a gesture by the user on the display of the second computing device, turning off, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, the eavesdropping detection functionality.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, the one or more images which include the unauthorized viewer or eavesdropper on a portion of the display screen on the first computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying, by the one or more processors in the first computing device, one or more data items on a viewport of the display screen on the first computing device;

wherein the one or more images which include the unauthorized viewer or eavesdropper are displayed overlaying at least a portion of the viewport.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more images are transmitted to the second computing device in real-time.

8. A mobile device for displaying potential eavesdroppers when hiding sensitive information, the mobile device comprising a processor configured to:

commence an eavesdropping detection functionality in response to detecting a trigger event;

direct a camera mounted on the mobile device to capture one or more images including one or more persons looking at or potentially viewing a display screen on the mobile device;

analyze the one or more images to detect an unauthorized viewer or eavesdropper is viewing, or potentially viewing, the display screen on the mobile device for more than a threshold duration of at least one second;

generate a push notification message indicative of potential eavesdropping; and

transmit from a mobile device transceiver the push notification message to a smart watch also associated with the user to alert the user that a potential eavesdropper may be viewing the user'"'"'s mobile device display screen.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the push notification message includes the one or more images which include the unauthorized viewer or the eavesdropper to facilitate the images being displayed on the user'"'"'s smart watch.

10. The mobile device of claim 8, the mobile device configured to, in response to receiving a gesture by the user on the display of the smart watch, create a biometric fingerprint associated with authorized users based upon a biometric identifier for the unauthorized viewer or eavesdropper.

11. The mobile device of claim 8, the mobile device configured to, in response to receiving a gesture by the user on the display of the smart watch, turn off the eavesdropping detection functionality.

12. The mobile device of claim 8, the mobile device configured to display one or more data items on a viewport of the display screen, wherein the one or more images which include the unauthorized viewer or eavesdropper are displayed overlaying at least a portion of the viewport.

13. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the one or more images are transmitted to the smart watch in real-time.

14. A computer system for detecting and displaying potential eavesdroppers, such as when displaying or hiding sensitive information on a mobile device display screen, the computer system comprising:

a mobile device having a processor, memory, front facing camera, a transceiver, and a display screen; and

a smart watch having a processor, memory, a transceiver, and a display screen,

wherein the mobile device processor is configured to (i) direct the front facing camera to acquire one or more images;

(ii) detect a face or eyes of a potential eavesdropper in the one or more images to determine that the potential eavesdropper is viewing the display screen of the mobile device for more than a threshold duration at least one second;

(iii) compare the one or more images of the potential eavesdropper with a list of images of authorized users of the mobile device to confirm that the potential eavesdropper is an unrecognized or unauthorized user of the mobile device; and

(iv) when an unrecognized or unauthorized user of the mobile device has been identified within the images by the processor, generate an electronic notification indicative of potential eavesdropping and transmit the electronic notification via wireless communication and/or data transmission using the transceiver to the transceiver of the smart watch;

and the smart watch is configured to receive the electronic notification via the smart watch transceiver from the mobile device transceiver and display the electronic notification on the smart watch display screen to alert the user of potential eavesdropping of information being displayed on the mobile device via the smart watch.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the electronic notification includes one or more images, or streaming video, of the potential eavesdropper that was captured by the mobile device'"'"'s camera and is displayed on the smart watch display in real time.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the electronic notification allows the user to add an image of the potential eavesdropper to a list of images of known or authorized users stored in a memory unit of the mobile device.

17. The computer system of claim 14, the mobile device configured to, in response to receiving a gesture by the user on the display of the smart watch, turn off the eavesdropping detection functionality.