US 10,375,111 B2 · Anonymous containers

Abstract

Anonymous containers are discussed herein. An operating system running on a computing device, also referred to herein as a host operating system running on a host device, prevents an application from accessing personal information (e.g., user information or corporate information) by activating an anonymous container that is isolated from the host operating system. In order to create and activate the anonymous container, a container manager anonymizes the configuration and settings data of the host operating system, and injects the anonymous configuration and settings data into the anonymous container. Such anonymous configuration and settings data may include, by way of example and not limitation, application data, machine configuration data, and user settings data. The host operating system then allows the application to run in the anonymous container.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

receiving a request to run an application in a computing device having a host operating system with corresponding a first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data;
and
in response to receiving the request,
activating, by the host operating system, a container that is isolated from directly accessing the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data in the host operating system;
anonymizing the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data of the host operating system into a second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data different than the first set, respectively;
injecting the anonymized second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data into the activated container;
and
allowing the application to run in the activated container and access the injected anonymized second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data instead of the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data in the host operating system.

5 more elements

A computing device, comprising:

a processor;
and
a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory having instructions executable by the processor to provide a host operating system having a first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data and to cause the computing device to:
upon receiving a request to run an application in the computing device,
activate, by the host operating system, a container that is isolated from directly accessing the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data in the host operating system;
inject a second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data into the activated container, the second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data being anonymized from and different than the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data, respectively;
and
execute the application in the activated container, the injected second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data being accessible to the executed application instead of the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data in the host operating system.

5 more elements

A method performed in a computing device having a processor and a memory having instructions executable by the processor to provide a host operating system having a first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data, the method comprising:

upon receiving a request to run an application in the computing device,
activating, by the host operating system, a container that is isolated from directly accessing the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data in the host operating system;
injecting a second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data into the activated container, the second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data being anonymized from and different than the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data, respectively;
and
executing the application in the activated container, the executed application having access to the injected second set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data instead of the first set of application data, machine configuration data, or user settings data in the host operating system.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Anonymous containers

Life of this patent

Anonymous containers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20