# US 2014/0196158 A1 · Method and system for protecting privacy and enhancing security on an electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196158 A1 - Document ID: US20140196158A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/738,850 - Filed: 2013-01-10 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: Lookout, Inc. - Applicants: Lookout, Inc. - Inventors: Brian James Buck - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196158A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/31: User authentication - G06F 21/60: Protecting data - G06F 2221/031: Protect user input by software means - G06F 2221/2141: Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for protecting privacy and enhancing security on an electronic device is provided. When sensor information associated with at least one user input action is collected by a sensor in an electronic device hosting a plurality of applications, the method includes intercepting a request to access the sensor information from a requesting application of the plurality of applications, and controlling access to the sensor information associated with the at least one user input action based on the requesting application. By controlling access to the sensor information, leakage of sensitive or secure information to a malicious background application is minimized and privacy and security are enhanced. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for protecting a user's privacy on an electronic device, the method comprising: collecting, by a sensor in an electronic device hosting a plurality of applications, sensor information associated with at least one user input action; intercepting, by the electronic device, a request to access the sensor information from a requesting application of the plurality of applications; and controlling, by the electronic device, access to the sensor information associated with the at least one user input action based on the requesting application. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes one of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a camera, a biometric reader, a microphone, and a remote motion detector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the user input action includes a touching a touchpad, providing a voice command, providing biometric information, and performing a gesture. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes blocking all access by the requesting application to the sensor information when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes adding random noise to the sensor information to obfuscate the sensor information when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes decreasing a sampling frequency of the sensor to reduce the sensor information when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes replacing the collected sensor information with information corresponding to a neutral object when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein when the sensor is an accelerometer, the method further comprises detecting, by the accelerometer, that the electronic device is placed on a stationary surface, and wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes preventing the requesting application from accessing the sensor information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: displaying, by the electronic device, at least one of a window and a soft keyboard associated with a first application of the plurality of applications, wherein the first application is a foreground application; requesting, by the first application in the electronic device, a user input action comprising at least one of an input in the window and a keystroke corresponding to at least one key on the soft keyboard displayed by the electronic device; receiving, by the electronic device, the user input action in at least one of the window and the soft keyboard; and providing, by the electronic device, access to the sensor information associated with the input action to the first application. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein when the requesting application is a background application and is not authorized to access the sensor information, controlling access to the sensor information includes one of blocking all access to the sensor information, adding random noise to the sensor information to obfuscate the sensor information, and replacing the sensor information with information corresponding to a neutral object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving, by the electronic device, sensor information access rules that define access control policies associated with sensor information collected by at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors in the electronic device, wherein controlling access to the sensor information associated with the at least one user input action is further based on the sensor information access rules. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the sensor information access rules are provided by at least one of the user, an administrator of the electronic device, and an application of the plurality of applications hosted by the electronic device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing, by the electronic device, a first browser window or browser tab associated with a first browser application and a second browser window or browser tab associated with a second browser application; receiving, by the electronic device, at least one user input action in the first browser window/tab, wherein the first browser application is a foreground application and the first browser window/tab is a foreground window; providing, by the electronic device, access to the sensor information associated with the least one user input action to the first browser application; and restricting access to the sensor information by the second browser application when the second browser window/tab is not the foreground window. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: collecting, by the sensor, real time sensor information associated with real time motion of the electronic device; and classifying, by the sensor, the real time sensor information associated with the real time motion of the electronic device into a first of a plurality of motion categories, wherein controlling access to the sensor information associated with the at least one user input action includes providing preconfigured sensor information corresponding to the first motion category. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for protecting a user's privacy on an electronic device, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: collecting, by a sensor in an electronic device hosting a plurality of applications, sensor information associated with at least one user input action; intercepting, by the electronic device, a request to access the sensor information from a requesting application of the plurality of applications; and controlling, by the electronic device, access to the sensor information associated with at least one user input action based on the requesting application. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes blocking all access to the sensor information by the requesting application when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes adding random noise to the sensor information to obfuscate the sensor information when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes decreasing a sampling frequency of the sensor to reduce the sensor information when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein controlling access to the sensor information includes replacing the sensor information with information corresponding to a neutral object when the requesting application is a background application. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions cause the processors to perform further operations comprising: receiving, by the electronic device, sensor information access rules that define access control policies associated with sensor information collected by at least one sensor of a plurality of sensors in the electronic device, wherein controlling access to the first and second sensor information associated with the at least one user input action is further based on the sensor information access rules. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions cause the processors to perform further operations comprising: providing, by the electronic device, a first browser window or browser tab associated with a first browser application and a second browser window or browser tab associated with a second browser application; receiving, by the electronic device, at least one user input action in the first browser window/tab, wherein the first browser application is a foreground application and the first browser window/tab is a foreground window; providing, by the electronic device, access to the sensor information associated with the least one user input action to the first browser application; and restricting access to the sensor information by the second browser application when the second browser window/tab is not the foreground window. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions cause the processors to perform further operations comprising: collecting, by the sensor, real time sensor information associated with real time motion of the electronic device; and classifying, by the sensor, the real time sensor information associated with the real time motion of the electronic device into a first of a plurality of motion categories, wherein controlling access to the sensor information associated with the at least one user input action includes providing preconfigured sensor information corresponding to the first motion category.