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US 2014/0373184 A1Published application
Mobile device persistent security mechanism
AssigneeLookout, Inc.
InventorsKevin Patrick Mahaffey, Brian James Buck, Samir Vilas Gupte, Ankur Bharatbhushan Nandwani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A security application program provides features to help users recover their stolen mobile communication devices. The security application program may be pre-loaded into a system partition of the mobile device so that the security application program will not be erased during a wipe or factory reset of the mobile device. An owner registration service may be provided to help verify ownership of the mobile device.
Claims66
A method of identifying a device reset of a mobile communications device comprising:
- causing, by a security program on the mobile communications device, an identifier associated with the mobile communications device to be sent to a server;
- using the security program, determining whether there has been the device reset;
- and
- if there has been the device reset, causing, by the security program, the identifier and an indication that there has been the device reset to be sent to a server, wherein the security program is not erased during the device reset.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- receiving at a server an identifier and an indication that there has been a device reset from a security program that has been preloaded onto a mobile communications device, the security program thereby being stored on the mobile communications device before the mobile communications device is provided to a user;
- and
- checking an ownership registry to determine if the mobile communications device has a registered owner.
A method comprising:
- transmitting from a mobile communications device to a server a request to register a user of the mobile communications device as being an owner of the mobile communications device.
A method comprising:
- receiving at a registration server a request from a user of a mobile communications device to be registered as an owner of the mobile communications device.
A method comprising:
- transmitting from a mobile communications device to a server a request by an owner of the mobile communications device to transfer ownership of the mobile communications device.
A method comprising:
- receiving at a registration server a request by an owner of a mobile communications device to transfer ownership of the mobile communications device to a different user.
A method comprising:
- transmitting from a mobile communications device to a server a notice by a registered owner of the mobile communications device that the registered owner has sold the mobile communications device and should no longer be the registered owner.
A method comprising:
- receiving at a registration server a notice by a registered owner of a mobile communications device that the registered owner has sold the mobile communications device and should no longer be the registered owner.
A method comprising:
- causing, by an application program on a mobile communications device, a request to verify ownership of the mobile communications device to be sent to a server.
A method comprising:
- providing a security program to a system builder for the system builder to install the security program in a first memory partition of a mobile communications device;
- registering a first user as being an owner or authorized user of the mobile communications device;
- intercepting, by the security program, an attempt to clear all user data stored in a second memory partition of the mobile communications device, different from the first memory partition;
- determining that the attempt was made by a second user who is not registered as the owner or authorized user of the mobile communications device;
- and
- upon the determination, generating an alert.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- detecting an attempt to clear all user data from the mobile communications device;
- determining that the attempt to clear all user data was made by a second user who is not registered as the owner or authorized user of the mobile communications device;
- and
- after the step of determining that the attempt to clear all user data was made by the second user, installing a security program on the mobile communications device.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- storing a registry;
- registering in the registry a mobile communications device as having an owner;
- receiving from a communications provider of the mobile communications device a request to verify whether the mobile communications device has a registered owner;
- consulting the registry to verify whether the mobile communications device is registered;
- informing the communications provider of the registration;
- and
- based on the mobile communications device being registered, receiving location tracking information associated with the mobile communications device from the communications provider, wherein the request to verify whether the mobile communications device has a registered owner or authorized user is sent by the communications provider after the communications provider receives from the mobile communications device an indication that the mobile communications device has been reset to a factory setting.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- storing a registry;
- registering in the registry the mobile communications device as belonging to an owner;
- receiving a report indicating that the mobile communications device is missing;
- updating the registry to indicate that the mobile communications device is missing;
- receiving from an application program on the mobile communications device a request to verify ownership of the mobile communications device;
- consulting the registry to verify the ownership of the mobile communications device;
- upon consulting the registry, determining that the mobile communications device was reported missing;
- and
- based on the determination, generating an alert.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- sending from an application program on a mobile communications device a request to verify ownership of the mobile communications device to a server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.