Controlling access to protected functionality of a host device using a wireless device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorZachary Maragoudakis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wearable device can establish a verified session with a host device (e.g., by establishing that the wearable device is present in the vicinity of the host device and is currently being worn). The existence of such a verified session can be used to control user access to sensitive information that may be stored in or otherwise accessible to a host device. For example, the host device and/or application programs executing thereon can be configured to restrict a user's ability to invoke program functionality that accesses sensitive information based on whether a verified session with a wearable device is currently in progress.
Claims20
A method of launching an application program on a host device, the method comprising, by the host device:
- establishing a verified session between the host device and a wearable device, wherein establishing the verified session comprises verifying that the wearable device is being worn, and wherein the verified session terminates when the wearable device ceases to be worn;
- identifying an application program to be launched;
- determining whether the application program has a protected mode;
- and
- when the application program has a protected mode:
- determining whether the verified session between the host device and the wearable device is in progress;
- and
- launching the application program in the protected mode when the verified session is in progress.
A host device, comprising:
- a communication interface to communicate with a wearable device;
- a user interface;
- and
- a processor coupled to the communication interface and the user interface, the processor configured to:
- identify an application program to be launched, the application program having a protected mode;
- determine whether a verified session between the host device and a wearable device is in progress, wherein the verified session becomes established when the wearable device is being worn in proximity to the host device, and wherein the verified session terminates when the wearable device ceases to be worn;
- and
- launch the application program in the protected mode when the verified session is in progress.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program code instructions that, when executed by a processor in a host device, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
- receiving a user request to invoke a functionality of an application program that is available in a protected mode of the application program;
- determining whether a verified session between the host device and a wearable device is in progress, wherein the verified session becomes established when the wearable device is being worn in proximity to the host device and wherein the verified session terminates when the wearable device ceases to be worn;
- and
- entering the protected mode of the application program when the verified session is in progress.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.