US 2020/0007676 A1 · DEVICE LOCATOR DISABLE AUTHENTICATION

Abstract

A device locator mode or find my device (FMD) mode can allow a lost, stolen, or misplaced mobile device to be located. The FMD mode can be enabled or disabled on a mobile device. Sometimes thieves or unauthorized parties attempt to disable the FMD mode. To prevent this, the mobile device can transmit a unique device identifier to a remote server. The remote server can link the device identifier to a cloud-based user account associated with the user of the mobile device. Before an FMD mode is disabled on the mobile device, before the content or settings can be erased, and/or before a mobile device is permitted to be activated/reactivated, a user of the mobile device can be challenged for the credentials of the cloud-based user account. If valid credentials are provided, FMD can be disabled, the content or settings can be reset, and/or the device can be activated/reactivated.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

on a mobile device, the mobile device having user-erasable content and user-configured security settings erased from the mobile device, upon start-up of the mobile device after the user-erasable content and user-configured security settings were erased:
determining whether a device locator mode is enabled for the mobile device, the device locator mode to enable an authorized requesting device to receive location information related to the mobile device, wherein the device locator mode is associated with a cloud-based user account;
presenting, on the mobile device, a user interface including a challenge for account credentials of the cloud-based user account;
and
limiting functionality of the mobile device until valid credentials are provided at the user interface.

2 more elements

A data processing system on a mobile device, wherein the data processing system comprises:

one or more processors;
and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed by the processor, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
on the mobile device, the mobile device having user-erasable content and user-configured security settings erased from the mobile device, upon start-up of the mobile device after the user-erasable content and user-configured security settings were erased:
determining whether a device locator mode is enabled for the mobile device, the device locator mode to enable an authorized requesting device to receive location information related to the mobile device, wherein the device locator mode is associated with a cloud-based user account;
presenting, on the mobile device, a user interface including a challenge for account credentials of the cloud-based user account;
and
limiting functionality of the mobile device until valid credentials are provided at the user interface.

5 more elements

A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile device, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

on the mobile device, the mobile device having user-erasable content and user-configured security settings erased from the mobile device, upon start-up of the mobile device after the user-erasable content and user-configured security settings were erased:
determining whether a device locator mode is enabled for the mobile device, the device locator mode to enable an authorized requesting device to receive location information related to the mobile device, wherein the device locator mode is associated with a cloud-based user account;
presenting, on the mobile device, a user interface including a challenge for account credentials of the cloud-based user account;
and
limiting functionality of the mobile device until valid credentials are provided at the user interface.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device locator disable authentication

Life of this patent

Device locator disable authentication

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20