US 8,078,990 B2 · Secure device sharing

Abstract

A device and method for placing the device in a locked state having an associated set of permitted tasks so as to permit the device owner to share the device with others but maintain security over aspects of the device. A task change request is evaluated to determine whether the requested task is permitted and, if so, the requested task is allowed; if not, then an authorization process is invoked to prompt the user to input authorization data. Upon verification of the authorization data, the device may be unlocked and the requested change implemented. The permitted tasks may designate specific applications, specific operations or functions within applications or at the operating system level, one or more currently open windows, and other levels of granularity.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method of securing an electronic device, the device having an operating system, a task changer and a plurality of running tasks in a background, the method comprising:

receiving a lock request to lock the device;
setting a lock indicator in response to the lock request;
associating permitted task information with the lock indicator of the device;
receiving a request to activate a selected task from the plurality of running tasks in the background;
and
reading said permitted task information and determining whether said selected task is permitted based upon said permitted task information and, if so, activating said selected task from the background to a foreground.

3 more elements

An electronic device, the device having a locked state and an unlocked state, the device comprising:

a main body housing a user input device, a display, memory, and a processor operatively coupled to said user input device, said display and said memory;
an operating system running on said processor for managing input and output through said user input device and said display and providing a platform for operation of application programs, wherein said operating system is configured to receive a request to change to a selected task from a plurality of running tasks in a background;
a locking component for receiving a lock request to lock the device, setting a lock indicator, and associating permitted task information with the lock indicator of the device;
and
a task request component for identifying that the device is in the locked state based on the lock indicator and for determining whether said selected task is permitted based upon the permitted task information and, if so, activating said selected task from the background to a foreground.

2 more elements

A computer program product for securing an electronic device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having recorded thereon computer-executable instructions, said electronic device having an operating system, a task changer and a plurality of running tasks in a background, said computer-executable instructions comprising:

computer-executable instructions for receiving a lock request to lock the device;
computer-executable instructions for setting a lock indicator in response to the lock request;
computer-executable instructions for associating permitted task information with the lock indicator of the device,
computer-executable instructions for receiving a request to activate a selected task from the plurality of running tasks in the background;
and
computer-executable instructions for reading said permitted task information and determining whether said selected task is permitted based upon said permitted task information and, if so, activating said selected task from the background to a foreground.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Secure device sharing

Life of this patent

Secure device sharing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28