Mobile electronic communications device having multiple device paths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11146565-B2
Application number	US-201816203209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2018
Priority date	Nov 28, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing multiple paths through a mobile electronic device entail providing one of multiple levels of device access and cloud access based on an identity determination and authentication as to a potential user. In an embodiment, the device attempts to identify the user based on traditional touch/touchless authentication techniques. If this attempt is unsuccessful, the device then tries to identify the user by alternative means. If the user can be identified, the device attempts to authenticate the user for full access to the device and associated cloud data. If this is successful, the user is granted full access. If instead the identified user is not qualified for full access, the user is given pass-through access to their personal cloud storage. If, however, the device is unable to even identify the user, the user may be given pass-through access to the cloud generally.

First claim

We claim:

1. A mobile electronic communications device having multiple device paths comprising:
a local non-transitory memory medium assigned to store user data associated with an owner of the device;
a network connection configured to selectively access a network for access to resources on the network; and
a processor configured to detect a potential user, attempt to identify the potential user, and select and expose to the potential user one of a first path through the device and a second path through the device based on an identity of the potential user, wherein the first path includes the local non-transitory memory medium, including at least a portion of the user data stored therein, and the second path includes only the network connection;
wherein the first path further includes cloud storage associated with the owner of the device;
wherein the second path further includes cloud storage associated with a specific individual other than the owner of the device and limited local device access;
wherein the second path further includes a mirror of cloud content locally on the device;
wherein the mirror of cloud content locally on the device is erased when a different user interacts with the device.

2. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user comprises an evaluation of a placement mode assessment of the mobile electronic communications device.

3. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user results in a determination that the potential user is the owner of the device, and wherein the processor is further configured to select and expose the first path in response to said determination.

4. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user comprises a touchless attempt to identify the potential user.

5. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user results in a determination that the potential user is the specific individual, and wherein the processor is further configured to select and expose the second path in response to said determination.

6. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to select and expose a third path if the attempt to identify the potential user results in a determination that the potential user is neither the owner of the device nor the specific individual, wherein the third path includes the cloud storage but excludes the cloud storage associated with the specific individual, the cloud storage associated with the owner of the device, and the user data stored in the local non-transitory memory medium.

7. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to deselect the third path and instead select and expose the second path if the device receives user identifying information from the cloud storage associated with the specific individual that identifies the potential user.

8. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to deselect the third path and instead select and expose the second path if the device receives user identifying information from another local device that identifies the potential user.

9. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the another local device is a wearable device.

10. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the user identifying information is supplemented by a location context of the potential user.

11. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to select and expose a third path if the potential user is neither the owner of the device nor the specific individual, but the owner of the device is detectably present with the potential user.

12. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising at least one of an imager and a fingerprint scanner, and wherein the processor is further configured to use at least one of the imager and fingerprint scanner to determine that the owner of the device is detectably present.

13. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first path provides unrestricted access to the mobile electronic communications device.

14. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second path provides access to the cloud storage associated with the specific individual without providing access to the user data.

15. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to select and expose a third path if the attempt to identify the potential user results in a determination that the potential user is neither the owner of the device nor the specific individual, wherein the third path allows Internet access but excludes the cloud storage associated with the specific individual, the cloud storage associated with the owner of the device, and the user data stored in the local non-transitory memory medium.

16. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user results in a determination that the potential user is the specific individual, and wherein the processor is further configured to select and expose a subset of the user data in response to receiving an exposure request from the owner of the mobile electronic communications device.

17. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the subset of the user data comprises one or more predefined applications when the specific individual is a child.

18. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user occurs when the mobile electronic communications device is in a stationary state.

19. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user results in a determination that the potential user is the specific individual, and wherein the processor is further configured to temporarily select and expose the second path in response to said determination.

20. The mobile electronic communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the attempt to identify the potential user results in a determination that the potential user comprises both the owner of the device and the specific individual, and wherein the processor is further configured to select and expose the second path in response to said determination.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Alameh Rachid
• Simerson Jarrett
• Gitzinger Thomas

Classifications

• H04L67/535

  Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34) · CPC title

• H04L63/102 Primary

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title

• H04L63/105

  Multiple levels of security · CPC title

• H04L63/10

  for controlling access to devices or network resources · CPC title