Methods and systems for electronic device concealed monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11301553-B2
Application number	US-202016785259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2020
Priority date	Feb 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device includes one or more sensors, a user interface having one or more user interface output devices, and one or more processors operable with the one or more sensors and the user interface. The one or more processors receive, from the user interface, a command to power OFF the electronic device. Upon failing to detect, with the one or more sensors, an authorized user of the electronic device as a source of the command to power OFF the electronic device, the one or more processors disable the one or more user interface output devices while leaving the one or more sensors operational.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:
identifying, with one or more sensors of the electronic device, an unauthorized user providing a command, received at a user interface of the electronic device, to power OFF the electronic device;
disabling, with one or more processors of the electronic device, user interface output devices of the electronic device while keeping one or more input devices of the electronic device operational; and
increasing a number of authorized user identification factors required to again enable the user interface output devices of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising precluding, with the one or more processors, a factory reset of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disabling comprises disabling all user interface output devices of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising emulating, with the user interface, a powered OFF state of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface output devices comprise one or more of visual output devices, audio output devices, haptic output devices, or combinations thereof, further wherein the one or more input devices comprise one or more of an imager, a microphone, a geo-locator, a wireless communication circuit, a motion detector, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring, with the one or more input devices, one or more inputs from an environment of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising transmitting, across a network with a wireless communication circuit, data representations of the one or more inputs to a remote electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, across a network with a wireless communication circuit, a notification that the unauthorized user has been identified to a remote electronic device.

9. An electronic device, comprising:
one or more sensors;
a user interface comprising one or more user interface output devices; and
one or more processors operable with the one or more sensors and the user interface;
the one or more processors receiving, from the user interface, a command to power OFF the electronic device, and upon failing to detect, with the one or more sensors, an authorized user of the electronic device as a source of the command to power OFF the electronic device, disabling the one or more user interface output devices while leaving the one or more sensors operational; and
the one or more processors further increasing a number of authorized user identification factors required to authenticate an authorized user of the electronic device at an authentication cycle occurring after the one or more processors disable the one or more user interface output devices.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , the increasing resulting in a personal identification number (PIN) being required to authenticate the authorized user of the electronic device at authentication cycle occurring after the one or more processors disable the one or more user interface output devices.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising a wireless communication circuit, the one or more processors further transmitting, with the wireless communication circuit, a notification of a failure to detect the authorized user across a network to a remote electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , the one or more processors further prompting, with the user interface, for biometric input prior to disabling the one or more user interface output devices.

13. A method in an electronic device, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user interface of the electronic device, a command to power OFF the electronic device;
attempting to identify, with one or more sensors of the electronic device, an authorized user of the electronic device;
upon failing to identify the authorized user of the electronic device, disabling, with one or more processors of the electronic device, user interface output devices of the electronic device while keeping one or more input devices of the electronic device operational;
monitoring, with the one or more input devices, one or more inputs from an environment of the electronic device;
transmitting, across a network with a wireless communication circuit, data representations of the one or more inputs to a remote electronic device while the user interface output devices are disabled; and
prompting, on a display of the electronic device, for a fingerprint scan prior to disabling the user interface output devices of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the attempting to identify occurs in response to the receiving the command to power OFF the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising identifying the authorized user of the electronic device and powering OFF the electronic device in response to the command to power OFF the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising precluding, with the one or more processors, enabling the user interface output devices until the authorized user is authenticated.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising precluding, with the one or more processors, erasure of data stored in a memory of the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising precluding, with the one or more processors, a factory reset of the electronic device.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising presenting, with the one or more processors, one of an image or animation on a display, or delivering, with the one or more processors, audio signals to an audio output device, until an imager captures a captured image of a source of the command to power OFF the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising capturing fingerprint data using a fingerprint sensor.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Alameh Rachid
• Merrell Thomas
• Simerson Jarrett

Classifications

• G06F1/3215

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F1/1686

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title

• G06F21/50

  Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F21/32 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title