Mobile device access control with two-layered display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9852314-B1
Application number	US-201715463070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An approach is provided for controlling access to contents displayed on a mobile device. Based on a security rule, the contents are divided into first and second sets. A first user is authorized to access the first set and not authorized to access the second set. The first set is displayed on a physical, transparent, touch functionality-enabled first layer of a display of the mobile device. The second set is displayed on a physical, opaque, touch functionality-lacking second layer of the display. A security level of a second user is determined after the first user stops using and the second user starts using the mobile device. Based on the security level, the contents are modified so that item(s) are removed from the first set and placed in the second set and/or other item(s) are removed from the second set and placed in the first set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling access to contents displayed on a mobile device which includes a display having first and second layers, the method comprising the steps of:
the mobile device identifying a first user of the mobile device;
the mobile device determining a first level of security defined for the first user;
the mobile device receiving a security rule that specifies a combination of: an object in a graphical user interface presented in the display, text presented in the display, and a physical state of the mobile device as determined by a camera or a sensor coupled to the mobile device;
based on the security rule, the mobile device dividing the contents into a first set of one or more contents that the first user is authorized to access based on the first level of security and a second set of one or more contents that the first user is not authorized to access based on the first level of security, the first and second sets being mutually exclusive, and the contents including icons of apps loaded on the mobile device or specifying functionalities of an application being executed on the mobile device;
the mobile device displaying the first set of one or more contents on the first layer of the display and not on the second layer of the display, the first layer being a physical, transparent display having touch functionality enabled, which allows the first user to access the first set of one or more contents;
the mobile device displaying the second set of one or more contents on the second layer of the display and not on the first layer of the display, the second set of one or more contents being viewed by the first user through the first layer of the display, and the second layer being a physical, opaque display that does not have touch functionality, which prevents the first user from accessing the second set of one or more contents;
the mobile device determining that the first user stopped using the mobile device and that a second user starts using the mobile device;
the mobile device identifying the second user of the mobile device;
the mobile device determining a second level of security defined for the second user; and
based on the second level of security, the mobile device modifying the divided contents so that (1) at least one item included in the first set of one or more contents is removed from the first set and placed in the second set of one or more contents, (2) at least one item included in the second set of one or more elements is removed from the second set and placed in the first set of one or more contents, or (3) at least one item included in the first set is removed from the first set and placed in the second set and at least one item included in the second set is removed from the second set and placed in the first set.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
the mobile device receiving a first touch-based selection by the first user of a first content element included in the first set and displayed in the first layer, and in response to the step of receiving the first selection, the mobile device executing a functionality associated with the first content element; and
in response to the first user attempting to perform a touch-based selection of a second content element included in the second set and displayed on the second layer, the mobile device prohibiting an execution of a functionality associated with the second content element, which prevents an unauthorized access of the second content element.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of the mobile device performing a contextual analysis of a usage of the mobile device by the first user, wherein the step of dividing the contents is based on the contextual analysis.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
the mobile device determining a change in the physical state of the mobile device; and
based on the change in the physical state of the mobile device and the security rule that specifies the physical state, the mobile device modifying the first set of one or more contents to remove an item from the first set of one or more contents, so that the item is displayed on the second layer and no longer displayed on the first layer, which results in the first user no longer having access to the item.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
while a current time is not within a first time period, the mobile device displaying a first item on the second layer so that the first user does not have access to the first item, wherein the step of receiving the security rule includes receiving the security rule that further specifies the first time period during which the first user is permitted to access the first item, which is included in the contents;
subsequent to the step of displaying the first item on the second layer, the mobile device determining an updated current time and determining that the updated current time is included in the first time period; and
based on the security rule that specifies the first time period and in response to the step of determining that the updated current time is included in the first time period, the mobile device removing the first item from the second set of one or more contents and adding the first item to the first set of one or more contents, so that the first item is displayed on the first layer and is no longer displayed on the second layer, which results in the first user having access to the first item.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
while a current time is not within the second time period, the mobile device displaying a second item on the first layer so that the first user has access to the second item, wherein the step of receiving the security rule includes receiving the security rule that further specifies the second time period during which the first user is not permitted to access the second item, which is included in the contents;
subsequent to the step of displaying the second item on the first layer, the mobile device determining an updated current time and determining that the updated current time is included in the second time period; and
based on the security rule that specifies the second time period and in response to the step of determining that the updated current time is included in the second time period, the mobile device removing the second item from the first set of one or more contents and adding the second item to the second set of one or more contents, so that the second item is displayed on the second layer and is no longer displayed on the first layer, which results in the first user not having access to the second item.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable program code in the computer, the program code being executed by a processor of the computer to implement the steps of identifying the first user, determining the first level of security, receiving the security rule, dividing the contents, displaying the first set, displaying the second set, determining that the first user stopped using the mobile device and that the second user starts using the mobile device, identifying the second user, determining the second level of security, and modifying the divided contents.

8. A computer program product, comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium; and
a computer-readable program code stored in the computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable program code containing instructions that are executed by a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer system to implement a method of controlling access to contents displayed o

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Dasgupta Diptiman
• Maji Arindam
• Rakshit Sarbajit K
• Sarkar Sujay

Classifications

• G06F21/84 Primary

  output devices, e.g. displays or monitors · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title