Controlling use of a business environment on a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9985929-B2
Application number	US-201514952255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 22, 2011
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A business environment on a mobile device can be controlled by an enterprise server by receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the enterprise server. A virtual phone template is transmitted to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device. The enterprise server then receives a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the enterprise server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling use of a business environment on a mobile device by an enterprise server, the method comprising:
receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the enterprise server;
transmitting a virtual phone template to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device;
receiving a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the enterprise server; and
causing an access to the virtual machine to be disabled or a virtual phone image to be erased from the mobile device without affecting a personal use of the mobile device in response to a periodic transmission from the mobile device not being received, wherein the virtual machine is executed remotely from the enterprise server.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a group security policy that is set for a business group of the user to the mobile device, wherein the group security policy comprises security information that applies to each user of the user's business group and wherein the security information comprises time interval information for the periodic transmission.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the security information further comprises password configuration information for the business environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the enterprise server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the periodic transmission is transmitted by a management component running on the mobile device and wherein the management component runs in a privileged mode on the mobile device and cannot be manually terminated by the user.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the transmitting step further comprises transmitting a security policy to the mobile device that specifies an interval of time that the mobile device should periodically communicate with the enterprise server in order to comply with the security policy.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the identifying information is information that authenticates the user to the enterprise server.

8. A server configured to control use of a business environment on a mobile device comprising a processor configured to perform:
receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the server;
transmitting a virtual phone template to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device;
receiving a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server; and
causing an access to the virtual machine to be disabled or a virtual phone image to be erased from the mobile device without affecting a personal use of the mobile device in response to a periodic transmission from the mobile device not being received, wherein the virtual machine is executed remotely from the server.

9. The server of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting a group security policy that is set for a business group of the user to the mobile device, wherein the group security policy comprises security information that applies to each user of the user's business group and wherein the security information comprises time interval information for the periodic transmission.

10. The server of claim 9 , wherein the security information further comprises password configuration information for the business environment.

11. The server of claim 8 , further comprising receiving the periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server.

12. The server of claim 8 , wherein the periodic transmission is transmitted by a management component running on the mobile device and wherein the management component runs in a privileged mode on the mobile device and cannot be manually terminated by the user.

13. The server of claim 12 , wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting a security policy to the mobile device that specifies an interval of time that the mobile device should periodically communicate with the server in order to comply with the security policy.

14. The server of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the identifying information is information that authenticates the user to the server.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause a processor of a server to control use of a business environment on a mobile device by performing:
receiving identifying information transmitted from a mobile device, wherein the identifying information identifies a user of the mobile device to the server;
transmitting a virtual phone template to the mobile device, wherein the virtual phone template (i) corresponds to the identifying information, and (ii) is configured to provide the business environment on the mobile device as a virtual machine running on a hypervisor installed on top of a host operating system of the mobile device;
receiving a periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server; and
causing an access to the virtual machine to be disabled or a virtual phone image to be erased from the mobile device without affecting a personal use of the mobile device in response to a periodic transmission from the mobile device not being received, wherein the virtual machine is executed remotely from the enterprise server.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising transmitting a group security policy that is set for a business group of the user to the mobile device, wherein the group security policy comprises security information that applies to each user of the user's business group and wherein the security information comprises time interval information for the periodic transmission.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the security information further comprises password configuration information for the business environment.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising receiving the periodic transmission from the mobile device to indicate that the mobile device remains in periodic communication with the server.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the periodic transmission is transmitted by a management component running on the mobile device and wherein the management component runs in a privileged mode on the mobile device and cannot be manually terminated by the user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein transmitting further comprises transmitting a security policy to the mobile device that specifies an interval of time that the mobile device should per

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Deasy Stephen
• Meyer Robert
• Newell Craig
• Sit Emil
• Wisner Paul
• Furodet David
• Gyuris Viktor
• Strudel Fanny

Classifications

• G06F9/455

  Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines · CPC title

• H04N21/443

  OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB · CPC title

• G06F9/45529

  Embedded in an application, e.g. JavaScript in a Web browser · CPC title

• G06F9/46

  Multiprogramming arrangements · CPC title

• H04N21/4437 Primary

  Implementing a Virtual Machine [VM] (virtual machines in general G06F9/45533) · CPC title