Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8010997?dq=7,181,690
Timestamp: 2013-12-12 12:01:41
Document Index: 294434736

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 03', 'Application No. 03', 'Application No. 2003', 'Application No. 2009', 'Application No. 2009', 'Application No. 2003', 'Application No. 2003', 'Application No. 03', 'Application No. 2009149011', 'Application No. 2003', 'Application No. 2003']

Patent US8010997 - Enforcing device settings for mobile devices - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Advanced Patent Search | Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsThe present embodiments extend to methods, systems, and computer program products for enforcing device settings for mobile devices. Generally, a computer system enforces appropriate mobile device settings (e.g., policy and/or configuration settings) prior to permitting a mobile device to access maintained...http://www.google.com/patents/US8010997?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8010997 - Enforcing device settings for mobile devicesPublication numberUS8010997 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/171,850Publication dateAug 30, 2011Filing dateJun 30, 2005Priority dateJun 30, 2005Also published asUS20070006289Publication number11171850, 171850, US 8010997 B2, US 8010997B2, US-B2-8010997, US8010997 B2, US8010997B2InventorsDavid P. Limont, John Allen Atwood, Massimiliano Ciccotosto, Omar Aftab, Patrick Tousignant, Selvaraj Nalliah, Zhidong YangOriginal AssigneeMicrosoft CorporationExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (50), Non-Patent Citations (23), Referenced by (9), Classifications (14), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetEnforcing device settings for mobile devicesUS 8010997 B2Abstract The present embodiments extend to methods, systems, and computer program products for enforcing device settings for mobile devices. Generally, a computer system enforces appropriate mobile device settings (e.g., policy and/or configuration settings) prior to permitting a mobile device to access maintained data. The computer system receives a request from a mobile device. The computer system determines that current mobile device settings are not appropriate for accessing the maintained data. The computer system sends device settings, representing a new mobile device configuration that is appropriate for accessing the maintained data, to the mobile device. The computer system receives an indication that the mobile device is configured in accordance with the device settings. The computer system permits the mobile device to access the maintained data in response to receiving the indication that the mobile device is configured in accordance with the device settings.
Computer systems and other electronic devices can have a variety of different configurations including, personal computers, laptop computers, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones, PDAs, pagers, and the like. Many of these different types of computer systems and electronic devices can be configured to communicate wirelessly, such as, for example, in accordance with the I.E.E.E. 802.11 standards, General Packet Radio Service (�GPRS�), Global System for Mobile Communications (�GSM�), etc. Generally, wireless communication is beneficial since it allows a computer system or other electronic device maintain network connective when moved between different physical locations. For example, a mobile device, such as, for example, a mobile telephone or PDA, may be able to maintain connectivity to a GPRS network, when moved across town, between different cities, and even between different countries. Beneficially, the mobile devices can typically access data (e.g., electronic mail messages, Web based content, etc.) across wide geographical ranges.
Accessing data typically requires that a requesting computer system have access to an address (e.g., Internet Protocol (�IP�) address) of the computer system (e.g., server) that maintains the data. For example, a computer system requesting access to a Web page can be required to have access to a Uniform Resource Location (�URL�) used to located the Web page. When more sensitive data is made available through wired and/or wireless networks, security mechanisms are routinely used to protect the data from unauthorized access. For example, accessing electronic mail messages from an e-mail server can require a user to have an account with an e-mail server. To authenticate with the e-mail server, a computer system can transfer a user entered user-id and password to the electronic mail server.
Computer systems operating in a wired networking environment are to some extent inherently more secure than computer systems operating in a wireless networking environment. For example, alternate physical locations where a wired computer system can achieve network connectively can be limited. That is, to access data, a wired computer system may be required to be in a physical location that has a network tap in communication with a server that maintains the data. Further, there is a reduced risk of a wired computer system being lost. For example, it is extremely unlikely for a user to lose a desktop computer system that has a wired connection to a corporate Local Area Network (�LAN�). There is also a reduced risk of a wired computer system being stolen since many wired computer systems are maintained in physical locations that are not publicly accessible (e.g., inside corporate buildings, homes, etc).
Further, in a wired networking environment, an administrator often has direct physical control over computer systems that are connected to the network (e.g., the wired computer systems are within a corporate building). Accordingly, the administrator can select and maintain the applications that are installed on the computer systems. In some environments, an administrator may chose to �lock down� the configuration of computer systems to ensure that the configuration of the computer systems remains appropriately secure for accessing data. When server side or network upgrades occur, the administrator can �unlock� the computer systems to install appropriate client side updates and can then again lock down the computer systems. However, this manual re-configuration of computer systems can be time consuming.
As a result, administrators often configure wired computer systems to receive policy updates without administrator intervention. From time to time, a server can �push� policy updates to wired computer systems to insure that wired computer systems adhere to specified security policies. In some environments, wired computer systems are divided into groups (or domains) that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures (e.g., all computer systems in the corporate headquarters or all computer systems used by IT employees). Policies can be varied across different domains such that an administrator can vary the policies that are pushed to different wired computer systems.
Further, there is often no way for an administrator to determine what policy settings are implemented and/or supported by a wireless computer system. For example, a mobile device may support a standard protocol, such as, for example, HyperText Transfer Protocol (�HTTP�), but has no way to communicate policy settings (if they even exist) using the standard protocol. Some mobile devices may simply lack the resources (e.g., system memory, applications, etc.) to implement policy settings. Further, even if a mobile device does support various policy settings, there is typically no way for an administrator to remotely alter policy settings or enforce compliance with policy settings. Thus, an administrator may be forced to make a choice between preventing all external wireless access to data or opening up data to increased security risks associated with external wireless access.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foregoing problems with the prior state of the art are overcome by the principles of the present invention, which are directed towards methods, systems, and computer program products for enforcing device settings for mobile devices. Generally, a computer system (e.g., an electronic mail server) enforces an appropriate mobile device configuration prior to permitting a mobile device to access maintained data. The computer system receives a request from a mobile device. The request requests that the mobile device be permitted to access data maintained by the computer system, the request indicating a current mobile device configuration of the mobile device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The principles of the present invention provide for enforcing device settings for mobile devices. Generally, a computer system (e.g., an electronic mail server) enforces an appropriate mobile device configuration prior to permitting a mobile device to access maintained data. The computer system receives a request from a mobile device. The request requests that the mobile device be permitted to access data maintained by the computer system, the request indicating a current mobile device configuration of the mobile device.
In this description and in the following claims, a �mobile device� is defined as a subset of computer systems that primarily (or solely) access networked data using wireless mechanisms and are easily transportable by a human (e.g., can be carried in a user's pocket) between different physical locations. Mobile devices may have limited resources (e.g., processor, data storage, system memory, protocols, applications, user-interface functionality, etc.) as compared to other computer systems. Mobile phones, watches, and PDA's are examples of mobile devices.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a computer architecture 100 that facilitates enforcing policy settings of mobile devices. Depicted in computer architecture 100 is mobile device 101 and computer system 141. Mobile device 101 is connected to network 131, such as, for example, a Local Area Network (�LAN�), a Wide Area Network (�WAN�), or even the Internet, via communication link 132. Similarly, computer system 141 connected to network 131 via communication link 133. Thus, mobile device 101, computer system 141, and other network connected computer systems (not shown) can exchange data via network 131. Accordingly, mobile device 101 and computer system 141, as well as other connected computer systems, can create message related data and exchange message related data (e.g., Internet Protocol (�IP�) datagrams and other higher layer protocols that utilize IP datagrams, such as, Transmission Control Protocol (�TCP�), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (�HTTP�), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (�SMTP�), etc.) over network 131.
Policy settings can include: a Personal Identification Number (�PIN�) lock activation setting, a minimum PIN length setting, a PIN format setting (e.g., alphanumeric or numeric), a number of PIN failures permitted before performing a local wipe setting, a number of PIN failures after which an override �passcode� must be entered setting, a force wipe on next connection to server setting, a client application version setting, a protocol version setting, a protocol commands allowed setting, a custom application permitted setting, a time interval for enforcing compliance setting, a remote wipe enabled setting, and a require policy check setting.
The computer system 500 may also have input components 514 such as a keyboard, mouse, pen, a voice-input component, a touch-input device, and so forth. Output components 516 include screen displays, speakers, printer, etc., and rendering modules (often called �adapters�) for driving them. The computer system 500 has a power supply 518. All these components are well known in the art and need not be discussed at length here.
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