Dynamic Inactivity Timer for Mobile Device Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smartphones automatically re-lock after a static predefined period of inactivity, which can be inconvenient for users who adjust the setting to longer periods, increasing vulnerability, or burdensome for those who set it to shorter periods, leading to unnecessary password re-entry.
Innovation Solution
A method that dynamically adjusts the inactivity timer based on environmental factors, allowing longer inactivity before re-locking in trusted environments and shorter periods in untrusted ones, using processing circuitry to sense environmental conditions and select appropriate timeout values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the inactivity period is extended to reduce password re-entry frequency, then user convenience is improved, but device security vulnerability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a static, fixed inactivity timeout to a dynamic, adaptive timeout that automatically adjusts based on real-time environmental context. The system continuously monitors environmental factors (location, time, device state) and modifies the inactivity period accordingly, allowing longer timeouts in trusted environments and shorter timeouts in untrusted environments, thus simultaneously improving convenience and maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by modifying the timeout parameter based on environmental conditions. Instead of using a single fixed timeout value, the system changes the timeout parameter dynamically according to contextual factors such as geographic location, time of day, and device usage patterns, enabling the system to optimize the balance between security and convenience for each specific situation
2Reliability
If the inactivity period is shortened to enhance device security, then device security is improved, but user convenience deteriorates due to frequent password re-entry
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamics to adjust the timeout value in real-time based on environmental trustworthiness. In untrusted environments, the timeout is automatically shortened to enhance security, while in trusted environments, it is extended to improve convenience, eliminating the need for users to manually choose between security and convenience
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically evaluating environmental factors and adjusting the timeout parameter without requiring user intervention. The device autonomously determines when to prioritize security versus convenience based on contextual information, freeing users from having to manually configure security settings
3Device complexity
If a static predefined inactivity period is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different environments is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a unified timeout management system that serves multiple functions: it monitors environmental factors, evaluates trust levels, and adjusts timeout parameters automatically. This multi-functional approach allows the same system to handle both simple and complex scenarios without requiring separate mechanisms for different environments
Data Source
AI summary
A technique controls access to a computerized resource of a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop computer, etc.). The technique involves sensing, by processing circuitry, a set of environmental factors from a particular environment of the mobile device when the mobile device unlocks the computerized resource in response to successful authentication of a user. The technique further involves selecting, by the processing circuitry, an expiration time based on the set of environmental factors. The technique further involves configuring, by the processing circuitry, an inactivity timer to re-lock access to the computerized resource of the mobile device when the inactivity timer identifies a time period of mobile device inactivity that reaches the selected expiration time. Along these lines, this time period may be relatively long in a trusted environment (e.g., an hour, several hours, etc.), but relatively short in an untrusted environment (e.g., a few minutes).