Mobile Phone Interface Control API for Policy Enforcement

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Solution Overview

Problem

In enterprise environments, existing mobile device management systems struggle to effectively restrict user interface changes and enforce policy compliance on mobile phones while allowing remote administration, leading to potential security and functionality issues.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an interface control application programming interface (API) that interacts with modified launcher, settings, and interface and applications pack installer applications to check and enforce permissions, allowing only permitted changes and providing remote configuration capabilities through an administration server.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If existing mobile device management systems are used, then remote administration is enabled, but user interface changes cannot be effectively restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote administration capabilityVSAvoidpolicy compliance enforcement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

An interface control API is introduced as an intermediary component between applications and the operating system. This API intercepts and evaluates user interface change requests, determining whether to permit or block changes based on policy rules. The intermediary enables both remote administration capabilities and effective restriction of unauthorized interface modifications without requiring complete system control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If permission checking is implemented for all interface changes, then security is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity controlVSAvoidsystem architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The interface control API serves multiple functions within a single unified component: it checks permissions for user interface changes, enforces policy rules, communicates with remote administration servers, and manages application requests. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems, maintaining security control while avoiding excessive system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9189607B1Mobile phone controls preprocessor

Publication Date: 2015.11.17 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

A method of policy management and control on a mobile phone. The method comprises receiving a user interface change request by a launcher application executing on the mobile phone, requesting permissions from an interface control application programming interface (API) by the launcher application, receiving a response from the interface control application programming interface by the launcher application, where the response indicates if the user interface change is permitted, and enforcing the received permission by the launcher application, where enforcing the received permission comprises executing the user interface change request when the user interface change is permitted, and where enforcing the received permissions comprises not executing the user interface change request and presenting a message to a user of the mobile phone when the user interface change is restricted.