Mobile Device Sharing Mode with Profile Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile communication devices lack effective access control and cost management mechanisms, making it difficult for owners to share their devices securely and track usage costs when borrowing or lending, as existing solutions often require all-or-nothing password protection or disable built-in applications, which are impractical for shared use scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a sharing mode that allows owners to create profiles for selective sharing of content information, hiding private data and applications, while providing access to specified files, folders, and applications, and tracking resource usage through a virtual environment and namespace virtualization, ensuring that changes made during shared use can be managed and reconciled.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a password is set for the entire system to prevent unauthorized access, then security is improved, but access control becomes all-or-nothing and disables built-in applications, making it impractical for shared use
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into multiple user profiles (owner profile and borrower profiles) with distinct access rights. Each profile can be independently configured to grant or deny access to specific applications and data, replacing the all-or-nothing password approach with granular, selective access control.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels of access are assigned to different parts of the system. The owner profile has full access to all applications and data, while borrower profiles have customized access rights that can be configured on a per-application and per-data basis, allowing selective sharing without compromising overall security.
2Ease of operation
If complete access is given to a borrower for sharing purposes, then ease of use is improved, but private data and pay-per-use applications become vulnerable to unauthorized access and cost accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
Access rights are segmented into specific applications and data types rather than granting blanket access. The system allows the owner to selectively enable or disable access to individual applications (including built-in ones) and specific data folders for each borrower profile, maintaining convenience while preventing unauthorized access.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary access control layer between the borrower and the device resources. This layer enforces the configured access rights, allowing borrowers to use permitted applications and access allowed data while blocking access to restricted resources, thus preventing harmful factors without compromising usability.
3Reliability
If built-in applications are disabled to protect private data, then security is improved, but the device becomes less functional and impractical for shared use
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of disabling built-in applications system-wide, the system applies local quality control by enabling or disabling specific applications for specific user profiles. Borrower profiles can be configured with selective access rights to built-in applications, allowing them to use necessary functions (camera, music player, etc.) while restricting access to sensitive applications (messaging, contacts, etc.).
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts application availability based on the active user profile. When a borrower logs in, only their permitted applications are accessible; when the owner logs in, full functionality is restored. This dynamic configuration maintains both security and versatility without requiring application disabling.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the owner shares the mobile communication device with another individual, then social utility is improved, but there is no mechanism to determine call minutes or text messaging usage costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that track and report resource usage (call minutes, text messaging, data consumption) for each borrower profile separately. This allows the owner to monitor and account for costs incurred during shared use, providing the necessary information for cost determination and allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically tracks and records usage metrics for each borrower without requiring manual intervention. The access control system inherently monitors which applications are used and for how long, generating usage reports that enable automatic cost calculation and billing, eliminating the need for manual tracking.
Data Source
AI summary
Various exemplary user interfaces, methods and computer program products describe enabling sharing of mobile communication devices. This process utilizes a shared mode for an owner of the mobile communication device to create a virtual environment for a borrower of the mobile communication device, which allows content information (e.g., certain applications and files) to be accessible and visual to the borrower. The process allows an owner of the mobile communication device to track and to manage data created or changed by the borrower. The owner may accept or reject the changes made in the content information. Furthermore, the process conceals non-shared resources to the borrower.