Granted Patent B2

US 7,707,639 · App. 11/065,984 · Granted Apr 27, 2010

Abstract

Claims (98)

1. A method for handling data restoration operations on a mobile device, comprising:

receiving over a wireless communications network a kill pill command;

wherein the command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped; and

storing an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein a program wipe configuration is provided to the mobile device that indicates which applications are to be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration includes a list that designates specific applications that are to be wiped during a reloading operation and specific applications that are to remain on the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration is based upon an IT department policy which defines actions to take place on a synchronization that occurs after a kill pill command is sent to the mobile device;

wherein upon updating the mobile device after the kill pill command has wiped the data from the mobile device, using the indicator and the provided program wipe configuration to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device was lost, stolen, or missing;

wherein a malicious program was loaded onto the mobile device;

wherein the indicator stored in the non-volatile memory of the mobile device is used to determine that the malicious program from the mobile device is to be deleted.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kill pill command is sent by an IT (information technology) administrator or an agent thereof in response to the mobile device becoming lost, stolen or missing.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kill pill command is a kill pill packet sent to the mobile device in order to cause all of the mobile device's data to be wiped, thereby preventing the data's disclosure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kill pill command is a data wipe command; wherein the indicator is not erased during the wipe of the mobile device's data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provided program wipe configuration specifies that any applications not provided by the mobile device's manufacturer be wiped, while those applications provided by the manufacturer remain on the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provided program wipe configuration includes settings retrieved from a remotely located policy data store; wherein the mobile device is pre-programmed with the settings which are configured for updating by an IT administrator or the mobile device has the initial settings provided by the IT administrator.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein if a data synchronization is performed after the kill pill command is sent, an alert is provided to the mobile device's user that the mobile device has been wiped.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the alert to the mobile device's user includes options from which the user can select; wherein the options include wiping the mobile device or continuing as normal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein during reloading operations, the mobile device re-generates content protection keys.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a wireless mobile communications device.

12. An apparatus for handling data restoration operations on a mobile device, wherein a kill pill command is sent to the mobile device, said apparatus comprising:

first instructions configured to execute upon the mobile device and configured to store an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein the mobile device wipes data on the mobile device in response to the kill pill command;

wherein a program wipe configuration is provided to the mobile device that indicates which applications are to be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration includes a list that designates specific applications that are to be wiped during a reloading operation and specific applications that are to remain on the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration is based upon an IT department policy which defines actions to take place on a synchronization that occurs after a kill pill command is sent to the mobile device; and

second instructions configured to execute on the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered, the second instructions are configured to use the indicator and the provided program wipe configuration to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device.

13. A system for handling data restoration operations on a mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving a kill pill command;

wherein the kill pill command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped;

means for storing in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device an indicator that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein a program wipe configuration is provided to the mobile device that indicates which applications are to be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration includes a list that designates specific applications that are to be wiped during a reloading operation and specific applications that are to remain on the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration is based upon an IT department policy which defines actions to take place on a synchronization that occurs after a kill pill command is sent to the mobile device; and

means for determining whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device based upon whether the indicator is stored in the non-volatile memory of the mobile device and based upon the provided program wipe configuration.

14. A mobile device for processing data restoration operations, wherein a kill pill command is sent to the mobile device, said mobile device comprising:

first instructions configured to execute upon the mobile device and configured to store an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein the data is wiped on the mobile device in response to the kill pill command; and

second instructions configured to execute on the mobile device;

wherein a program wipe configuration is provided to the mobile device that indicates which applications are to be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration includes a list that designates specific applications that are to be wiped during a reloading operation and specific applications that are to remain on the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration is based upon an IT department policy which defines actions to take place on a synchronization that occurs after a kill pill command is sent to the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered, the second instructions are configured to use the indicator and the provided program wipe configuration to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device.

15. Computer-readable storage medium or mediums encoded with instructions that cause a mobile device having a processor to perform a method for handling data restoration operations on the mobile device, said method comprising:

receiving over a wireless communications network a kill pill command;

wherein the command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped; and

storing an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein upon updating the mobile device after the kill pill command has wiped the data from the mobile device, using the indicator to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein a program wipe configuration is provided to the mobile device that indicates which applications are to be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration includes a list that designates specific applications that are to be wiped during a reloading operation and specific applications that are to remain on the mobile device;

wherein the provided program wipe configuration is based upon an IT department policy which defines actions to take place on a synchronization that occurs after a kill pill command is sent to the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered, the indicator and the provided program wipe configuration is checked to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device.

16. A method for handling data restoration operations on a mobile device, comprising:

receiving over a wireless communications network a kill pill command;

wherein the command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped; and

storing an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein upon updating the mobile device after the kill pill command has wiped the data from the mobile device, using the indicator to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered and the mobile device begins synchronization to reload the mobile device's data, the indicator is checked;

wherein if the indicator is present in the non-volatile store, then all applications or pre-specified applications are wiped from the mobile devices.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mobile device was lost, stolen, or missing;

wherein a malicious program was loaded onto the mobile device;

wherein the indicator stored in the non-volatile memory of the mobile device is used to determine that the malicious program from the mobile device is to be deleted.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the kill pill command is sent by an IT (information technology) administrator or an agent thereof in response to the mobile device becoming lost, stolen or missing.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the kill pill command is a kill pill packet sent to the mobile device in order to cause all of the mobile device's data to be wiped, thereby preventing the data's disclosure.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the kill pill command is a data wipe command; wherein the indicator is not erased during the wipe of the mobile device's data.

21. The method of claim 16 , wherein the provided program wipe configuration specifies that any applications not provided by the mobile device's manufacturer be wiped, while those applications provided by the manufacturer remain on the mobile device.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the provided program wipe configuration includes settings retrieved from a remotely located policy data store; wherein the mobile device is pre-programmed with the settings which are configured for updating by an IT administrator or the mobile device has the initial settings provided by the IT administrator.

23. The method of claim 16 , wherein if a data synchronization is performed after the kill pill command is sent, an alert is provided to the mobile device's user that the mobile device has been wiped.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the alert to the mobile device's user includes options from which the user can select; wherein the options include wiping the mobile device or continuing as normal.

25. The method of claim 16 , wherein during reloading operations, the mobile device re-generates content protection keys.

26. The method of claim 16 , wherein the mobile device is a wireless mobile communications device.

27. An apparatus for handling data restoration operations on a mobile device that receives over a wireless communications network a kill pill command, wherein the command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped, said apparatus comprising:

first instructions configured to execute on the mobile device and to store an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device; and

second instructions configured to execute on the mobile device and, upon the mobile device being updated after the kill pill command has wiped the data from the mobile device, to use the indicator to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered and the mobile device begins synchronization to reload the mobile device's data, the indicator is checked;

wherein if the indicator is present in the non-volatile store, then all applications or pre-specified applications are wiped from the mobile device.

28. A mobile device for handling data restoration operations, comprising:

means for receiving over a wireless communications network a kill pill command,

wherein the command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped;

first instructions configured to execute on the mobile device and to store an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device; and

second instructions configured to execute on the mobile device and, upon the mobile device being updated after the kill pill command has wiped the data from the mobile device, to use the indicator to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered and the mobile device begins synchronization to reload the mobile device's data, the indicator is checked;

wherein if the indicator is present in the non-volatile store, then all applications or pre-specified applications are wiped from the mobile device.

29. A system for handling data restoration operations on a mobile device, comprising:

means for receiving over a wireless communications network a kill pill command;

wherein the command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped; and

means for storing an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein upon updating the mobile device after the kill pill command has wiped the data from the mobile device, the indicator is used to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered and the mobile device begins synchronization to reload the mobile device's data, the indicator is checked;

wherein if the indicator is present in the non-volatile store, then all applications or pre-specified applications are wiped from the mobile devices.

30. Computer-readable storage medium or mediums encoded with instructions that cause a mobile device having a processor to perform a method for handling data restoration operations on the mobile device, said method comprising:

receiving over a wireless communications network a kill pill command;

wherein the command causes data on the mobile device to be wiped; and

storing an indicator in a non-volatile memory of the mobile device that the kill pill command was sent to the mobile device;

wherein upon updating the mobile device after the kill pill command has wiped the data from the mobile device, using the indicator to determine whether an application should be wiped from the mobile device;

wherein after the mobile device is recovered and the mobile device begins synchronization to reload the mobile device's data, the indicator is checked;

wherein if the indicator is present in the non-volatile store, then all applications or pre-specified applications are wiped from the mobile device.

Assignments (7)