IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,574,631
Granted Patent B2
US 10,574,631 · App. 16/111,143 · Granted Feb 25, 2020

Secure and private mobile web browser

Inventors: Scot Robinson (Rolling Hills Estates, CA); Jules Panopoulos (Mountain View, CA); Patrick Conlin (Newport Beach, CA); Julie Mar-Spinola (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Finjan Mobile, Inc.
H04L63/0272H04L63/145H04W12/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,574,631
App. No.
16/111,143
Granted
Feb 25, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A mobile browser embedded in a smartphone operative to open a secure private session with a server using an IP address of the smartphone, including a VPN connector integrated within a mobile browser such that the VPN connector loads automatically upon opening the browser, operative to connect the smartphone to a secure VPN server and to establish a virtual IP address for the smartphone, the virtual IP address corresponding to the location of the VPN server, wherein the VPN connector enables the browser to operate in three modes; namely, a VPN connection alone without browsing, browsing without a VPN connection, and browsing with a VPN connection, and a switch operative to change a current IP address of the smartphone used by the mobile browser from a non-VPN IP address to the virtual IP address of the VPN server, in a seamless manner without interrupting a current session with a server.

Claims (18)

1. A mobile web browser embedded in a smartphone operative to open a secure and private session with a web server on the Internet via one or more cell towers, using a mobile IP address of the smartphone, the mobile web browser comprising:

a virtual private network (VPN) connector integrated within a mobile web browser such that the VPN connector loads automatically upon opening the mobile web browser, operative to connect the smartphone to a secure VPN server and to establish a virtual IP address for the smartphone, the virtual IP address corresponding to the location of the VPN server, wherein the VPN connector enables the browser to operate in three modes; namely, (i) a VPN connection alone without web browsing, (ii) web browsing without a VPN connection, and (iii) web browsing with a VPN connection; and

a switch operative to change a current IP address of the smartphone used by the mobile web browser from a non-VPN mobile IP address to the virtual IP address of the VPN server, in a seamless manner without interrupting a current session with a web server.

2. The mobile web browser of claim 1 wherein said VPN connector is operable to connect the smartphone to a plurality of VPN servers, each VPN server being at a different location, wherein said VPN connector displays the plurality of VPN servers to the user, and enables the user to select one of the displayed VPN servers, and wherein said switch is further operable to change the IP address currently used by said mobile web browser to a virtual IP address corresponding to the location of the selected VPN server, in a seamless manner without interrupting the current session with the web server.

3. The mobile web browser of claim 1 wherein said switch is further operable to change the IP address used by the mobile web browser from the virtual IP address corresponding to the location of the VPN server to the mobile IP address of the smartphone, in a seamless manner without interrupting the session with the web server.

4. The mobile web browser of claim 1 wherein the mobile web browser displays an indicator indicating whether or not the smartphone is currently connected to a VPN server.

5. The mobile web browser of claim 1 wherein the mobile web browser generates an alert if a current session with the web server is not secure.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the processor to perform a method of secure and private web browsing, comprising:

connecting the mobile device to a secure virtual private network (VPN) server, such that a VPN connector loads automatically upon opening the mobile web browser, and the mobile web browser operates in three modes; namely, (i) a VPN connection alone without web browsing, (ii) web browsing without a VPN connection, and (iii) web browsing with a VPN connection;

receiving a virtual IP address for the mobile device, the virtual IP address corresponding to the location of the VPN server; and

changing a non-VPN IP address of the mobile device to the virtual IP address of the VPN server, during a current session between the mobile device and a web server, in a seamless manner without interrupting the current session.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method performed by the processor executing the instructions further comprises:

displaying a plurality of VPN servers to the user;

enabling the user to select one of the displayed VPN servers;

changing the current IP address of the mobile device to a virtual IP address corresponding to the location of the selected VPN server, in a seamless manner without interrupting the current session between the mobile device and the web server.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method performed by the processor executing the instructions further comprises changing the IP address of the mobile web device from the virtual IP address corresponding to the location of the VPN server to a non-VPN IP address of the mobile device, in a seamless manner without interrupting the current session with the web server.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method performed by the processor executing the instructions further comprises displaying an indicator indicating whether or not the mobile device is currently connected to a VPN server.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the method performed by the processor executing the instructions further comprises generating an alert if a current session with a web server is not a secure connection.

Assignments (1)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 19, 2020
From: FINJAN MOBILE, INC.
To: FINJAN MOBILE LLC
Reel/Frame 053547/0866 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation In Part 15675739 · Aug 13, 2017
Continuation In Part 15069981 · Mar 15, 2016
Provisional Application 62517882 · Jun 10, 2017
Provisional Application 62480453 · Apr 2, 2017
Provisional Application 62412034 · Oct 24, 2016
Provisional Application 62159862 · May 11, 2015
Related Publication 20190014087A1 · Jan 10, 2019