Mobile security using context patterns

Abstract

Examples of methods, systems, products, devices, and/or apparatus generally related to mobile security are described. An example method may include capturing a context pattern of a user device. The context pattern may be based, at least in part, on data from one or more sensors of the user device. The data may be acquired at multiple different times. The example method may further include generating at least one public-private key pair based, at least in part, on the context pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for authenticating a user device, the method comprising:
 acquiring data from one or more sensors of the user device at multiple different times, wherein the data comprises user-dependent activity information associated with the user device at the multiple different times;   capturing a context pattern of the user device based, at least in part, on the acquired data;   generating at least one public-private key pair including a public key and a private key, wherein one of the public key and the private key of the at least one public-private key pair is generated based, at least in part, on the captured context pattern; and   authenticating the user device using the at least one public-private key pair.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user-dependent activity information comprises information of user interactions associated with at least one of applications, photos, files, and videos associated with the user device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein capturing the context pattern comprises capturing the context pattern based, at least in part, on locations of the user device at the multiple different times. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein capturing the context pattern comprises capturing the context pattern based, at least in part, on routes taken by the user device between locations of the user device at the multiple different times. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating with another user device using the at least one public-private key pair. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the at least one public-private key pair comprises implementing an identity based encryption procedure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the identity based encryption procedure utilizes a public identification for the userdevice. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 encrypting the context pattern; and   storing the encrypted context pattern on the user device.   
     
     
         9 . A method for authenticating a user device, the method comprising:
 requesting a predicted context pattern from the user device, wherein the predicted context pattern comprises a prediction of a future context pattern of the user device, and wherein the predicted context pattern is based, at least in part, on predicted data from one or more sensors of the user device at a future time;   receiving the predicted context pattern from the user device, at a requestor; and   authenticating the user device by:
 generating a context pattern using data acquired from the one or more sensors of the user device, wherein the data comprises information associated with one or more other user devices in a vicinity of the user device at multiple different times; and 
 authenticating the user device, at the future time, if the predicted context pattern matches the generated context pattern. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the requestor comprises an application executing on the user device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the predicted context pattern matches the generated context pattern using a probabilistic match. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the predicted context pattern matches the generated context pattern using an exact match. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the predicted context pattern is based, at least in part, on one of other user devices in the vicinity of the user device at the multiple different times, an environmental parameter of an environment in the vicinity of the user device at the multiple different times, and applications executed by the user device at the multiple different times. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein generating the context pattern comprises generating the context pattern based, at least in part, on an environmental parameter of an environment in the vicinity of the user device at the multiple different times and applications executed by the user device at the multiple different times. 
     
     
         15 . A device to authenticate a user, wherein the device comprises:
 a sensor;   at least one processing unit in communication with the sensor, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to:
 acquire data from the sensor at multiple different times, wherein the data comprises user-dependent activity information associated with the device at the multiple different times; 
 capture a context pattern of the device based, at least in part, on the acquired data; 
 generate at least one public-private key pair including a public key and a private key, wherein one of the public key and the private key of the at least one public-private key pair is generated based, at least in part, on the captured context pattern, and 
 authenticate the device using the at least one public-private key pair. 
   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the user-dependent activity information comprises information of user interactions associated with at least one of applications, photos, files, and videos associated with the device. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising a storage configured to store the context pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to:
 encrypt the context pattern; and   store the encrypted context pattern in the storage.   
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to capture the context pattern based, at least in part, on one of locations of the device at the multiple different times and routes taken by the device between the locations of the device at the multiple different times. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one processing unit is further configured to communicate with another user device using the at least one public-private key pair.