Establishing a location profile for a user device

Abstract

Establishing a location profile for a user device, including: gathering information associated with the location of a user device; determining, based on the information associated with the location of a user device, whether the user device is being accessed at a known location; responsive to determining that the user device is being accessed at a known location: determining a characterization of the known location; and determining, based on the characterization of the known location, whether device utilization is anomalous; and responsive to determining that the user device is not being accessed at a known location: determining a characterization of the unknown location; and determining, based on the characterization of the unknown location, whether device utilization is anomalous.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of establishing a location profile for a user device, the method comprising:
 gathering information associated with the location of a user device;   determining, based on the information associated with the location of a user device, whether the user device is being accessed at a known location;   responsive to determining that the user device is being accessed at a known location:
 determining a characterization of the known location; and 
 determining, based on the characterization of the known location, whether device utilization is anomalous; 
   responsive to determining that the user device is not being accessed at a known location:
 determining a characterization of the unknown location; and 
 determining, based on the characterization of the unknown location, whether device utilization is anomalous. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining whether the user device is being accessed at a known location further comprises determining whether the information associated with the location of a user device matches, at least within a predetermined threshold, location information associated with one or more location profiles. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the one or more location profiles were previously created based on activity associated with the user device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the one or more location profiles were previously created based on activity associated with other devices. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining whether device utilization is anomalous is further based on a temporal profile of device activity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising creating a polygraph associated with the user device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining whether the user device is being accessed at a known location further comprises determining, based on one or more devices that are physically proximate to the user device, a location of the user device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining whether the user device is being accessed at a known location further comprises determining, based on data communications involving the user device, a location of the user device. 
     
     
         9 . A system for establishing a location profile for a user device, the system including computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the system to carry out the steps of:
 gathering information associated with a location of a user device;   determining a characterization of the location; and   determining, based on a characterization of the location, whether device utilization is anomalous.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the system to carry out the step of determining, based on the information associated with the location of a user device, whether the user device is being accessed at a known location. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein determining a characterization of the location further comprises determining whether the information associated with the location of a user device matches, at least within a predetermined threshold, location information associated with one or more location profiles. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the one or more location profiles were previously created based on activity associated with the user device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the one or more location profiles were previously created based on activity associated with other devices. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9  wherein determining whether device utilization is anomalous is further based on a temporal profile of device activity. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the system to carry out the step of creating a polygraph associated with the user device. 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product for establishing a location profile for a user device, the computer program product disposed on a computer readable medium, the computer program product including computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the steps of:
 gathering information associated with a location of a user device;   determining a characterization of the location;   determining, based on a characterization of the location, whether device utilization is anomalous; and   creating a polygraph associated with the user device.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16  further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the step of determining, based on the information associated with the location of a user device, whether the user device is being accessed at a known location. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 16  further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the step of including, in the polygraph, the location of the user device. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 16  further comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, carry out the step of including, in the polygraph, information associated with a detected anomaly. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 16  wherein determining whether device utilization is anomalous is further based on a temporal profile of device activity.