Managing hidden security features in user equipment

Abstract

A device determines whether a PTT application is authenticated to access a first API and a second API, and prevents the PTT application from accessing the first and second APIs when the PTT application is not authenticated. The device permits the PTT application to access the first and second APIs when the PTT application is authenticated, and modifies, via the first API, a timer that dictates when the device checks for traffic received from a network. The device establishes, via the second API, a data connection with the network, and determines, based on the data connection, a QoS framework for the network. The device utilizes the PTT application and the timer to establish a PTT session with another device via the network, and prioritizes, based on the QoS framework, PTT traffic provided in the PTT session with the other device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 determining, by a device, whether a push-to-talk (PTT) application, provided in the device, is authenticated to access a first application programming interface (API) and a second API; 
 preventing, by the device, the PTT application from accessing the first API and the second API when the PTT application is not authenticated; 
 permitting, by the device, the PTT application to access the first API and the second API when the PTT application is authenticated; 
 modifying, by the device and via the first API when the PTT application is permitted to access the first API, a timer associated with the device,
 the timer dictating when the device checks for traffic received from a network; 
 
 establishing, by the device and via the second API when the PTT application is permitted to access the second API, a data connection with the network; 
 determining, by the device and based on the data connection, a quality of service (QoS) framework for the network,
 the QoS framework assigning priorities to different types of traffic associated with the device; 
 
 utilizing, by the device, the PTT application and the timer to establish a PTT session with another device via the network; and 
 prioritizing, by the device and based on the QoS framework, PTT traffic provided in the PTT session with the other device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method  claim 1 , where determining whether the PTT application is authenticated further comprises:
 determining whether an authentication credential, associated with the PTT application, matches an authentication credential associated with a security application of the device; 
 authenticating the PTT application to access the first API and the second API when the authentication credential, associated the PTT application, matches the authentication credential associated with the security application; and 
 failing to authenticate the PTT application to access the first API and the second API when the authentication credential, associated the PTT application, fails to match the authentication credential associated with the security application. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , where modifying the timer further comprises:
 accessing the first API with the PTT application; and 
 utilizing the PTT application to instruct the first API to modify the timer. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , where establishing the data connection with the network further comprises:
 accessing the second API with the PTT application; and 
 utilizing the PTT application to instruct the second API to establish the data connection with the network. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the PTT application is removed from the device; 
 restoring, via the first API, the timer to a default value when the PTT application is removed from the device; and 
 removing, via the second API, the data connection with the network when the PTT application is removed from the device. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , where the network includes an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network and a packet data network (PDN), and the method further comprises:
 accessing the second API with the PTT application; and 
 utilizing the second API to establish the data connection with the IMS network and the PDN. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , where modifying the timer further comprises:
 decreasing the timer from a first value to a second value,
 the first value of the timer causing the device to check for traffic received from the network at a first frequency, 
 the second value of the timer causing the device to check for traffic received from the network at a second frequency, and 
 the second frequency being greater than the first frequency. 
 
 
     
     
       8. A device, comprising:
 a memory to store a push-to-talk (PTT) application; and 
 one or more processors to:
 determine whether the PTT application is authenticated to access a first application programming interface (API) and a second API,
 the first API and the second API being exposed to the PTT application, 
 
 permit the PTT application to access the first API and the second API when the PTT application is authenticated, 
 modify, via the first API when the PTT application is permitted to access the first API, a timer associated with the device,
 the timer dictating when the device checks for traffic received from a network, 
 
 establish, via the second API when the PTT application is permitted to access the second API, a data connection with the network, 
 determine, based on the data connection, a quality of service (QoS) framework for the network,
 the QoS framework assigning priorities to different types of traffic associated with the device, 
 
 utilize the PTT application and the timer to establish a PTT session with another device via the network, 
 prioritize, based on the QoS framework, PTT traffic provided in the PTT session with the other device, and 
 utilize the PTT application to terminate the PTT session with the other device. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The device  claim 8 , where, when determining whether the PTT application is authenticated, the one or more processors are further to:
 determine whether a credential associated with the PTT application matches a credential associated with a security application of the device, and 
 authenticate the PTT application to access the first API and the second API when the credential associated the PTT application matches the credential associated with the security application. 
 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 8 , where, when modifying the timer, the one or more processors are further to:
 access the first API with the PTT application, and 
 utilize the PTT application to instruct the first API to modify the timer. 
 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 8 , where, when establishing the data connection with the network, the one or more processors are further to:
 access the second API with the PTT application, and 
 utilize the PTT application to instruct the second API to establish the data connection with the network. 
 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 determine that the PTT application is removed from the device, 
 restore, via the first API, the timer to a default value when the PTT application is removed from the device, and 
 terminate, via the second API, the data connection with the network when the PTT application is removed from the device. 
 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 8 , where the network includes an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network and a packet data network (PDN), and the one or more processors are further to:
 access the second API with the PTT application, and 
 utilize the second API to establish the data connection with the IMS network and the PDN. 
 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 8 , where, when modifying the timer, the one or more processors are further to:
 decrease the timer from a first value to a second value,
 the first value of the timer causing the device to check for traffic received from the network at a first frequency, 
 the second value of the timer causing the device to check for traffic received from the network at a second frequency, and 
 the second frequency being greater than the first frequency. 
 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to:
 cause a security application to:
 determine whether a push-to-talk (PTT) application is authenticated to 
 
 access a first application programming interface (API) and a second API, and
 permit the PTT application to access the first API and the second API 
 
 when the PTT application is authenticated; and 
 cause the PTT application to:
 modify, via the first API when the PTT application is permitted to access the first API, a timer associated with the device,
 the timer dictating when the device checks for traffic received from a network, 
 
 establish, via the second API when the PTT application is permitted to access the second API, a data connection with the network, 
 determine, based on the data connection, a quality of service (QoS) framework for the network,
 the QoS framework assigning priorities to different types of traffic associated with the device, 
 
 utilize the timer to establish a PTT session with another device via the network, and 
 prioritize, based on the QoS framework, PTT traffic provided in the PTT session with the other device. 
 
 
 
     
     
       16. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 cause the security application to:
 determine whether a credential associated with the PTT application matches a credential associated with the security application, and 
 authenticate the PTT application to access the first API and second API when the credential associated the PTT application matches the credential associated with the security application. 
 
 
 
     
     
       17. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where, when modifying the timer, the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 cause the PTT application to:
 access the first API, and 
 instruct the first API to modify the timer. 
 
 
 
     
     
       18. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where, when establishing the data connection with the network, the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 cause the PTT application to:
 access the second API, and 
 instruct the second API to establish the data connection with the network. 
 
 
 
     
     
       19. The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the network includes an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network and a packet data network (PDN), and the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 cause the PTT application to:
 access the second API, and 
 instruct the second API to establish the data connection with the IMS network and the PDN. 
 
 
 
     
     
       20. The computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 cause the security application to:
 determine that the PTT application is uninstalled from the device, 
 restore, via the first API, the timer to a default value when the PTT application is uninstalled from the device, and 
 terminate, via the second API, the data connection with the network when the PTT application is uninstalled from the device.