Method for binding a program module

• US 20010016042A1
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Immonen, Olli, Cofta, Piotr, Linden, Mikael, Lukkaroinen, Mikko
• Granted Patent: US 7,263,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44521 Dynamic linking or loading; Link editing at or after load time, e.g. Java class loading

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for loading a program module (L1, L2, L3) in a terminal, in which one or several programs (A, B) are running, and in which method subroutines (P1, P2, P3) are stored in said program modules (L1, L2, L3). The program modules (L1, L2, L3) are provided with first tags (T1, T2, T3), wherein to start binding, the program makes a call (7) to a subroutine (P1, P2, P3). The call (7) is supplemented with the first tags (T1, T2, T3) to select the program module (L1, L2, L3) for binding, in which the called subroutine (P1, P2, P3) is stored. The tags (T1, T2, T3) are supplemented with second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3). The call (7) is also supplemented with said second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz). In connection with the binding, said first tags (T1, T2, T3) stored in the program modules are compared with the first tags (T1, T2, T3) transmitted in the call (7), and the second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3) are compared with the second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz) transmitted in the call (7), wherein the program module to be bound is selected to be the program module which matches with the first tags (T1, T2, T3) and the second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz) transmitted in the call. The invention also relates to a terminal (MT).

Claims

1. A method for binding a program module (L1, L2, L3) in a terminal (MT), in which one or several programs (A, B) are running, and in which method subroutines (P1, P2, P3) are stored in said program modules (L1, L2, L3), the program modules (L1, L2, L3) are provided with first tags (T1, T2, T3), wherein to start binding, the program makes a call (7) to a subroutine (P1, P2, P3), and the call (7) is supplemented with the first tags (T1, T2, T3) to select the program module (L1, L2, L3) for binding, in which the called subroutine (P1, P2, P3) is stored, characterized in that the tags (T1, T2, T3) are supplemented with second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3), that the call (7) is also supplemented with said second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz), and that in connection with the binding, said first tags (T1, T2, T3) stored in the program modules are compared with the first tags (T1, T2, T3) transmitted in the call (7), and the second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3) are compared with the second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz) transmitted in the call (7), wherein the program module to be bound is selected to be the program module which matches with the first tags (T1, T2, T3) and the second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz) transmitted in the call.

2. The method according to

claim 1

, characterized in that the second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3) to be formed in the program modules contain a digital signature.

3. The method according to

claim 2

, characterized in that the second call data are supplemented with a public key (PKx, PKy, PKz), on the basis of which the digital signature of the second call data formed in the program module is verified.

4. The method according to

claim 1

,

2

or 3, characterized in that the second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3) to be formed in the program modules are stored in an encrypted form.

5. The method according to

claim 4

, characterized in that the second call data are supplemented with a public key (PKx, PKy, PKz), on the basis of which the second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3) formed in the program modules are encrypted.

6. The method according to any of the

claims 1

to

5

, in which program modules (L1, L2, L3) are stored in a server communicating with a digital network, characterized in that the terminal (MT) used is a mobile terminal, and that the binding of the program modules (L1, L2, L3) is performed at least partly by messages complying with the WAP protocol.

7. A terminal (MT) comprising means (H) for binding a program module (L1, L2, L3), which program modules (L1, L2, L3) contain stored subroutines (P1, P2, P3) and first tags (T1, T2, T3), and which terminal (MT) also comprises means (CTRL, MEM) for running programs (A, B), means (CTRL) for starting binding by performing in the program a call (7) to a subroutine (P1, P2, P3), the call (7) being supplemented with first call data (T1, T2, T3) to select that program module (L1, L2, L3) for binding in which the called subroutine (P1, P2, P3) is stored, characterized in that the program modules (L1, L2, L3) contain stored second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3);

that the terminal also comprises means (CTRL, MEM) for adding second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz) to the call (7), means (H) for comparing said first tags (T1, T2, T3) stored in the program modules with the first call data (T1, T2, T3) transmitted in the call (7), means (H) for comparing the second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3) with the second call data (PKx, PKy, PKz) transmitted in the call (7), and means (H) for selecting a program module to be bound on the basis of said comparison.

8. The terminal (MT) according to

claim 7

, characterized in that the second tags (LT1, LT2, LT3) formed in the program modules contain a digital signature.

9. The terminal (MT) according to

claim 8

, characterized in that the second call data are supplemented with a public key (PKx, PKy, PKz), on the basis of which the digital signature of the second tags formed in the program module are arranged to be verified.

10. The terminal (MT) according to

claim 7

,

8

or 9, comprising means (RF, DF, ANT) for binding program modules (L1, L2, L3) stored in a server (S) communicating with the Internet network (NW2), characterized in that the terminal (MT) is a mobile terminal, and that it comprises means (CTRL) for performing binding of the program modules (L1, L2, L3) at least partly by messages complying with the WAP protocol.