Method and device for authenticating a user in a variety of contexts

• US 20040064701A1
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: OʼDonoghue, Niall
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/175
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for authenticating a user of an electronic device in usage contexts being able to use in said electronic device by using a usage context identifier, wherein in the method, a usage context being used in the device is selected by the user. The method comprising maintaining a centralized register of the usage context s available for the user in the device and the user profiles associated to said usage contexts, the device identifying an usage context selected by the user, selecting at least one user profile in response to the identified service, and authenticating the user in the selected usage context on the basis of the selected user profile.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a user of an electronic device in a plurality of usage contexts the user is able to use with the electronic device, characterized in that the method comprises:

maintaining a centralized register of the usage contexts available for the device and prestored user profiles associated with each of the usage contexts,

the device entering a particular one of said plurality of usage contexts,

the device identifying said entering,

selecting from the centralized register a user profile in response to said identifying, and

performing authentication in the selected usage context by using data from the selected user profile.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized by said user profile comprising at least one of the following:

a user key, a user certificate.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized by said user key further comprising at least one of the following a public key and a secret key.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized by said usage context comprising an event in a service or application being used in the device by the user, said event further comprising at least one of the following:

authentication event, verifying event.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized by the authentication comprising authenticating user'"'"'s identity when accessing to selected usage context.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterized by the authentication comprising authenticating a transaction made by the user in selected usage context.

7. An electronic device (200) for authenticating a user of said electronic device in a plurality of usage contexts the user is able to use with the electronic device, characterized in that the device comprises:

a centralized register (202, 209) of the usage contexts available for the device and prestored user profiles associated with each of the usage contexts,

entering means (201-203, 208) for entering a particular one of said plurality of usage contexts,

identifying means (201-203, 208) for identifying said entering,

selecting means (201-203, 208, 209) for selecting from the centralized register a user profile in response to said identifying, and

performing means (201-203, 208, 209) for performing authentication in the selected usage context by using data from the selected user profile.

8. An electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that said performing means are arranged to perform said authenticating process by using said data from the selected user profile to authenticate the user'"'"'s identity when accessing the user to said usage context.

9. An electronic device according to claim 7, characterized in that said performing means are arranged to perform said authenticating process by using said data from the selected user profile to authenticate a transaction made by the user in said usage context.

10. An electronic device according to claims 8 and 9, characterized in that said user profile comprises at least one of the following:

user key and user certificate.

11. An electronic device according to claim 10, characterized in that said user key further comprises public key and secret key.

12. An electronic device according to claim 11, characterized in that said device is a mobile communication device.

13. An electronic device (200) for authenticating a user of said electronic device in a plurality of usage contexts the user is able to use with the electronic device, characterized in that the device comprises:

a centralized register (202, 209) of the usage contexts available for the device and prestored user profiles associated with each of the usage contexts,

an interface (201-205, 208) for entering a particular one of said plurality of usage contexts,

a processor (201) configured to;

identifying said entering,

selecting from the centralized register a user profile in response to said identifying, and

performing authentication in the selected usage context by using data from the selected user profile.

14. A computer program product for an electronic device (200) for authenticating a user of said electronic device in a plurality of usage contexts the user is able to use, characterized in that the computer program product comprises:

computer program code for causing the device to maintain a centralized register of the usage contexts available for the device and prestored user profiles associated with each of the usage contexts,

computer program code for causing the device entering to a particular one of said plurality of usage contexts,

computer program code for causing the device to identifying said entering,

computer program code for causing the device to select from the centralized register a user profile in response to said identifying, and

computer program code for causing the device to perform authentication in the selected usage context by using data from the selected user profile.