Driverless USB security token

• US 20040098596A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SafeNet Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Rainbow Technologies Incorporated, Rainbow Technologies, Inc. (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Elteto, Laszlo, Sotoodeh, Mehdi, Grove, Brian D.
• Application Number:
  US10/704,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098596A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating information between a token and a host computer having a host computer operating system (OS) supplied inherent driver for communicating with an OS-supported USB-compliant device. The method comprising the steps of coupling to the host computer, and emulating the OS-supported USB-compliant device. In one embodiment, the step of emulating the OS-supported USB-compliant device comprises the steps of accepting a message from the OS-supplied inherent driver in the token, the message transmitted according to a format and protocol for the OS-supported USB-compliant device; generating a second message from the accepted first message; and providing a second message from the token to the OS-supplied inherent driver.

Claims

1. A method of communicating information between a token and a host computer having a host computer operating system (OS) supplied inherent driver for communicating with an OS-supported USB-compliant device, the method comprising the steps of:

coupling to the host computer; and

emulating the OS-supported USB-compliant device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of emulating the OS-supported USB-compliant device comprises the steps of:

accepting a message from the OS-supplied inherent driver in the token, the message transmitted according to a format and protocol for the OS-supported USB-compliant device;

generating a second message from the accepted first message; and

providing a second message from the token to the OS-supplied inherent driver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a hub driver, and the token emulates an empty hub.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via hub commands and the token communicates with the host computer via a hub port status response or a read descriptor value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the hub commands are selected from a group comprising:

enable/disable commands; and

power on/power off commands.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a mass storage driver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via the mass storage driver writing to at least a portion of a file emulated in the token, and wherein the token communicates with the host computer via writing to at least a second portion of the file.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via the mass storage driver writing to at least a portion of a file emulated in the token, and wherein the token communicates with the host computer via writing to the at least a portion of the file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a human interface driver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via a setting/querying human interface driver feature, and the token communicates with the host computer via a report.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the driver is an audio driver.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via an audio output and the token communicates with the host computer via an audio input.

13. An apparatus for communicating information between a token and a host computer having a host computer operating system (OS) supplied inherent driver for communicating with an OS-supported USB-compliant device, comprising:

means for coupling to the host computer; and

means for emulating the OS-supported USB-compliant device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the means for emulating the OS-supported USB-compliant device comprises:

means for accepting a message from the OS-supplied inherent driver in the token, the message transmitted according to a format and protocol for the OS-supported USB-compliant device;

means for generating a second message from the accepted first message; and

means for providing a second message from the token to the OS-supplied inherent driver.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the driver is a hub driver, and the token emulates an empty hub.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via hub commands and the token communicates with the host computer via a hub port status response or a read descriptor value.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the hub commands are selected from a group comprising:

enable/disable commands; and

power on/power off commands.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a mass storage driver.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via the mass storage driver writing to at least a portion of a file emulated in the token, and wherein the token communicates with the host computer via writing to at least a second portion of the file.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via the mass storage driver writing to at least a portion of a file emulated in the token, and wherein the token communicates with the host computer via writing to the at least a portion of the file.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a human interface driver.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via a setting/querying human interface driver feature, and the token communicates with the host computer via a report.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the driver is an audio driver.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via an audio output and the token communicates with the host computer via an audio input.

25. An apparatus for communicating information between a token and a host computer having a host computer operating system (OS) supplied inherent driver for communicating with an OS-supported USB-compliant device, comprising:

a USB port for coupling to the host computer, and

a processor, communicatively coupled to a memory storing instructions for emulating the OS-supported USB-compliant device.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the memory stores further instructions comprising:

instructions for accepting a message from the OS-supplied inherent driver in the token, the message transmitted according to a format and protocol for the OS-supported USB-compliant device;

instructions for generating a second message from the accepted first message; and

instructions for providing a second message from the token to the OS-supplied inherent driver.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a hub driver, and the token emulates an empty hub.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via hub commands and the token communicates with the host computer via a hub port status response or a read descriptor value.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the hub commands are selected from a group comprising:

enable/disable commands; and

power on/power off commands.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a mass storage driver.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via the mass storage driver writing to at least a portion of a file emulated in the token, and wherein the token communicates with the host computer via writing to at least a second portion of the file.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via the mass storage driver writing to at least a portion of a file emulated in the token, and wherein the token communicates with the host computer via writing to the at least a portion of the file.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the OS-supplied inherent driver is a human interface driver.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via a setting/querying human interface driver feature, and the token communicates with the host computer via a report.

35. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the driver is an audio driver.

36. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the host computer communicates with the token via an audio output and the token communicates with the host computer via an audio input.