System and method of owner control of electronic devices

• US 20040255169A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Little, Herbert A., Clark, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,793,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A system and method of owner control of an electronic device are provided. Owner identification information, such as data integrity and source authentication information, is stored on the electronic device. Received owner control information is stored on the electronic device where the integrity of the received owner control information is verified and/or the source is authenticated using the owner identification information. In one embodiment, owner identification information comprises an owner signature private key.

Claims

1. A method of owner control of electronic devices, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at an electronic device, owner information which includes owner identification information;

wherein the owner identification information includes source authentication information;

receiving, at the electronic device, owner control information;

using the received owner identification information to check integrity of the received owner control information;

determining whether to use the received owner control information on the electronic device based upon the check of the integrity of the owner control information;

wherein the source authentication information is used to authenticate source of the owner control information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner identification information includes data integrity information which is used to check the integrity of the received owner control information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data integrity information of the owner information is a digital signature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein mobile device branding information is used in determining whether to use the received owner control information.

5. The method of claim 1, determining whether to use the received owner control information based upon the source of the owner control information being authenticated.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the source is an authorized source.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the authorized source is owner of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the authorized source is a source acting on behalf of the owner.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of checking integrity of the owner identification information by use of a digital signature.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital signature is created by application of a cryptographic algorithm to the owner information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cryptographic algorithm includes use of a symmetric key.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the cryptographic algorithm includes use of a asymmetric key.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner control information comprises a description of functions or software applications the electronic device is allowed to use.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner control information comprises a description of functions or software applications the electronic device is prohibited to use.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner control information comprises a description of functions or software applications the electronic device is permitted to use in a modified manner.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether to perform an operation on the electronic device based upon whether the owner information exists on the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether to perform an operation on the electronic device based upon whether the owner control information exists on the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining whether to perform an operation on the electronic device based upon an operation permissions list contained in the owner control information.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the electronic device, an erase command;

wherein the erase command indicates that the owner information is to be erased from the electronic device;

wherein the erase command is digitally signed;

determining whether to perform the erase command based upon checking integrity of the digitally signed erase command.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the owner control information includes an authorized software application list;

wherein the authorized software application list identifies an authorized software application by a hash of the software application;

wherein the software application is used on the electronic device based upon an integrity check using the hash of the software application.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a wireless mobile communications device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a desktop computer.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

issuing a cryptographic challenge using an encryption key stored on the electronic device and which is associated with owner of the electronic device;

determining whether to perform an operation on the electronic device based upon determination of the issued cryptographic challenge.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the encryption key is a public key of the owner or a secret key shared between the owner and the electronic device.

26. A data signal that is transmitted using a communication channel, wherein the data signal includes the owner information of claim 1.

27. Computer-readable medium capable of causing an electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

28. A system for owner control of an electronic device, comprising:

an owner information store configured to store owner information having data integrity information;

an owner control information store configured to store owner control information for controlling operation of an electronic device;

wherein the stored data integrity information is used to check integrity of the owner control information;

wherein whether to use the received owner control information on the electronic device is determined based upon the check of the integrity of the owner control information.

29. The system of claim 28 further comprising an insertion module configured to receive owner control information.

30. An apparatus of owner control of electronic devices, comprising:

means for receiving, at an electronic device, owner information which includes owner identification information;

means for receiving, at the electronic device, owner control information;

means for using the received owner identification information to check integrity of the received owner control information; and

means for determining whether to use the received owner control information on the electronic device based upon the check of the integrity of the owner control information.