Method and system for authenticating software

• US 20050120209A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Nam, Gwang-Ho, Kwon, Ji-Hun, Yim, Seung-Hyouk
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/161
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for authenticating software. One embodiment of the invention provides a system for authenticating software in a mobile terminal, wherein the system is configured to: receive an execution instruction for software installed in the mobile terminal through an inputting means, generate a first error code for the software, extract a mobile terminal identifier of the mobile terminal, generate a first authentication key by combining the mobile terminal identifier and the first error code, and execute the software when the first authentication key corresponds to a second authentication key stored in the mobile terminal. By authenticating the software for a wireless mobile terminal, one embodiment of the invention can prevent unauthorized duplication and execution of the software at the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating software, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile terminal, an execution instruction for software installed in the mobile terminal;

generating a first code for the software;

generating a first authentication key based on a mobile terminal identifier of the mobile terminal and the first code; and

executing the installed software only if the first authentication key corresponds to a second authentication key stored in the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile terminal, a download file from a server being in data communication with the mobile terminal, wherein the download file comprises software data and a second code;

generating a third code for the software data;

storing the software data on the mobile terminal if the second code corresponds to the third code; and

generating the second authentication key based on the mobile terminal identifier and the second code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal identifier includes an electronic serial number (ESN) of the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first code, the second code, and the third code is a frame check sequence generated by a CRC method.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first code, the second code, and the third code are a 32 frame check sequence if the software is software for a developer.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first code, the second code, and the third code are a 16 frame check sequence if the software is commercial software.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the download file further comprises a header including information associated with the first code.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the download file further comprises first security level information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining the first security level information from the download file;

receiving second security level information from the server, wherein each security level information includes information regarding resources that the software can access when the software is executed at the mobile terminal;

comparing the first security level information with the second security level information; and

storing the downloaded software on the mobile terminal if the first security level information and the second security level information correspond to each other.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal comprises at least one of the following:

a cellular phone, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a PCS (personal communications service) and other wireless telecommunication device.

10. A method of authenticating software between a server and a mobile terminal communicating data through a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server, a download request signal from the mobile terminal, wherein the download request signal includes a mobile terminal identifier of the mobile terminal;

identifying the mobile terminal based on the mobile terminal identifier;

determining whether or not the software is authorized to be downloaded to the mobile terminal;

obtaining software data corresponding to the download request signal;

generating, a code for the software data, corresponding to the mobile terminal;

generating a download file including the software data and the code; and

transmitting the download file to the mobile terminal,

wherein the generated code, in combination with the mobile terminal identifier, is configured to control the execution of the software at the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the mobile terminal identifier is an electronic serial number (ESN) of the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the code is a frame check sequence generated by a CRC method.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the software is either software for a developer or commercial software.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein if the software is software for a developer, the software is downloaded only to a developer mobile terminal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein if the software is commercial software, the code is a 16 frame check sequence.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein if the software is software for a developer, the code is a 32 frame check sequence.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of the code comprises:

obtaining security level information corresponding to the software, wherein the download file further includes the security level information, and wherein the security level information includes information regarding resources that the software can access when the software is executed at the mobile terminal; and

generating a configuration information file including the security level information,

wherein the configuration information file is transmitted to the mobile terminal,

and wherein the mobile terminal compares the security level information included within the configuration information file with the security level information included within the download file to check whether an error has occurred in the security level information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the security level information is determined based on the scope of usable resource of the mobile terminal.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the download file further comprises a header including information regarding the generated code.

21. A system for authenticating software between a server and a mobile terminal communicating data through a network, wherein the system is configured to i) receive a download request signal from the mobile terminal, ii) obtain software data corresponding to the download request signal, iii) generate a code, for the software data, corresponding to the mobile terminal, iv) generate a download file including the software data and the code, and v) transmit the download file to the mobile terminal,

and wherein the generated code, in combination with a mobile terminal identifier of the mobile terminal, is configured to control the execution of the software at the mobile terminal.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the mobile terminal comprises at least one of the following:

a cellular phone, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a PCS (personal communications service) and a wireless telecommunication device.

23. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on the processor readable storage devices, the processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of identifying extreme behavior in elements of a network, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile terminal, an execution instruction for software installed in the mobile terminal;

generating a first code for the software;

generating a first authentication key based on a mobile terminal identifier of the mobile terminal and the first code; and

executing the installed software only if the first authentication key corresponds to a second authentication key stored in the mobile terminal.

24. A system for authenticating software, the system comprising:

means for receiving, at a mobile terminal, an execution instruction for software installed in the mobile terminal;

means for generating a first code for the software;

means for generating a first authentication key based on a mobile terminal identifier of the mobile terminal and the first code; and

means for executing the installed software only if the first authentication key corresponds to a second authentication key stored in the mobile terminal.