SECURE ELEMENT MANAGER

• US 20090193491A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rao, Bindu
• Application Number:
  US12/019,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193491A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computing device may comprise system hardware, system firmware, one or more secure elements and one or more secure element management module. The secure element may enable access to goods or services. In some embodiments, the operational status of an embedded secure element may be modified by a secure element management module through addition of hardware, communication with a server or the like.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a system hardware;

at least one firmware module;

at least one secure element; and

at least one secure element management module, wherein the secure element management module comprises a pointer to a currently active secure element.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one secure element management module is coupled to one or more firmware modules.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the at least one secure element management module comprises a pointer to modify the operating status of the secure element.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the pointer in the at least one secure element management module is initiated through introduction of hardware.

5. The computing device of claim 3, further comprising an encryption module.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the secure element management module pointer is initiated through receipt of encrypted request from a server.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, a service request by a user to modify an operating status of a secure element associated with the computing device;

initiating, in a computing device, a secure element management module; and

in response to the secure element management module, modifying, in a computing device, the operating status of a secure element in response to the service request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the secure element management module:

processes the modification request; and

modifies the operating status of the secure element by changing a pointer in the computing device firmware.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein changing a pointer in the computing device firmware comprises:

disabling a secure element; and

providing reference to a different secure element.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the service request by a user comprises:

initiating, by a user, a communication connection with a server;

verifying that the server is trusted; and

requesting a secure element modification from the server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, in a server, the secure element modification request;

processing, in a server, a secure element modification request; and

transmitting, a secure element modification request to the computing device.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a computing device, a secure element provided in additional hardware;

initiating, in a computing device, a secure element management module; and

in response to the secure element management module, modifying, in a computing device, the operating status of an embedded secure element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the secure element management module:

detects a secure element provided in additional hardware;

verifies the additional hardware is trusted; and

modifies the operating status of the secure element by changing a pointer in the computing device firmware.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein changing a pointer in the computing device firmware comprises:

disabling the embedded secure element; and

providing reference to the secure element in the memory card.