MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DISABLING APPLICATIONS

• US 20100330958A1
• Filed: 07/21/2008
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Wane, Ismaila, Corda, Alexandre
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A mobile communication device (1) is connectable to a memory device (MIF) that comprises a plurality of memorysectors (0-F), wherein at least one application is stored in at least one memory sector. the memory sectors are protected against unauthorized access 5 by sector keys (key A, key B, 4). The mobile communication device (1) comprises an applications manager (MAM) being adapted to disable the stored applications (TK1, AC1, AC2, TR2, TR3, CP1, TR4, AC3, TK3) when triggered by an external trigger event.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device connectable to a memory device comprising a plurality of memory sectors, wherein at least one application is stored in at least one memory sector, wherein the memory sectors are protected against unauthorized access by sector keys, wherein the mobile communication device comprises an applications manager being adapted to disable:

the stored applications when triggered by an external trigger event.

2. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory device is a MIFARE Classic card or an emulated MIFARE Classic device and the applications are MIFARE applications such as tickets, coupons, access controls, etc.

3. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external trigger event is a disabling instruction sent from an external source to the mobile communication device.

4. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein disabling the stored applications comprises erasing the applications from the memory device.

5. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 4, wherein erasing the applications from the memory device comprises rewriting the respective sectors of the memory device with empty information or random data.

6. The mobile communication device as claimed claim 1, wherein disabling the stored applications comprises scrambling the applications in the memory device, preferably by writing random information at random locations of the respective sectors of the memory device.

7. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein disabling the stored applications comprises changing the sector keys of the memory device.

8. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile phone.

18. A telecommunication system comprising a Mobile Network Operator (MNO), a plurality of mobile communication devices according to claim 1 and a Trusted Service Manager, wherein the Trusted Service Manager is adapted to establish communication with a mobile communication device by request of the Mobile Network Operator and to instruct the mobile communication device to disable applications being stored in a memory device that is connected to the mobile communication device.

9. A method for disabling applications in a mobile communication device that is connected to a memory device comprising a plurality of memory sectors wherein the sectors are protected against unauthorized access by sector keys, wherein each application is stored in at least one memory sector, wherein the method comprises disabling the stored applications when triggered by an external trigger event.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the memory device is a MIFARE Classic card or an emulated MIFARE Classic device and the applications are MIFARE applications selected from the group consisting of tickets, coupons, access controls.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the external trigger event is a disabling instruction sent from an external server to the mobile communication device.

12. The method as claimed in any of claim 9, wherein disabling the stored applications comprises erasing the applications from the memory device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein erasing the applications from the memory device comprises rewriting the respective sectors of the memory device with empty information or random data.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein disabling the stored applications comprises scrambling the applications in the memory device by writing random information at random locations of the respective sectors of the memory device.

15. The Method as claimed in claim 9, wherein disabling the stored applications comprises changing the sector keys of the memory device.

16. A computer program product being directly loadable into the memory of a mobile communication device being connectable to a memory device comprising a plurality of memory sectors wherein at least one application is stored in at least one memory sector, wherein the memory sectors are protected against unauthorized access by sector keys, wherein the computer program product comprises software code portions for performing—

when running on the mobile communication device—

the steps of the method as claimed in claim 9.

17. A computer program product as claimed in claim 16, wherein the computer program product is stored on a computer readable medium or is downloadable from a remote server via a communication network.