Systems and Methods For Providing Security to Different Functions

• US 20110271111A1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Buer, Mark, Frank, Edward H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided that use smartcards, such as subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to provide secure functions for a mobile client. One embodiment of the invention provides a mobile communication network system that includes a mobile network, a mobile terminal, a server coupled to the mobile terminal via the mobile network, and a subscriber identity module (SIM) card coupled to the mobile terminal. The SIM card includes a first key and a second key. The first key is used to authenticate an intended user of the mobile terminal to the mobile network. Upon successful authentication of the intended user to the mobile network, the mobile terminal downloads a function offered from the server through the mobile network. The second key is then used by the mobile terminal to authenticate the intended user to the downloaded function so that the intended user can utilize the function.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for use with a mobile terminal, the SIM card comprising:

a first key and a second key;

wherein the SIM card is adapted to be coupled to the mobile terminal and wherein the first key is configured to authenticate an intended user of the mobile terminal to a mobile network and to download a function capsule including a first function from the mobile network to the mobile terminal; and

wherein the second key is configured to authenticate the intended user to the function capsule on the mobile terminal.

31. The SIM card of claim 30, wherein the SIM card includes a third key for decrypting the downloaded function capsule.

32. The SIM card of claim 30, wherein the SIM card includes a third key and wherein the third key authenticates the intended user to utilize the first function of the function capsule after the second key has authenticated the intended user to the function capsule.

33. The SIM card of claim 32, wherein the SIM card includes a fourth key, wherein the function capsule comprises a second function, and wherein the fourth key authenticates the intended user to utilize the second function of the function capsule.

34. The SIM card of claim 33, wherein the fourth key authenticates the intended user to utilize the second function of the function capsule after the third key has authenticated the intended user to utilize the first function of the function capsule.

35. The SIM card of claim 33, wherein the third key does not authenticate the intended user to utilize the second function of the function capsule.

36. The SIM card of claim 30, wherein at least one of the first and second keys comprises a private key and a public key and wherein only a copy of the public key is available outside the SIM card to authenticate the intended user.

37. A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for use with a server system, the server system including a server adapted to download a function capsule including a first function to a mobile terminal via a mobile network, the SIM card comprising:

a first key and a second key;

wherein the SIM card is adapted to be coupled to the mobile terminal and wherein the first key is used to authenticate an intended user of the mobile terminal to the mobile network and to download the function capsule from the mobile network to the mobile terminal; and

wherein the second key is used to authenticate the intended user to the function capsule on the mobile terminal.

38. The SIM card of claim 37, wherein the second key of the SIM card is configured to be revoked by a third key of the server.

39. The SIM card of claim 38, wherein the second key of the SIM card is configured to be remotely revoked by the server via the mobile network.

40. The SIM card of claim 37, wherein the SIM card includes a third key to authenticate the intended user to access the server.

41. The SIM card of claim 40, wherein one or both of the second and third keys of the SIM card are configured to be revoked by a fourth key of the server.

42. A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card for use with a communication system having a mobile terminal coupled to a mobile network, the SIM card comprising:

a function capsule authentication key and an additional key;

wherein the function capsule authentication key authenticates an intended user to a function capsule including a first function downloaded from the mobile network to the mobile terminal; and

wherein the additional key authenticates the intended user to utilize the first function of the function capsule after the function capsule authentication key has authenticated the intended user to the function capsule.

43. The SIM card of claim 42, wherein the SIM card includes a second additional key for decrypting the downloaded function capsule.

44. The SIM card of claim 42, wherein the SIM card includes a second additional key, wherein the second additional key authenticates the intended user to utilize a second function of the function capsule.

45. The SIM card of claim 44, wherein the second additional key authenticates the intended user to utilize the second function of the function capsule after the additional key has authenticated the intended user to utilize the first function of the function capsule.

46. The SIM card of claim 44, wherein the additional key does not authenticate the intended user to utilize the second function of the function capsule.

47. The SIM card of claim 42, wherein the function capsule authentication key is written into the SIM card via a key writing site at a time when the intended user desires to utilize the first function of the function capsule.

48. The SIM card of claim 42, wherein the function capsule authentication key is written into the SIM card via a key writing site at a time when the intended user has purchased the first function of the function capsule.

49. The SIM card of claim 42, wherein the SIM card includes a second additional key to authenticate the intended user to access a server from which the function capsule is downloaded.