METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR DESIGNATING A SECURITY LEVEL FOR A COMMUNICATIONS LINK BETWEEN WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20120159149A1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Martin, Philippe, Khan, Mohammad, Raynon, Jean-Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 8,943,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

A content issuer entity designates a transport security level for each of a plurality of electronic certificates and provides the electronic certificates to a first wireless device. A second wireless device establishes a communications link to transfer electronic certificate data associated with one or more electronic certificates stored on the first wireless device to the second wireless device via a wireless transaction and determines, for each stored electronic certificate, a transport security level previously designated at the content issuer entity. At the first wireless device, a highest transport security level is determined from among the respective transport security levels associated with the stored electronic certificates. The electronic certificate data is transferred from the first wireless device to the second wireless device via the communications link in accordance with a security measure that corresponds to the highest determined transport security level.

Claims

1. A method for designating a transport security level for a communications link between wireless devices, the method comprising:

designating, by a content issuer entity, a transport security level for each of a plurality of electronic certificates;

providing the plurality of electronic certificates to a first wireless device;

establishing, at a second wireless device, a communications link to transfer electronic certificate data associated with the one or more electronic certificates stored on the first wireless device to the second wireless device via a wireless transaction;

determining, for each of the one or more stored electronic certificates, a respective transport security level previously designated at the content issuer entity;

determining, at the first wireless device, a highest transport security level from among the respective transport security levels associated with the one or more stored electronic certificates; and

transferring the electronic certificate data associated with the one or more electronic certificates from the first wireless device to the second wireless device via the communications link in accordance with a security measure that corresponds to the determined highest transport security level.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communications link includes at least one of:

a near field communications (NFC) communications link, a Bluetooth communications link, a WiFi communications link, and a WiMax communications link.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device each includes at least one of an NFC enabled device, a Bluetooth enabled device, and a WiFi enabled device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the NFC enabled device includes at least one of:

an NFC enabled mobile device, an NFC enabled wireless reader, an NFC enabled tablet, an NFC enabled wireless device writer, an NFC enabled personal computer, an NFC enabled television, an NFC enabled point of sale device, an NFC enabled personal data assistant, an NFC enabled boarding pass reader, an NFC enabled smart appliance, an NFC enabled check-in reader, an NFC enabled door lock access controller, an NFC enabled transit ticket reader, an NFC enabled transportation ticket reader, and an NFC enabled ticket reader.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more electronic certificates include one or more electronic gift cards, electronic loyalty cards, electronic prepaid cards, electronic coupons, electronic tickets, electronic boarding passes, electronic transit cards, electronic credit cards, electronic debit cards, electronic payment cards, electronic vouchers, electronic membership cards, electronic health insurance cards, electronic promotions, electronic offers, electronic rewards, electronic incentives, electronic health information, electronic citations, electronic product information, electronic service information, electronic appointments, electronic business cards, electronic access passes, and electronic contact information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transport security level is defined in a metadata field in each of the plurality of electronic certificates.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the transport security level is designated as an alphanumeric value in a transport security level subfield in the metadata field included in each of the plurality of electronic certificates.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein designating the transport security level includes:

determining, at the issuer server, a respective monetary value associated with each of the plurality of electronic certificates to be provided to the first wireless device;

accessing a database that maps transport security levels with monetary values; and

inserting, into each of the plurality of electronic certificates, a transport security level that corresponds to the respective determined monetary value associated with each of the plurality of electronic certificates.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the security protocol includes at least one of:

a mutual authentication security protocol, a single usage security protocol, an encryption security protocol, a checksum security protocol, a hashing security protocol, and clear data protocol.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless transaction may be conducted either via a card emulation mode or a peer to peer (P2P) mode.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first wireless device utilizes a secure element to conduct the wireless transaction.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the secure element resides in at least one of:

a processor within the first wireless device, memory within the first wireless device, or as an add-on device included within the first wireless device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the secure element includes at least one of:

an embedded secure element integrated chipset, a SIM card, a microSD card, and a trust zone.

14. A system for designating transport security level between two near field communications (NFC) devices, the system comprising:

a content issuer entity configured for defining transport security levels for a plurality of electronic certificates and transmitting the plurality of electronic certificates; and

a first wireless device configured for receiving the plurality of electronic certificates from the issuer entity, for conducting a wireless transaction to transferring electronic certificate data associated with one or more of the plurality of electronic certificates stored within the first wireless device, for determining a respective transport security level previously designated at the content issuer entity for each of the one or more stored electronic certificates, and for determining a highest transport security level from among the respective transport security levels associated with the stored electronic certificates; and

a second wireless device configured for establishing a communications link associated with the wireless transaction to receive the electronic certificate data associated with one or more electronic certificates stored on the first wireless device and for receiving the electronic certificate data associated with the one or more electronic certificates from the first wireless device in accordance with a security measure that corresponds to the determined highest transport security level.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the wireless transaction includes at least one of:

a near field communications (NFC) transaction, a Bluetooth transaction, a WiFi transaction, and a WiMax transaction.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the first wireless device and the second wireless device each includes at least one of an NFC enabled device, a Bluetooth enabled device, and a WiFi enabled device.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the NFC enabled device includes at least one of:

an NFC enabled mobile device, an NFC enabled wireless reader, an NFC enabled tablet, an NFC enabled wireless device writer, an NFC enabled personal computer, an NFC enabled television, an NFC enabled point of sale device, an NFC enabled personal data assistant, an NFC enabled boarding pass reader, an NFC enabled smart appliance, an NFC enabled check-in reader, an NFC enabled door lock access controller, an NFC enabled transit ticket reader, an NFC enabled transportation ticket reader, and an NFC enabled ticket reader.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the one or more electronic certificates include one or more electronic gift cards, electronic loyalty cards, electronic prepaid cards, electronic coupons, electronic tickets, electronic boarding passes, electronic transit cards, electronic credit cards, electronic debit cards, electronic payment cards, electronic vouchers, electronic membership cards, electronic health insurance cards, electronic promotions, electronic offers, electronic rewards, electronic incentives, electronic health information, electronic citations, electronic product information, electronic service information, electronic appointments, electronic business cards, electronic access passes, and electronic contact information.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the transport security level is defined in a metadata field in each of the plurality of electronic certificates.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the transport security level is designated as an alphanumeric value in a transport security level subfield in the metadata field included in each of the plurality of electronic certificates.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the issuer server is further configured for determining, at the issuer server, a respective monetary value associated with each of the plurality of electronic certificates to be provided to the first wireless device, for accessing a database that maps transport security levels with monetary values, and for inserting, into each of the plurality of electronic certificates, a transport security level that corresponds to the respective determined monetary value associated with each of the plurality of electronic certificates.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the security protocol includes at least one of:

a mutual authentication security protocol, a single usage security protocol, an encryption security protocol, a checksum security protocol, a hashing security protocol, and clear data protocol.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the wireless transaction may be conducted either via a card emulation mode or a peer to peer (P2P) mode.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the first wireless device utilizes a secure element to conduct the wireless transaction.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the secure element resides in at least one of:

a processor within the first wireless device, memory within the first wireless device, or as an add-on device included within the first wireless device.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the secure element includes at least one of:

an embedded secure element integrated chipset, a SIM card, a microSD card, and a trust zone.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer controls the computer to perform steps comprising:

designating, by a content issuer entity, a transport security level for each of a plurality of electronic certificates;

providing the plurality of electronic certificates to a first wireless device;

establishing, at a second wireless device, a communications link to transfer electronic certificate data associated with one or more electronic certificates stored on the first wireless device to the second wireless device via a wireless transaction;

determining, for each of the one or more stored electronic certificates, a respective transport security level previously designated at the content issuer entity;

determining, at the first wireless device, a highest transport security level from among the respective transport security levels associated with the one or more stored electronic certificates; and

transferring the electronic certificate data associated with the one or more electronic certificates from the first wireless device to the second wireless device via the communications link in accordance with a security measure that corresponds to the determined highest transport security level.