Thin-Client Embedded Secure Element

• US 20140344945A1
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Buer, Mark, Awad, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US14/279,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20140344945A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers

Abstract

A thin-client embedded secure element, which includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, and a proxy client. The thin-client embedded secure element also includes a storage device including an identification uniquely identifying the thin-client secure element. The proxy client is configured to receive a request for the secured data from a module in the client device, establish a secure communication channel with a proxy server coupled to the computing device over a network, request the secured data from the proxy server using the identification, and provide the secured data to the module of the client device.

Claims

1. A thin-client embedded secure element comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a storage device configured to store an identification uniquely identifying the thin-client secure element; and

a proxy client configured to;

receive a request for secured data from a module of a client device;

establish a secure communication channel with a proxy server coupled to the client device;

request the secured data from the proxy server using the identification; and

provide the secured data to the module of the client device.

2. The thin-client embedded secure element of claim 1, further comprising a cache memory for temporarily storing the secured data.

3. The thin-client embedded secure element of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to remove the secured data from the cache memory after predetermined time period.

4. The thin-client embedded secure element of claim 1, where in the predetermined time period is received from the proxy server.

5. The thin-client embedded secure element of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a one-time programmable memory.

6. The thin-client embedded secure element of claim 5, wherein the one-time programmable memory is further configured to store a cryptographic key used to establish the secure communication channel.

7. The thin-client embedded secure element of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to establish the secure communication channel using asymmetric encryption.

8. The thin-client embedded secure element of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to establish the secure communication channel using symmetric encryption.

9. A computing device for accessing secured data comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a secure interface; and

a thin-client embedded secure element coupled to the secure interface configured to;

receive a request for the secured data via the secure interface;

establish a secure communication channel with a proxy server coupled to the computing device over a network;

request the secured data from the proxy server; and

provide the secured data to the secure interface.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the secure interface comprises an application programming interface for accessing secure elements.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the thin-client embedded secure element further comprises a storage device including an identification uniquely identifying the thin-client secure element, and wherein the thin-client embedded secure element is further configured to request the secured data from the proxy server using the identification.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the storage device is a one-time-programmable memory.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the thin-client embedded secure element is further configured to temporarily store the secured data in a cache memory

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the thin-client embedded secure element is further configured to remove the secure data from the cache memory after predetermined time period.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the predetermined time period is received from the proxy server.

16. A method for accessing secured data comprising:

receiving a request for a secured data from a module of a client device;

establishing a secure communication channel with a proxy server;

requesting the secured data from the proxy server; and

providing the secured data to the module of the client device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising temporarily storing the secured data in a cache memory.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a second request for the secured data from a module of the client device;

determining whether the secured data is stored in the cache memory; and

providing the secured data stored in the cache memory to the module of the client device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising removing the secured data from the cache memory after a predetermined time period.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving the predetermined time period from the proxy server.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the requesting the secured data further comprises:

requesting the secured data from the proxy server using a unique identifier.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the module of the client device is a near-field communications device.