FILE PROCESSING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE SUPPORTING THE SAME

• US 20150169880A1
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sang Hyun
• Application Number:
  US14/574,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20150169880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6281 at program execution time, where the protection is within the operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode

Abstract

A file processing method is provided. The method includes providing a non-security environment or security environment. The method also includes storing a file including reading a normal file from a normal region in a storage unit related to the non-security environment during execution of the non-security environment to write a read file to a secure region of the storage unit operating in the security environment, reading a secure file from the secure region in the security environment to write a read file to the normal region, or reading the normal file from the normal region in the security environment to write a read file to the secure region.

Claims

1. An electronic device supporting file processing, the electronic device comprising:

a storage unit configured to comprise a normal region storing a normal file related to a function operating in a non-security environment and a secure region storing a secure file related to a function operating in a security environment; and

a control unit configured to read the normal file stored in the normal region in response to a file transfer request and to write a read file to the secure region, or read the secure file stored in the secure region in response to a file transfer request and to write a read file to the normal region.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes:

a non-security environment processor configured to support the non-security environment;

a shared agent configured to support migration or copying of the normal file in the normal region to the secure region and migration or copying of the secure file in the secure region to the normal region; and

a security environment processor configured to support the security environment.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the shared agent includes at least normal file read and write rights with respect to the normal region and secure file read and write rights with respect to the secure region.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the shared agent is configured to:

receive a normal file storage location to be transferred from the non-security environment processor when there is the normal file transfer request, directly read a file from the normal region and then write the file to the secure region directly;

or

receive a secure file storage location to be transferred from the security environment processor when there is the secure file transfer request, directly read a file from the secure region and then write the file to the normal region directly.

5. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the shared agent is configured to:

receive the normal file from the non-security environment processor upon the normal file transfer request to transfer a received file to a processor managing reading from and writing to the secure region, or check activation of the security environment upon the normal file transfer request to call the security environment process to activate an inactivated security environment;

or

request, upon the secure file transfer request, a processor managing reading from and writing to the secure region to read the secure file to be transferred and collect a decrypted secure file.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display at least one of a screen for selecting the normal file in the normal region, a screen for selecting a folder location in the secure region to store a selected normal file, a screen for selecting the secure file in the secure region, and a screen for selecting a folder location in the normal region to store a selected secure file.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to:

allow the normal file to be stored in the secure region related to a secure application similar to a normal application related to the selected normal file, or

allow the secure file to be stored in the normal region related to a normal application similar to a secure application related to the selected secure file.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to:

allow the normal file to be stored by default in a folder related to a specified normal application when there is no similar normal application, or

allow the secure file to be stored in a folder related to a pre-specified secure application when there is no similar secure application.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to:

allow the normal file to be migrated or copied to the secure region in response to the file transfer request, or

allow the secure file to be migrated or copied to the normal region in response to the file transfer request.

10. A file processing method comprising:

providing a non-security environment or security environment; and

storing a file comprising reading a normal file from a normal region in a storage unit related to the non-security environment during execution of the non-security environment to write a read file to a secure region of the storage unit operating in the security environment, reading a secure file from the secure region in the security environment to write a read file to the normal region, or reading the normal file from the normal region in the security environment to write a read file to the secure region.

11. The file processing method according to claim 10, wherein storing the file includes:

receiving the stored location of the normal file from a non-security environment processor supporting the non-security environment by the shared agent;

reading the normal file from the normal region by the shared agent; and

using a processor managing reading from and writing to the secure region to store the normal file in the secure region by the shared agent.

12. The file processing method according to claim 10, wherein storing the file includes:

receiving the normal file from the non-security environment processor supporting the non-security environment by the shared agent;

transferring the normal file to a security environment processor supporting the security environment by the shared agent; and

storing the normal file in the secure region by the security environment processor.

13. The file processing method according to claim 10, wherein storing the file includes:

receiving the stored location of the secure file from the security environment processor supporting the security environment by the shared agent;

using a processor managing reading from and writing to the secure region to obtain a decrypted secure file by the shared agent; and

storing the decrypted secure file in the normal region by the shared agent.

14. The file processing method according to claim 10, wherein storing the file includes receiving a decrypted secure file to be transferred from the security environment processor supporting the security environment by the shared agent, and storing the decrypted secure file in the normal region by the shared agent.

15. The file processing method according to claim 10, wherein storing the file further comprises:

checking activation of the security environment when there is a normal file transfer request; and

activating the security environment when the security environment is in an inactivated state.

16. The file processing method according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of:

displaying a screen including a file icon corresponding to at least one normal file related to an operation of a specific normal application in the non-security environment;

displaying a menu item for requesting migration or copying of the normal file; and

displaying a list of folders in the secure region to store the normal file when there is a file migration or copying request, or displaying a folder in the secure region to store the normal file by default when there is the file migration or copying request.

17. The file processing method according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of:

displaying a screen including a file icon corresponding to at least one secure file related to an operation of a specific secure application in the security environment;

displaying a menu item for requesting migration or copying of the secure file; and

displaying a list of folders in the normal region to store the secure file when there is a file migration or copying request, or displaying a folder in the normal region to store the secure file when there is the file migration or copying request.

18. The file processing method according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of:

displaying a list of normal files to be transferred through a request in the security environment;

displaying a menu item for requesting migration or copying of the normal file; and

displaying a list of folders for folder selection of the secure region to store the normal file or displaying a specific folder in the secure region to store by default.

19. The file processing method according to claim 10, wherein storing the file includes at least one of:

storing the normal file in a folder in a secure application similar to a normal application related to the selected normal file;

storing the secure file in a folder related to a pre-defined secure application when there is no similar secure application;

storing the secure file in a folder in a normal application similar to a secure application related to the selected secure file;

storing the normal file in a folder related to a specified normal application by default when there is no similar normal application.

20. The file processing method according to claim 10, wherein storing the file includes at least one of:

migrating or copying the normal file to the secure region in response to the file transfer request; and

migrating or copying the secure file to the normal region in response to the file transfer request.