Method for downloading software from server to terminal

• US 6,675,201 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Parkkinen, Jukka
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Narayanaswamy, Sindya
• Application Number:
  US09/517,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 717/168-178, 380/25, 709/216, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/468 Specific access rights for resources, e.g. using capability register
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

The invention relates to a telephone system and a method for downloading software from a server (128) to a terminal (100, 102), the method comprising the steps of attaching to the software a certificate confirming the authenticity of the software and the loader; downloading the software from a source computer (134) to the server (128); downloading the software from the server (128) to the terminal (100, 102). In the method of the invention a first electronic signature confirming the authenticity of the software is attached to the software at the server (128). After the software is downloaded, a second electronic signature is generated at the terminal from the loaded software and the authenticity of the software is checked by comparing the first electronic signature with the second.

Claims

1. A method for downloading software from a server (128) to a terminal (100, 102), the method comprising the steps of

attaching to the software a certificate confirming the authenticity of the software manufacturer and the loader;

uploading the software from a source computer (134) to the server (128);

calculating a check sum for the software and the certificate; and

downloading the software from the server (128) to the terminal (100, 102),

characterized in that the method further comprises the steps of;

generating an electronic signature at the server (128) by calculating for the software and the certificate a common check sum which is encrypted by means of a secret key of the server,

attaching the check sum confirming the authenticity of the software to the software at the server (128) before the software is downloaded to terminals;

generating a second check sum at the terminal from the downloaded software, after the software has been downloaded;

the encryption of the secret key is decrypted at the terminal and

checking the authenticity of the software at the terminal by comparing the first check sum with the second.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the authenticity of the software is always checked at the terminal (100, 102) when the software is carried out.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the encryption of the secret key is decrypted at the terminal (100, 102) by means of a public key of the server (128).

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the terminal (100, 102) detects that a payment card is inserted into the terminal'"'"'s card reader (206) and the user has selected an application, and that the terminal

checks whether the software needed for implementing the application can be found in the terminal'"'"'s memory, and

sends the server (128) a loading request comprising information about the software needed, and that the server

sends the terminal the software needed, and that the terminal stores the software into its memory.

5. A telephone system comprising:

plural number of terminals (100, 102); and

a server (128) monitoring and controlling the operation of the terminals, the server (128) being arranged to calculate a check sum for software and for a certificate attached to the software;

a terminal of the telephone system comprising means (204) for storing one or more software, and the system comprising;

one or more source computers (134) arranged to upload software to the server, the terminals (100, 102) being arranged to download software from the server,

characterized in that

the server is further adapted to;

generate an electronic signature by calculating for the software and the certificate a common check sum which is encrypted by means of a secret key of the server,

attach to the software a first check sum confirming the authenticity of the software before the software is downloaded to the terminals, and

a terminal is adapted to decrypt the encrypted secret key and is arranged to generate a second check sum from the downloaded software, after the software has been loaded, and that the terminal is arranged to check the authenticity of the software by comparing the first check sum with the second.

6. A system according to claim 5, characterized in that the terminal is arranged to always check the authenticity of the software when the software is carried out.

7. A system according to claim 5, characterized in that the terminal is arranged to decrypt the encryption of the electronic signature by means of a public key of the server.

8. A method for downloading software from a server to a terminal for payment card applications in a telephone system comprising:

detecting an insertion of a card into a card reader in a terminal;

identifying a payment application associated with the card;

requesting a download of the payment application from the server;

wherein the server is adapted to calculate a check sum for the payment application and a certificate attached to the payment application and attach to the payment a first check sum confirming the authenticity of the payment application prior to a download of the payment application; and

wherein the terminal is arranged to generate a second check sum from the downloaded payment application; and

verify an authenticity of the payment application by comparing the first check sum with the second check sum.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of identifying the payment application further comprises a user manually selecting, via a user interface, a payment application to be used.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of identifying the payment application further comprises determining if the payment application is stored in a memory of the terminal.