Safe application distribution and execution in a wireless environment

• US 7,099,663 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Horel, Gerald, Sprigg, Stephen A., Zhuang, Yan, Minear, Brian, Chmaytelli, Mazen, Lundblade, Laurence, Crossland, Karen, Krishnan, Anand, Phillips, Marc S., Oliver, Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/872,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20020183056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/419, 455/425, 455/420, 455/423, 455/422, 455/424, 455/411, 455/412, 713/175
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/0093 for surfing, i.e. without a sail; for skate or snow boarding
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/04 for small-room or indoor sporting games
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/007 involving water
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/0006 Devices for producing waves in swimming pools generating current of water in swimming pools A63B69/125
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener

Abstract

The present invention provides safe and secure application distribution and execution by providing systems and methods that test an application to ensure that it satisfies predetermined criteria associated with the environment in which it will execute. Furthermore, by using rules and permission lists, application removal, and a modification detection technique, such as digital signatures, the present invention provides mechanisms to safely distribute and execute tested, or untested, applications by determining whether the application has been modified, determining if it has permission to execute in a given wireless device environment, and removing the application should it be desirable to do so.

Claims

1. A method for a server processing and distributing an application for use on a wireless device communicating over a wireless network comprising:

receiving the application and a first identification information associated with the application, said first identification information usable to confirm an identity of a source of the application;

certifying the application satisfies each criterion in a set of predetermined criterions, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with a wireless environment;

after said certifying,

assigning a set of permissions to the application, said set of permissions having a plurality of permissions each associated with a respective criterion in said set of predetermined criterions; and

transmitting the application, the set of permissions, and a second identification information usable to confirm an identify of said server, to the wireless device;

wherein said application is independent of any act for performing wireless communication between the wireless device and the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said set of predetermined criterion comprises a first criterion associated with a generic wireless network and a second criterion associated with a specific wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in said step of transmitting, at least the application is transmitted using a modification detection technique.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the modification detection technique uses a digital signature.

5. A system for processing and distributing an application for use on a wireless device communicating over a wireless network, comprising:

a carrier network;

an infrastructure for supporting the wireless network, coupled to said carrier network; and

a server, coupled to said carrier network, and configured to;

receive the application and a first identification information associated with the application, said first identification information usable to confirm an identity of a source of the application;

certify that the application satisfies each criterion in a set of predetermined criterions, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with a wireless environment;

after said certify,

assign a set of permissions to the application, said set of permissions having a plurality of permissions each associated with a respective criterion in said set of predetermined criterions, and

transmit the application, the set of permissions, and a second identification information usable to confirm an identity of said server, to the wireless device over said carrier network and said infrastructure;

wherein said application is independent of any act for performing wireless communication between the wireless device and the wireless network.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a modification detection technique is used in the step to transmit the application, the set of permissions, and the second identification information to the wireless device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said server comprises:

an inter-server network;

a first server configured to receive the application;

a second server configured to certify the application; and

a third server configured to assign a set of permissions and transmit the application;

wherein said first, second, and third server are each coupled to said inter-server network, and said third server is coupled to said carrier network.

8. A system for processing and distributing an application for use on a wireless device communicating over a wireless network, comprising:

a carrier network means;

an infrastructure means for supporting the wireless network, coupled to said carrier network; and

a server means, coupled to said carrier network, the server comprising;

a means for receiving the application and a first identification information associated with the application, said first identification information usable to confirm an identity of a source of the application;

a means for certifying the application satisfies each criterion in a set of predetermined criterions, wherein each criterion is respectively associated with a wireless environment;

a means for assigning a set of permissions to the application after the application has been certified by the means for certifying, said set of permissions having a plurality of permissions each associated with a respective criterion in said set of predetermined criterions; and

a means for transmitting the application, the set of permissions, and a second identification information usable to confirm an identify of said server, to the wireless device;

wherein said application is independent of any act for performing wireless communication between the wireless device and the wireless network.

9. A method of processing an application for execution on a wireless device communicating over a wireless network, comprising:

receiving, from a server over the wireless network, a transmission comprising the application, a set of permissions, and an identification information;

determining, based upon evaluating a rule previously stored in the wireless device on said set of permissions, whether to enable the application for execution;

executing the application if the application has been enabled for execution; and

removing the application from the wireless device if the application has not been enabled for execution.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the application was modified during the transmission;

if it is determined that the application was modified during the transmission, removing the application from the wireless device.

11. A wireless device which communicates over a wireless network and is capable of executing an application, comprising:

a wireless interface for receiving the application, a set of permissions, and an identification information;

a computer platform, coupled to said wireless interface, said computer platform comprising a first storage for storing a previously defined rule, and a second storage for storing the application, the set of permissions, and the identification information;

wherein the computer platform is configured to determined, based upon evaluating the rule on the set of permissions;

whether to enable the application for execution;

execute the application if the application has been enabled for execution; and

remove the application if the application has not been enabled for execution; and

wherein the application is independent of any act for performing wireless communication between the wireless device and the wireless network.

12. A wireless device which communicates over a wireless network and is capable of executing an application, comprising:

a wireless interface means for receiving the application, a set of permissions, and an identification information;

a computer platform means, coupled to said wireless interface, said computer platform means comprising;

a first storage means for storing a previously defined rule;

a second storage means for storing the application, the set of permissions, and the identification information; and

a means for determining, based upon evaluating the rule on the set of permissions whether to enable the application for execution, execute the application if the application has been enabled for execution, and remove the application if the application has not been enabled for execution;

wherein the application is independent of any act for performing wireless communication between the wireless device and the wireless network.