System and method for securing system content by automated device authentication

• US 7,480,803 B1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Marballi, Gaurav K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heneghan; Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/897,860
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 713/178
• US Class Current: 713/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/107 License processing; Key processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/61 Time-dependent

Abstract

A system is provided for securely downloading content to a mobile telecommunications device. The system includes a mobile application to enable the mobile telecommunications device to send a request for content identified on a telecommunication provider system. The system includes a content application maintained by the content provider to retrieve content and promote delivery of the content to the mobile telecommunications device. The system also includes a challenge component and a response component, the response component communicates with the mobile application and encodes a challenge data. The challenge component communicates with the content application. The challenge component sends the challenge data to the mobile application and decodes the challenge data received from the mobile application to validate the response for delivery of the content to the mobile application.

Claims

1. A method for authentication of a requesting entity by an authenticating entity comprising:

the requesting entity sending to the authenticating entity a request for data;

the authenticating entity retrieving a time data based on a current time of a system of the authenticating entity;

the authenticating entity sending the retrieved time data to the requesting entity;

the requesting entity returning the retrieved time to the authenticating entity;

the authenticating entity determining a received time and calculating a time difference between the retrieved time data and the received time when the retrieved time is received by the authenticating entity;

encrypting and decrypting the retrieved time data using a key maintained by both the requesting entity and the authenticating entity,

wherein the retrieved time data is encrypted by the requesting entity and decrypted by the authenticating entity,

wherein the authenticating entity sending the retrieved time to the requesting entity is performed by sending the retrieved time in plain text, and

when the time difference is less than a predetermined threshold, the authenticating entity authenticating the requesting entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting entity is a mobile telecommunications device requesting content to be downloaded.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the authenticating entity is a content provider maintaining content to be downloaded to the mobile telecommunications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the key is further maintained by a plurality of different requesting entities and the key is used for authenticating each of the different requesting entities.

5. A system for securely downloading content to a mobile telecommunications device comprising:

a mobile application on the mobile telecommunications device that sends a request for content, the mobile application downloaded from a telecommunications provider system for use by the mobile telecommunications device to download content identified on the telecommunications provider system;

a content application maintained by a content provider that receives the request for content from the mobile application, where the content application retrieves the content and promotes delivery of the content to the mobile telecommunications device;

a response component in communication with the mobile application, the response component on the mobile telecommunications device, where the response component encrypts a challenge data; and

a challenge component in communication with the content application, where the challenge component sends the challenge data to the mobile application and decrypts the encrypted challenge data received from the mobile application to authenticate the mobile telecommunications device for delivery of the content to the mobile telecommunications device,

wherein the challenge data is a time data the content provider obtained by the challenge component, the challenge component operable to determine a time difference between the time data with a received time related to when the challenge component receives the encrypted time data from the response component, such that when the time difference exceeds a predetermined threshold the challenge component prohibits transfer of the content.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the challenge data is encrypted and decrypted with a key used by both the mobile application and the content provider.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the key is downloaded with the mobile application.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the response component encrypts the challenge data and the challenge component decrypts the encrypted challenge data using one or more of a group of encryption and decryption techniques comprising public key encryption, private key encryption, one-time pads, or XORing the challenge data.

9. The system of claim 5 comprising a second mobile application, wherein the second mobile application is downloaded from the telecommunications provider system for use by the mobile telecommunications with a second key used by the response component to encrypt the challenge data, wherein the second key is used by the challenge component to decrypt the challenge data, and wherein the second application and the second key replace the application and the key.

10. A method for authentication of a requesting entity by an authenticating entity to download content, comprising:

downloading, from a telecommunications provider system by a portable device, an application in response to identifying content to download to the portable device;

sending a request for content from the portable device to a content provider system maintaining the content to download to the portable device;

obtaining, by the content provider system, challenge data;

communicating the challenge data to the portable device;

encrypting, by the portable device, the challenge data;

receiving the encrypted challenge data by the content provider system;

decrypting the challenge data to authenticate the portable device,

wherein the challenge data is a time data from the content provider system;

calculating a time difference between the time data retrieved by the content provider system and communicated by the content provider system to the mobile device and a received time when the time data is received by the content provider system from the portable device; and

when the time difference is less than a predetermined threshold, the content provider system accepting the portable device request for content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the challenge data is encrypted and decrypted with a key used by both the portable device and the content provider system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the key is used by a plurality of different portable devices to authenticate each of the different portable devices.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the key is downloaded with the application.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the portable device is further defined as a wireless device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the portable device is further defined as a wireless telephone supported by at least a portion of the telecommunications provider system.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the challenge data is encrypted and decrypted using one or more of a group of encryption and decryption techniques comprising public key encryption, private key encryption, one-time pads, or XORing the challenge data.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising downloading, from the telecommunications provider system by the portable device, a second application, wherein the second application comprises a second key used for encrypting, by the portable device, and wherein the content provider system decrypts the challenge data with the second key.

18. A method for authentication of a requesting entity by an authenticating entity to download content, comprising:

sending a request for content from a portable device to a content provider system maintaining content to download to the portable device;

obtaining, by the content provider system, challenge data, wherein the challenge data is a current time of the content provider system;

encrypting, by the content provider system, the challenge data;

communicating the encrypted challenge data to the portable device;

decrypting, by the portable device, the encrypted challenge data;

returning, by the portable device, the decrypted challenge data to the content provider system in plain text;

receiving the returned decrypted challenge data in plain text by the content provider system;

determining, by the content provider system, a received time and calculating a time difference between the returned decrypted challenge data in plain text and the received time; and

authenticating, by the content provider system, the portable device when the time difference is less than a predetermined threshold.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the challenge data is encrypted and decrypted with a key used by both the portable device and the content provider system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the challenge data is encrypted and decrypted using one or more of a group of encryption and decryption techniques comprising public key encryption, private key encryption, one-time pads, or XORing the challenge data.

21. A system for securely downloading content to a mobile telecommunications device comprising:

a mobile application on the mobile telecommunications device that sends a request for content, the mobile application downloaded from a telecommunications provider system for use by the mobile telecommunications device to download content identified on the telecommunications provider system;

a content application maintained by a content provider that receives the request for content from the mobile application, where the content application retrieves the content and promotes delivery of the content to the mobile telecommunications device;

a challenge component in communication with the content application, where the challenge component encrypts the challenge data and sends the encrypted challenge data to the mobile application;

a response component in communication with the mobile application, the response component on the mobile telecommunications device, where the response component decrypts the encrypted challenge data,

wherein the challenge component receives the decrypted challenge data from the mobile application to authenticate the mobile telecommunications device for delivery of the content to the mobile telecommunications device; and

wherein the challenge data is a time data the content provider obtained by the challenge component, the challenge component operable to determine a time difference between the time data with a received time related to when the challenge component receives the encrypted time data from the response component, such that when the time difference exceeds a predetermined threshold the challenge component prohibits transfer of the content.

22. A method for authentication of a requesting entity by an authenticating entity to download content, comprising:

downloading, from a telecommunications provider system by a portable device, an application in response to identifying content to download to the portable device;

sending a request for content from the portable device to a content provider system maintaining the content to download to the portable device;

obtaining, by the content provider system, challenge data;

encrypting, by the content provider system, the challenge data;

communicating the encrypted challenge data to the portable device;

decrypting, by the portable device, the encrypted challenge data;

receiving the decrypted challenge data by the content provider system to authenticate the portable device,

wherein the challenge data is a time data from the content provider system;

calculating a time difference between the time data retrieved by the content provider system and communicated by the content provider system to the mobile device and a received time when the time data is received by the content provider system from the portable device; and

when the time difference is less than a predetermined threshold, the content provider system accepting the portable device request for content.