System and method for searching and retrieving certificates

• US 7,640,428 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Brown, Michael S., Little, Herbert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise; Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gelagay; Shewaye
• Application Number:
  US10/931,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20060059332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• Field of Search: 713/156, 713/153
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3265 using certificate chains, trees or paths; Hierarchical trust model

Abstract

A system and method for searching and retrieving certificates, which may be used in the processing of encoded messages. In one broad aspect, a method is provided in which a certificate search request is received, a search of one or more certificate servers for certificates satisfying the request is performed, located certificates are retrieved and processed at a first computing device to determine data that uniquely identifies each located certificate, and search result data comprising the determined data is communicated to a second device (e.g. a mobile device) for use in determining whether each located certificate is already stored on the second device.

Claims

1. A method of searching and retrieving certificates performed by a first computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a certificate search request;

performing a search on one or more certificate servers, wherein at least one query is submitted to the one or more certificate servers to request retrieval of certificates satisfying the certificate search request;

retrieving at least one certificate from the one or more certificate servers;

processing each retrieved certificate to determine search result data, wherein the search result data is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate;

for each retrieved certificate, communicating, to a mobile device, the search result data associated therewith that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate, said search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate for use in determining whether the retrieved certificate is stored on the mobile device so that the retrieved certificate is not required to be downloaded in its entirety to the mobile device to determine whether the retrieved certificate is stored on the mobile device;

receiving one or more selections of retrieved certificates from a list of retrieved certificates displayed in a user interface on the mobile device, the list indicating which of the retrieved certificates are stored on the mobile device; and

communicating selected retrieved certificates to the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies each retrieved certificate comprises serial number and issuer data for the retrieved certificate, and wherein the processing step comprises parsing each retrieved certificate to obtain the respective serial number and issuer data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies each retrieved certificate comprises a hash of at least a part of the retrieved certificate, and wherein the processing comprises applying a hash algorithm to each retrieved certificate to obtain the respective hash.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the hash obtained for each certificate is a hash of the entire retrieved certificate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device comprises a mobile data server.

6. A software application for execution on a computing device, the application comprising a plurality of instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the instructions for performing a method of searching and retrieving certificates on a first computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a certificate search request;

performing a search on one or more certificate servers, wherein at least one query is submitted to the one or more certificate servers to request retrieval of certificates satisfying the certificate search request;

retrieving at least one certificate from the one or more certificate servers;

processing each retrieved certificate to determine search result data, wherein the search result data is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate;

for each retrieved certificate, communicating, to a mobile device, the search result data associated therewith that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate, said search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate for use in determining whether the retrieved certificate is stored on the mobile device so that the retrieved certificate is not required to be downloaded in its entirety to the mobile device to determine whether the retrieved certificate is stored on the mobile device;

receiving one or more selections of retrieved certificates from a list of retrieved certificates displayed in a user interface on the mobile device, the list indicating which of the retrieved certificates are stored on the mobile device; and

communicating selected retrieved certificates to the mobile device.

7. The software application of claim 6, wherein the search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies each retrieved certificate comprises serial number and issuer data for the retrieved certificate, and wherein the processing comprises parsing each retrieved certificate to obtain the respective serial number and issuer data.

8. The software application of claim 6, wherein the search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies each respective retrieved certificate comprises a hash of at least a part of the respective certificate, and wherein the processing step comprises applying a hash algorithm to each retrieved certificate to obtain the respective hash.

9. A system for searching and retrieving certificates comprising at least a first computing device and a mobile device, wherein the first computing device is adapted to:

receive a certificate search request;

perform a search on one or more certificate servers by submitting at least one query thereto to request retrieval of certificates satisfying the certificate search request;

retrieve at least one certificate from the one or more certificate servers;

process each retrieved certificate to determine search result data, wherein the search result data is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate;

for each retrieved certificate, communicate, to the mobile device, the search result data associated therewith that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate, said search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies the retrieved certificate for use in determining whether the retrieved certificate is stored on the mobile device so that the retrieved certificate is not required to be downloaded in its entirety to the mobile device to determine whether the retrieved certificate is stored on the mobile device;

receive one or more selections of retrieved certificates from a list of retrieved certificates displayed in a user interface on the mobile device, the list indicating which of the retrieved certificates are stored on the mobile device; and

communicate selected retrieved certificates to the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies each retrieved certificate comprises serial number and issuer data for the retrieved certificate, and wherein in processing each retrieved certificate, the first computing device is adapted to parse each retrieved certificate to obtain the respective serial number and issuer data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the search result data that is not the entire certificate and comprises data that uniquely identifies each retrieved certificate comprises a hash of at least a part of the retrieved certificate, and wherein in processing each retrieved certificate, the first computing device is adapted to apply a hash algorithm to each retrieved certificate to obtain the respective hash.