System and method for secured mobile communication

• US 8,213,907 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atreus Labs LLC
• Original Assignee: Uniloc Luxembourg S.à r.l. (f/k/a Uniloc Luxembourg S.A.) (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Inventors: Etchegoyen, Craig Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US12/828,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20110009092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/403, 379/161, 380247-250, 726 2- 10, 726 16- 21
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/082 applying multi-factor authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint

Abstract

A method achieves secure mobile communications by authenticating a mobile device seeking communication with a secure server. The method prescribes steps for generating a code to indicate a plurality of portions of a digital fingerprint to request from the mobile device, each portion representing a different parameter of the mobile device, sending the code to the mobile device, receiving from the mobile device a response code representing the requested plurality of portions of the digital fingerprint, comparing each portion of the received plurality of portions with one or more predetermined codes, and granting the mobile device an access privilege when results of the comparison satisfy a predetermined minimum accuracy.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a mobile device, the method comprising:

generating a code to indicate a plurality of portions of a digital fingerprint to request from the mobile device, wherein each portion represents a parameter of a different component of the mobile device;

sending the code to a remote location;

receiving from the remote location a response code representing the requested plurality of portions of the digital fingerprint;

comparing each portion of the received plurality of portions with one or more predetermined codes; and

granting the mobile device an access privilege when a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined minimum accuracy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each portion of the digital fingerprint is based on one of a user-configurable parameter and a non-user-configurable parameter of the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of portions represent at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the code to the remote location comprises sending the code to the mobile device using a short messaging system (SMS).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the code to the remote location comprises sending the code to an email address.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the response code is received via an SMS message from the mobile device.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising steps for:

generating a code to indicate a plurality of portions of a digital fingerprint to request from a mobile device, wherein each portion represents a parameter of a different component of the mobile device;

sending the code to a remote location;

receiving a response code representing the requested the plurality of portions of the digital fingerprint;

comparing each portion of the received plurality of portions with one or more predetermined codes; and

granting the mobile device access privilege when a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined minimum accuracy.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein each parameter is based on one of a user-configurable parameter and a non-user-configurable parameter of the mobile device.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the plurality of portions represent at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the mobile device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein sending the code to the remote location comprises sending the code to the mobile device using a short messaging system (SMS).

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein sending the code to the remote location comprises sending the code to an email address.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the receiving step further comprises receiving the response code via an SMS message from the mobile device.

13. A method for authenticating a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a request code from a server in communication with the mobile device, the request code indicating a plurality of portions of a digital fingerprint of the mobile device, wherein each portion represents a parameter of a different component of the mobile device;

deriving the digital fingerprint from the request code;

generating a response code that includes the derived digital fingerprint; and

transmitting the response code to a secure network to obtain an access privilege thereto for direct communication from the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein each of the different parameters is one of a user-configurable parameter and a non-user-configurable parameter of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the plurality of portions represent at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending the response code to the server via short messaging system (SMS).

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending the response code to the server via email.