Method and system for electronic device authentication

• US 8,332,630 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Nahm, Kitae, Trujillo, Juan Carlos, Lee, Shiang-feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad L
• Application Number:
  US12/124,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 713/156
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method and system for authentication an electronic device is provided. One implementation involves obtaining a set of authentication parameters; prioritizing the authentication parameters into: express-parameters defining one or more express check points, and post-parameters defining one or more post-check points; authenticating each express check point; upon successful authentication of each express check point, commencing authentication of the post-check points; wherein the electronic device is authenticated when all the express check points and post-check points are successfully authenticated.

Claims

1. A method of authentication of an electronic device, comprising:

obtaining a set of authentication parameters for an X.509 certificate from a memory on the electronic device;

prioritizing the X.509 certificate authentication parameters into;

express-parameters defining one or more express check points that include consistently reliable parameters from a static source, and post-parameters defining one or more post-check points that includes time/date fields that are unreliable, said prioritizing performed by a processor on the electronic device;

authenticating each express check points;

upon successful authentication of each express check point, determining whether a post-parameter is reliable; and

if the post-parameter relating to time/date setting is reliable, authenticating the post-check point corresponding to the post-parameter, said authenticating performed by the processor on the device;

wherein an authentication failure of the post-parameter is avoided, thereby preventing a re-setting of the entire authentication process of the device, including re-authentication of each express check points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the express-parameters include reliable parameters and post-parameters include unreliable ambiguous custom premise parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein authentication of each post-check point further includes:

examining a post-parameter for reliability; and

if the examined post-parameter is reliable, then performing authentication of the post-check point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein authentication of each post-check point further includes:

if the examined post-parameter is unreliable, delaying authentication and periodically examining the post check point for reliability, then performing authentication once the post-parameter becomes reliable.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein authentication of each post-check point further includes:

periodically examining the post-parameter for reliability, up to a threshold, and terminating the authentication if the post-parameter remains unreliable.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein authentication of each post-check point further includes:

if the examined post-parameter is unreliable, obtaining a reliable value for the post-parameter to conduct authentication of the post-check point.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises an OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic device comprises an OCAP device that is to be authenticated by an OCAP service provider.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic device comprises an OCAP device and the OCAP service provider comprises a cable service provider.

10. An apparatus for authentication of an electronic device, comprising:

an authenticator configured for authenticating a set of authentication parameters for an X.509 certificate, the authentication parameters prioritized into;

express-parameters defining one or more express check points that include consistently reliable parameters from a static source, and post-parameters defining one or more post-check points that includes time/date fields that are unreliable; and

the authenticator including an express authentication module configured for authenticating each express check point, and a post-authentication module configured such that upon successful authentication of each express check point, the post-authentication module determines whether a post-parameter is reliable and, if the post-parameter is reliable, the post-parameter module authenticates the post-check point corresponding to the post-parameter;

wherein an authentication failure of the post-parameter is avoided, thereby preventing a re-setting of the entire authentication process of the device, including re-authentication of each express check points.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the express-parameters include reliable parameters, and post-parameters include unreliable ambiguous custom premise parameters.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the post-authentication module is further configured for authenticating each post-check by:

examining a post-parameter for reliability; and

if the examined post-parameter is reliable, then performing authentication of the post-check point.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the post-authentication module is further configured for authenticating each post-check point by:

if the examined post-parameter is unreliable, delaying authentication and periodically examining the post-parameter for reliability, then performing authentication once the post-parameter becomes reliable.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the post-authentication module is further configured for authentication of each post-check point by:

periodically examining the post-parameter for reliability, up to a threshold, and terminating the authentication if the post-parameter remains unreliable.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the post-authentication module is further configured for authentication of each post-check point further by:

If the examined post-parameter is unreliable, obtaining a reliable value for the post-parameter to conduct authentication of the post-check point.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electronic device comprises an OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electronic device comprises an OCAP device that is to be authenticated by an OCAP service provider.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the electronic device comprises an OCAP device and the OCAP service provider comprises a cable service provider.

19. An authentication system, comprising:

a service provider having an authentication process;

an electronic device including an authenticator configured for authenticating a set of authentication parameters for an X.509 certificate in cooperation with the service provider, the authentication parameters prioritized into;

express-parameters defining one or more post-check points that includes consistently reliable parameters from a static source, and post-parameters defining one or more post-check points that includes time/date fields that are unreliable; and

the authenticator including an express authentication module configured for authenticating each express check point, and a post-authentication module configured such that upon successful authentication of each express check point, the post-authentication module determines whether a post-parameter is reliable and, if the post-parameter is reliable, the post-parameter module authenticates the post-check point corresponding to the post-parameter;

wherein an authentication failure of the post-parameter is avoided, thereby preventing a re-setting of the entire authentication process of the device, including re-authentication of each express check points.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the express-parameters include reliable parameters and post-parameters include unreliable ambiguous custom premise parameters.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the post-authentication module is further configured for authenticating each post-check by:

examining a post-parameter for reliability; and

if the examined parameter is reliable, then performing authentication of the post-check point.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the electronic device comprises an OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) device.