Confirming certification of combinations of secure elements and mobile devices

• US 8,369,894 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Zhu, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US12/348,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol

Abstract

A system is provided for confirming certification of combinations of secure elements and mobile devices. The system includes secure element data and a secure element component on a removable secure element. The secure element component detects insertion of the removable secure element in a mobile device, retrieves the secure element data, and retrieves mobile device data from the mobile device. The secure element component determines whether a combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified based on a comparison of the secure element data and the mobile device data. The secure element component provides a certification alert via a user interface on the mobile device in response to a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is not certified.

Claims

1. A system for confirming certification of combinations of secure elements and mobile devices, comprising:

secure element data identifying mobile devices certified for use with the secure element on a removable secure element;

a plurality of smart card applications on the removable secure element; and

a secure element component on the removable secure element to detect insertion of the removable secure element in a mobile device, to retrieve the secure element data from the removable secure element, to retrieve mobile device data from the mobile device, to determine whether a combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified based on a comparison of the secure element data and the mobile device data, to provide a certification alert via a user interface on the mobile device in response to a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is not certified, and to selectively restrict access to one or more, but not all, of the plurality of smart card applications stored on the removable secure element by requiring access enabling information to access the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications in response to a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is not certified, wherein access enabling information to access the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications is not required in response to a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a server to update the secure element data on the removable secure element.

3. A method for confirming certification of combinations of secure elements and mobile devices, comprising:

detecting insertion of a removable secure element in a mobile device;

retrieving secure element data identifying mobile devices certified for use with the secure element from the removable secure element;

retrieving mobile device data from the mobile device;

determining whether a combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified based on a comparison of the secure element data and the mobile device data; and

selectively restricting access to one or more, but not all, of a plurality of smart card applications stored on the removable secure element by requiring access enabling information to access the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications in response to a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is not certified, wherein access enabling information to access the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications is not required in response to a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the secure element data comprises at least one of a secure element identifier and data that identifies mobile devices that are certified for the removable secure element.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the mobile device data comprises at least one of a mobile device identifier and data that identifies removable secure elements that are certified for the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising providing a certification alert via a user interface on the mobile device in response to the determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is not certified.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising requesting user confirmation of the certification alert.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising requiring a personal identification number (PIN) for approving purchases over a specified amount by the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications are one or more of a loyalty card, an identification card, a credit card, a security card, a debit card, a bank account card, and a cash card.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising occasionally updating at least one of the secure element data and the mobile device data.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising updating at least one of the secure element data and the mobile device data in response to at least one of a transaction executed by one of the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications and a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is not certified.

12. A system for confirming certification of combinations of secure elements and mobile devices, comprising:

mobile device data identifying secure elements certified for use with the mobile device on a mobile device; and

a mobile device component on the mobile device to detect insertion of a removable secure element in the mobile device, to retrieve secure element data from the removable secure element, to retrieve the mobile device data from the mobile device to compare the secure element data and the mobile device data, to make a first determination whether a combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified based on the comparison of the secure element data and the mobile device data, to provide a certification alert via a user interface on the mobile device when the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is determined to be not certified, and to selectively restrict access to one or more, but not all, of a plurality of smart card applications stored on the removable secure element by requiring access enabling information to access the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications when the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is determined to be not certified, wherein access enabling information to access the one or more of the plurality of smart card applications is not required in response to a determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a server to update the mobile device data on the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the mobile device component further requests a server to update the secure element data in response to the first determination that the combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device are not certified, compares the updated secure element data and the mobile device data, and makes a second determination whether a combination of the removable secure element and the mobile device is certified based on the comparison of the updated secure element data and the mobile device data.