Protocol conversion “Bearer Independent Protocol (BIP)”—TCP/IP for communication between SIM and terminal

• US 8,447,836 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Mahalal, Ilan, Chaumartin, Nicolas, Sevilla, Jorge Abellan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Harunur
• Application Number:
  US11/629,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,902 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/246, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/558, 455/73, 370/352
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks

Abstract

The services of an HTTP or HTTPS server, being implemented by or running on a first electronic device that is a portable device, are offered to an application running on a second electronic device by exchanging HTTP messages between the first electronic device and the second electronic device over a local communication channel according to the Bearer Independent Protocol. The application running on the second electronic device may use the TCP/IP protocol for exchanging HTTP messages with the server. A gateway is employed on the second electronic device, which manages the local communication channel and performs protocol conversion, Bearer Independent Protocol—TCP/IP, for messages received from the application running on the second electronic device, and protocol conversion, TCP/IP—Bearer Independent Protocol, for messages being sent to the server, where the second electronic device is a terminal hosting the portable device.

Claims

1. A method of offering services of an HTTP or HTTPS server, the method comprising:

mapping a domain name of a first electronic device to an internal IP address associated with a gateway, and wherein the internal IP address is fixed in a static routing and DNS table located on the first electronic device; and

transmitting HTTP messages over a local physical communication channel between a server and a browser running locally on a second electronic device via the gateway using the mapping;

wherein the server is implemented by or running locally on the first electronic device that is a portable device, to the browser running on the second electronic device,

wherein the first electronic device exchanging the HTTP messages with the second electronic device over the local physical communication channel between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to a Bearer Independent Protocol,

wherein the second electronic device is a terminal connected over the local physical communication channel to the portable device via the gateway residing on the terminal, and

wherein on the second electronic device, the local physical communication channel is managed by the gateway which performs protocol conversion of the Bearer Independent Protocol to TCP/IP for messages being received from the HTTP or HTTPS server, and protocol conversion of TCP/IP to the Bearer Independent Protocol for messages being sent to the HTTP or HTTPS server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the HTTP messages communicated by the first electronic device to the second electronic device over the local physical communication channel are determined to be further communicated within the second electronic device over TCP/IP to the browser running on the second electronic device, and wherein the HTTP messages received by the first electronic device from the second electronic device have been communicated within the second electronic device over TCP/IP.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the HTTP or HTTPS server serves HTML, xHTML, cHTML or WML pages to the browser.

4. The method according to one claim 1, wherein a DECLARE SERVICE command is used to notify the second electronic device that the first electronic device offers the services of the HTTP or HTTPS server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user can be authenticated with a standard HTTP WWW-Authenticate delivering attributes selected from a group consisting of PIN- Type and PIN- Value.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is a smart card.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is a Multi Media Memory card.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is a mobile telephone.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is a PDA.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second electronic device is a PC.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the domain name is used in a Uniform Resource Identifier to indicate that the Uniform Resource Identifier identifies a resource on the first electronic device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first electronic device is a smart card and wherein the Uniform Resource Identifier comprises information to access standardized smart card applications.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a command is sent to the first electronic device in order to open the local physical communication channel when the browser running on the second electronic device opens a TCP/IP socket to the gateway.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the TCP/IP socket is mapped to the local communication channel.

15. A system, comprising:

a first electronic device that is a portable device; and

a second electronic device,

wherein the first electronic device provides services of an HTTP or HTTPS server to a browser running on the second electronic device,

wherein the HTTP or HTTPS server is implemented by or running locally on the first electronic device,

wherein the first electronic device exchanging HTTP messages with the second electronic device over a local physical communication channel existing between the first electronic device and the second electronic device according to the Bearer Independent Protocol,

wherein the second electronic device is a terminal connected over the local physical communication channel to the portable device via a gateway residing on the terminal,

wherein the HTTP messages are transmitted over the local physical communication channel between the server and the browser running locally on the second electronic device via the gateway,

wherein a domain name of the first electronic device is mapped to an internal IP address associated with the gateway, and wherein the internal IP address is fixed in a static routing and DNS table located on the first electronic device, and

wherein on the second electronic device, the local physical communication channel is managed by the gateway which performs protocol conversion of Bearer Independent Protocol to TCP/IP for messages being received from the HTTP or HTTPS server, and protocol conversion of TCP/IP to Bearer Independent Protocol for messages being sent to the HTTP or HTTPS server.