Apparatus and method of securing private content stored in a memory

• US 8,600,440 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2013
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liu, Huitao
• Primary Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E
• Application Number:
  US13/749,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20130137485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/557, 455/558, 455/410, 455/420, 455/425, 379/211.05, 379/357.01, 379/357.02, 379/433.09, 710/13, 361/737, 713/152, 713/155, 713/161, 713/164, 713/166, 713/168, 713/182
• US Class Current: 455/558
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/675 the user being required to insert a coded card, e.g. a smart card carrying an integrated circuit chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/72 Subscriber identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of securing private content stored in a memory are presented. A terminal includes a memory configured to store private content and a private content identifier associated with the private content. The private content identifier includes secure and non-user editable information. The terminal also includes a security function configured to perform a comparison of the private content identifier to a smart card identifier of a smart card accessible to the security function. The security function is further configured to grant or deny access to the private content based on a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a memory configured to store private content and a private content identifier associated with the private content, wherein the private content identifier is based at least partially on international mobile subscriber identity information associated with a smart card and a mobile station integrated services digital network number; and

a security function configured to;

perform a comparison of the private content identifier to a smart card identifier of the smart card accessible to the security function; and

grant or deny access to the private content based on a result of the comparison.

2. The terminal of claim 1, further comprising a smart card reader configured to read the smart card identifier of the smart card when the smart card is in communication with the smart card reader.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises a mobile telephone.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the mobile station integrated services digital network number is associated with an authorized user.

5. The terminal of claim 4, wherein the smart card identifier includes the mobile station integrated services digital network number of the smart card.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the security function is configured to deny access to the private content when the result of the comparison is negative.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the security function is configured to grant access to the private content when the result of the comparison is positive.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the smart card comprises a subscriber identity module.

9. The terminal of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the private content is downloaded from a content provider.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the private content comprises factory installed settings.

11. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the smart card identifier is associated with secure and non-user editable information associated with the smart card.

12. A method comprising:

accessing a private content identifier associated with private content from a memory of a terminal, wherein the private content identifier is based at least partially on a mobile station integrated services digital network number and on international mobile subscriber identity information associated with a smart card accessible to the terminal;

comparing the private content identifier to a smart card identifier of the smart card to produce a comparison result; and

granting or denying access to the private content based on the comparison result.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising reading the smart card identifier of the smart card using a smart card reader of the terminal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein access to the private content is denied when the comparison result is negative.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein access to the private content is granted when the comparison result is positive.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the smart card is a subscriber identity module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a combination of the mobile station integrated services digital network number and the international mobile subscriber identity information is used to identify a subscriber associated with the subscriber identity module.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that when executed, cause a processor to perform operations including:

accessing a private content identifier associated with private content from a memory of a terminal, wherein the private content identifier is based at least partially on a mobile station integrated services digital network number and on international mobile subscriber identity information associated with a smart card accessible to the terminal;

performing a comparison of the private content identifier to a smart card identifier of the smart card; and

granting or denying access to the private content based on a result of the comparison.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further include receiving the smart card identifier of the smart card from a smart card reader.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein access to the private content is denied when the result of the comparison is negative and access to the private content is granted when the result of the comparison is positive.