Activation solution

• US 8,725,112 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: De Atley, Dallas B., Hauck, Jerrold V., Vempaty, Muralidhar S., Tackin, Onur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agosta, Steve D
• Application Number:
  US13/246,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 713409-411, 713423-425, 713/435.1, 713/0.3, 370/310.2, 370/324, 370/328, 380/255, 380/277
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/265 for initial activation of new user

Abstract

To securely factory activate a mobile device according to authorized records, factory activation server generates and sends a signed factory activation record including a signed factory activation ticket. Signed factory activation record and ticket are cryptographically signed using factory private key stored in factory activation server. Factory private key is different from customer private key stored in the activation server that provides activation tickets for customer activation. If factory activation record is valid, application processor (AP) included in the device performs factory activation of the device which includes AP activating to allow for factory testing and rebooting at a predetermined reboot time. Wireless communication processor (BB) included in the device verifies the factory activation ticket and if valid, BB performs factory activation including: BB registering to a cellular telephone communications network for factory testing, and unregistering from the network after a predetermined unregistering time. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method of performing factory activation of a mobile device, the mobile device including an application processor and a wireless communications processor, the method comprising:

determining, by the application processor, that a record is a factory activation record received from a factory activation server, wherein the factory activation record is different from a customer activation record that is received from an activation server and that is signed using a first customer private key, wherein determining that the record is the factory activation record includes determining that the factory activation record is signed using a first factory private key, the first factory private key is different from the first customer private key;

performing factory activation by the application processor, wherein performing factory activation includes the application processor activating for factory testing and subsequently rebooting at a predetermined reboot time;

determining, by the wireless communications processor, that a ticket included in the record is a factory activation ticket, wherein the factory activation ticket is different from a customer activation ticket that is signed using a second customer private key,

wherein determining that the ticket is the factory activation ticket includes determining that the factory activation ticket is signed using a second factory private key, the second customer private key is different from the second factory private key,

wherein the factory activation ticket includes a baseband identifier and baseband serial number,

wherein determining that the ticket is the factory activation ticket includes determining that the baseband identifier included in the factory activation ticket correspond to the wireless communications processor'"'"'s baseband identifier and the baseband serial number included in the factory activation ticket corresponds to the wireless communications processor'"'"'s baseband serial number; and

performing factory activation by the wireless communications processor, wherein performing factory activation includes the wireless communications processor registering to a cellular telephone communications network for factory testing, and unregistering from the cellular telephone communications network after a predetermined unregistering time,

wherein the first and the second customer private keys are stored in the activation server, and the first and the second factory private keys are stored in the factory activation server, and wherein the activation server and the factory activation server are separate from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined reboot time is one of (i) about eight hours and (ii) dynamically set.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined unregistering time is one of (i) around forty-five minutes and (ii) dynamically set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first customer private key is either (i) different from the second customer private key or (ii) identical to the second customer private key, and

the first factory private key is either (i) different from the second factory private key or (ii) identical to the second factory private key.

5. A method of performing factory activation of a mobile device, the mobile device including an application processor and a wireless communications processor, the method comprising:

generating, by a factory activation server, a factory activation record based on activation information received from the application processor, the factory activation record including a factory activation ticket, wherein the factory activation ticket includes a baseband identifier and baseband serial number;

cryptographically signing, by the factory activation server, (i) the factory activation record using a first factory private key, and (ii) the factory activation ticket using a second factory private key, the first and second factory private keys being stored in the factory activation server;

verifying, by the application processor, that the factory activation record received from the factory activation server is valid;

if the factory activation record is valid, performing factory activation by the application processor, wherein performing factory activation includes the application processor activating for factory testing, and rebooting at a predetermined reboot time;

sending the factory activation ticket from the application processor to the wireless communications processor;

verifying, by the wireless communications processor, that the factory activation ticket is valid, wherein verifying that the factory activation ticket is valid includes determining that the baseband identifier included in the factory activation ticket correspond to the wireless communications processor'"'"'s baseband identifier and the baseband serial number included in the factory activation ticket corresponds to the wireless communications processor'"'"'s baseband serial number; and

if the factory activation ticket is valid, performing factory activation by the wireless communications processor, wherein performing factory activation includes the wireless communications processor registering to a cellular telephone communications network for factory testing, and unregistering from the cellular telephone communications network after a predetermined unregistering time,

wherein the application processor and the wireless communications processor perform customer activation upon verifying an activation record including an activation ticket, the activation record being received from an activation server that stores a first customer private key and a second customer private key, wherein the activation server and the factory activation server are separate from the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the activation server, the activation record, the activation ticket, and the first and second customer private keys, respectively, are different from the factory activation server, the factory activation record, the factory activation ticket, and the first and second factory private keys.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined reboot time is one of:

(i) about eight hours and (ii) dynamically set.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined unregistering time is one of (i) around forty-five minutes, and (ii) dynamically set.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the factory activation record includes the factory activation ticket and a factory certificate, the factory certificate includes a plurality of factory public keys.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein verifying, by the application processor, that the factory activation record received from the factory activation server is valid comprises:

obtaining, by the application processor, a stored factory certificate from a file server included in the mobile device, and

determining, by the application processor, that the factory certificate included in the factory activation record matches the stored factory certificate.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein, during manufacturing, the wireless communications processor is provisioned with a chain of trust, the chain of trust being a set of public key hashes that is trustworthy, wherein a customer public key hash and a factory public hey hash are included in the chain of trust.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein verifying, by the wireless communications processor, that the factory activation ticket is valid comprises:

performing RSA validation;

verify the public key hashes, wherein verifying the public key hashes includes;

hashing, by the wireless communications processor, a public key included in the factory activation ticket to obtain a hashed public key,

comparing, by the wireless communications processor, the hashed public key with the set of public key hashes included in the chain of trust, and

determining, by the wireless communications processor, that the factory activation ticket is valid if the hashed public key matches with the factory public key hash included in the chain of trust,

wherein the one of the plurality of factory public keys is the public key included in the factory activation ticket.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein

the first customer private key is either (i) different from the second customer private key or (ii) identical to the second customer private key, and

the first factory private key is either (i) different from the second factory private key or (ii) identical to the second factory private key.

14. A system to perform factory activation of a mobile device, the system comprising:

a factory activation server coupled to a factory activation records creation module, the factory activation records creation module storing a first factory private key and a second factory private key; and

the mobile device including an application processor and a wireless communications processor,

wherein

the application processor sends activation information to the factory activation server,

the factory activation server provides the activation information to the factory activation records creation module, the factory activation records creation module generates a factory activation record based on the activation information, the factory activation record including a factory activation ticket, wherein the factory activation ticket includes a baseband identifier and baseband serial number,

the application processor receives and verifies the factory activation record from the factory activation server, sends the factory activation ticket to the wireless communications processor when the factory activation record is valid, and performs factory activation when the factory activation record is valid, wherein performing factory activation includes the application processor activating for factory testing, and rebooting at a predetermined reboot time,

the wireless communications processor receives and verifies the factory activation ticket, and performs factory activation when the factory activation ticket is valid,

wherein verifying that the factory activation ticket is valid includes determining that the baseband identifier included in the factory activation ticket correspond to the wireless communications processor'"'"'s baseband identifier and the baseband serial number included in the factory activation ticket corresponds to the wireless communications processor'"'"'s baseband serial number, wherein performing factory activation includes the wireless communications processor registering to a cellular telephone communications network for factory testing, and unregistering from the cellular telephone communications network after a predetermined unregistering time,

wherein the application processor and the wireless communications processor perform customer activation upon receiving an activation record including an activation ticket from an activation server that stores a first customer private key and a second customer private key, the activation record, the activation ticket, and the first and second customer private keys, respectively, being different from the factory activation record, the factory activation ticket, and the first and second factory private keys,

wherein the activation server and the factory activation server are separate from the mobile device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined reboot time is one of (i) about eight hours and (ii) dynamically set.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined unregistering time is one of:

(i) around forty-five minutes, and (ii) dynamically set.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the factory activation records creation module includes a cryptographic module and a factory private key storage to store the first and second factory private keys, wherein the cryptographic module cryptographically signs the factory activation record using the first factory private key and cryptographically signs the factory activation ticket using the second factory private key, wherein the first factory private key is different from the second factory private key.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the signed factory activation record includes the factory activation ticket and a factory certificate, the factory certificate includes a plurality of factory public keys.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein

the application processor includes a lockdown module and a communication module,

wherein the application processor verifying the factory activation record comprises:

the lockdown module

receiving the signed factory activation record,

obtaining a stored factory certificate from a file server included in the mobile device, and

performing factory activation if the lockdown module determines that the factory certificate included in the signed factory activation record matches the stored factory certificate.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the lockdown module performing factory activation comprises:

the lockdown module signaling to a springboard included in the application processor to remove a lockout screen and allow the mobile device to be activated for the predetermined period of time.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein, during manufacturing, the wireless communications processor is provisioned with a chain of trust, the chain of trust being a set of public key hashes that is trustworthy, wherein a customer public key hash and a factory public hey hash are included in the chain of trust.

22. The system of claim 21, the wireless communications processor verifying the factory activation ticket comprises:

the wireless communications processor performing RSA validation;

the wireless communications processor verifying the public key hashes, wherein the wireless communications processor verifying the public key hashes includes;

hashing a public key included in the factory activation ticket to obtain a hashed public key, and

comparing the hashed public key with the set of public key hashes included in the chain of trust,

wherein if the hashed public key matches with the factory public key hash included in the chain of trust, the wireless communications processor determines that the factory activation ticket is valid.