Secure method of synchronizing cache contents of a mobile browser with a server

• US 8,930,494 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Knowles, Michael, Tapuska, David, Kalougina, Tatiana
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLS, DONALD L
• Application Number:
  US13/454,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20120210131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC

Abstract

A method of securely synchronizing cache contents of a mobile browser with a server includes initiating a session between the browser and server, including transmission of browser state information regarding the cache contents and an authentication key to the server; maintaining a record of data sent from the server to the browser for storage in the cache; maintaining a record of the state information regarding the cache contents transmitted from the browser to the server; and transmitting data requests from the browser to the server, in response to which the server uses the key as a seed generation function and accesses each the record of data and returns only data that does not already form part of the cache contents, and wherein the data includes a result of a hash of data generated by the generation function for authentication by the browser before updating the cache contents with the data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a data transmission at a server from a browser to initiate an out-of-band protocol session, the data transmission comprising;

a header representing a transitional state message;

a protocol identifier;

a Content-Length header;

a sequence of control characters;

an XML-encoded document containing a hash value of browser state information;

an authentication key;

a connection identifier; and

browser state information regarding cache contents transmitted from the browser to the server,

the data transmission for notifying the server of current state information for a current session between the browser and the server;

receiving data requests at the server from the browser;

generating a message authentication code at the server, via the authentication key, that includes a cryptographic hash of data retrieved by the server from a web server;

accessing records of data sent from the server to the browser for storage in the cache contents; and

transmitting from the server to the browser only that portion of the data retrieved by the server from the web server that does not already form part of the cache contents,

wherein returned data includes a result of a hash of the portion of the data retrieved by the server from the web server generated using the authentication key such that the browser can authenticate the returned data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an update transitional state message for notifying the server of changes in state during the current session between the browser and the server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a disconnect transitional state message for notifying the server that the browser has ceased sending messages using the connection identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising de-allocating stored memory at the server for the out-of-band protocol session in response to receiving the disconnect transitional state message.

5. A server, comprising:

a processor and a memory, the processor enabled to;

receive a data transmission from the browser to initiate an out-of-band protocol session, the data transmission comprising;

a header representing a transitional state message;

a protocol identifier;

a Content-Length header;

a sequence of control characters;

an XML-encoded document containing a hash value of browser state information;

an authentication key;

a connection identifier; and

,

browser state information regarding cache contents transmitted from the browser to the server,

the data transmission for notifying the server of current state information for a current session between the browser and the server;

receive data requests from the browser;

generate a message authentication code, via the authentication key, that includes a cryptographic hash of data retrieved by the server from a web server;

access at the memory records of data sent from the server to the browser for storage in the cache contents; and

transmit from the server to the browser only that portion of the data retrieved by the server from the web server that does not already form part of the cache contents,

wherein returned data includes a result of a hash of the portion of the data retrieved by the server from the web server generated using the authentication key such that the browser can authenticate the returned data.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the processor is further enabled to receive an update transitional state message for notifying the server of changes in state during the current session between the browser and the server.

7. The server of claim 5, wherein the processor is further enabled to receive a disconnect transitional state message for notifying the server that the browser has ceased sending messages using the connection identifier.

8. The server of claim 7, wherein the processor is further enabled to de-allocate stored memory at the server for the out-of-band protocol session in response to receiving the disconnect transitional state message.