Method and apparatus for battery with secure element

• US 9,204,398 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Haikonen, Mikko Sakari, Kaaja, Jari-Jukka Harald, Ekberg, Jan-Erik, Arponen, Jarmo Tapani
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Justus, Ralph H
• Application Number:
  US13/052,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20120244805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/552.1, 455/558, 455/572, 455/425, 370/255, 370/329, 370/341, 370/338, 340/636.1, 705/16, 705/17, 902/26
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, mobile device comprises a battery, a short-range wireless communication (SRW) chip set, a secure element incorporated into the battery, and a bootloader, wherein the SRW chip set is configured to sense proximity to a point of sales terminal and, in response, initiate bootup of the mobile device, and wherein the bootloader is configured to determine that bootup was initiated by the SRW chip set and, in response, power up only the SRW chip set and the secure element.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a battery;

a short-range wireless (SRW) communication chip set;

a secure element incorporated into the battery; and

an activation switch at an outer surface of the battery, wherein the activation switch is configured to disconnect the secure element when a user physically actuates the activation switch at the outer surface of the battery;

wherein the SRW chip set is configured to sense proximity to a point of sales terminal and, in response, initiate bootup of the mobile device, and power up only the SRW chip set and the secure element.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a power management module configured to monitor reserve battery power, wherein the power management module is configured to disable power to the mobile device and only provide power to the SRW chip set and the secure element when the reserve battery power drops below a minimum threshold.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the power management module is incorporated into the battery, wherein the activation switch is configured to be accessible to the user at the outer surface of the battery, wherein the activation switch is configured to disconnect the secure element when the user exerts a force on the activation switch, and wherein the battery is configured to be used as standalone device configured to communicate with the point of sales terminal.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the SRW chip set is incorporated into the battery.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the activation switch comprises a user actuatable manual switch at the outer surface of battery.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to indicate whether the SRW chip set is connected.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna incorporated into the battery and connected to the SRW chip set.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the SRW chip set further comprises a power radio and a data radio.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the secure element is configured to switch between the power radio and data radio based on predetermined criteria.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a bootloader configured to determine bootup was initiated by the SRW chip set and, in response, indicated that only the SRW chip set and secure element should be booted up.

11. A method, comprising:

sensing proximity to a point of sales terminal;

initiating bootup of a mobile device in response to sensing proximity to the point of sales terminal; and

powering up only trusted execution environment elements in the mobile device;

wherein the trusted execution environment elements comprise a short-range wireless communication chip set and a secure element, and wherein an activation switch at an outer surface of a battery of the mobile device is configured to disconnect the secure element when a user physically actuates the activation switch at the outer surface of the battery.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a short-range wireless communication (SRW) chip set initiates bootup of the mobile device in response to sensing proximity to the point of sales terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the trusted execution environment elements negotiate a transaction with the point of sales terminal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the SRW chip set initiates bootup in response to sensing proximity to the point of sales terminal and wherein a bootloader determines that bootup was initiated by the SRW chip set and, in response, powers up only the trusted execution environment elements.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring reserve battery power; and

disabling power to the mobile device and only providing power to the trusted execution environment elements when the reserve battery power drops below a minimum threshold.

16. A method comprising:

monitoring reserve battery power in a mobile device having trusted execution environment configured for executing secure transactions;

disabling power to the mobile device and only providing power to the trusted execution environment elements when the reserve battery power drops below a minimum threshold;

wherein the trusted execution environment element comprise a secure element incorporated into a battery in the mobile device and a short-range wireless communication (SRW) chip set, and wherein an activation switch at an outer surface of the battery is configured to disconnect the secure element when a user physically actuates the activation switch at the outer surface of the battery.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sensing proximity to a point of sales terminal;

initiating bootup of a mobile device in response to sensing proximity to the point of sales terminal; and

powering up only the trusted execution environment elements in the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the trusted execution environment elements negotiate a transaction with the point of sales terminal.

19. A method, comprising:

providing a battery;

providing a short-range wireless (SRW) communication chip set;

incorporating a secure element into the battery; and

providing an activation switch at an outer surface of the battery, wherein the activation switch is configured to disconnect the secure element when a user physically actuates the activation switch at the outer surface of the battery;

wherein the SRW chip set is configured to sense proximity to a point of sales terminal and, in response, initiate bootup of a mobile device, and power up only the SRW chip set and the secure element.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

sense proximity to a point of sales terminal;

initiate bootup of a mobile device in response to sensing proximity to the point of sales terminal; and

power up only trusted execution environment elements in the mobile device;

wherein the trusted execution environment elements comprise a short-range wireless communication chip set and a secure element, and wherein an activation switch at an outer surface of a battery of the mobile device is configured to disconnect the secure element when a user physically actuates the activation switch at the outer surface of the battery.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

monitor reserve battery power in a mobile device having trusted execution environment elements configured for executing secure transactions;

disable power to the mobile device and only providing power to the trusted execution environment elements when the reserve battery power drops below a minimum threshold;

wherein the trusted execution environment elements comprise a secure element incorporated into a battery in the mobile device and a short-range wireless communication (SRW) chip set, and wherein an activation switch at an outer surface of the battery is configured to disconnect the secure element when a user physically actuates the activation switch at the outer surface of the battery.