Extended trusted security zone radio modem

• US 9,210,576 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Paczkowski, Lyle W., Cope, Warren B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fang, Keith
• Application Number:
  US14/090,667
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A cellular wireless modem. The cellular wireless modem comprises a cellular radio transceiver, a short range communication interface, a processor, wherein the processor comprises a trusted security zone, a memory, wherein the memory stores an input forwarding application, and a trusted security zone extension application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the extension application provisions the input forwarding application to an intelligent appliance via the short range communication interface, receives input from the input forwarding application executing on the intelligent appliance via the short range communication interface, and transmits a message based on the input via the cellular radio transceiver.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

coupling a cellular wireless modem to an intelligent appliance, wherein the intelligent appliance has a processor and a user interface input device;

transmitting, by a trusted security zone of the cellular wireless modem, a trusted security zone extension application from the cellular wireless modem to the intelligent appliance;

executing the trusted security zone extension application as a non-preemptible routine that is not able to be preempted on the processor, wherein execution as the non-preemptible routine prevents the trusted security zone execution application from being preempted by holding the processor and preventing another application from executing on the processor, and wherein responsive to execution of the non-preemptible routine of the trusted security zone extension application, the another application is prevented from reading an input from the user interface input device;

transmitting the input received by the user interface input device to the cellular wireless modem, wherein the transmitting the input is performed by the trusted security zone extension application; and

transmitting a cellular wireless message by the trusted security zone of the cellular wireless modem, where the message is based on the input received by the user interface input device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular wireless message is communicated via one of a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) protocol, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) protocol, or a long term evolution (LTE) wireless communication protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the cellular wireless modem to the intelligent appliance comprises establishing a WiFi wireless link between the cellular wireless modem and the intelligent appliance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the cellular wireless modem to the intelligent appliance comprises establishing a wired link between the cellular wireless modem and the intelligent appliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the intelligent appliance is one of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a printer, or a refrigerator.

6. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

coupling a cellular wireless modem comprising a trusted security zone to an intelligent appliance, wherein the intelligent appliance has a processor and a user interface input device;

provisioning a trusted security zone extension application on the intelligent appliance;

executing the trusted security zone extension application on the processor of the intelligent appliance;

executing a non-preemptible routine of the trusted security zone extension application on the processor, wherein the non-preemptible routine is not able to be preempted on the processor and executing the non-preemptible routine prevents the trusted security zone execution application from being preempted by holding the processor until completion of an input session and preventing another application from executing on the processor, where the input session includes receiving an input from the user interface input device and transmitting the input to the cellular wireless modem in a cellular wireless message, and wherein responsive to execution of the non-preemptible routine of the trusted security zone extension application, the another application is prevented from reading the input from the user interface input device; and

transmitting the cellular wireless message by the trusted security zone of the cellular wireless modem, wherein the cellular wireless message is based on the input received from the user interface input device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising stopping executing the non-preemptible routine of the trusted security zone extension application, wherein other applications are allowed to execute on the processor of the intelligent appliance subsequent to stopping execution.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising de-provisioning the trusted security zone extension application from the intelligent appliance subsequent to provisioning.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the cellular wireless message comprises confidential information based on the input from the user interface input device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cellular wireless message is transmitted via a network to a server hosting an on-line store.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the cellular wireless modem comprises a trusted security zone.

12. A cellular wireless modem, comprising:

a cellular radio transceiver;

a short range communication interface;

a processor, wherein the processor comprises a trusted security zone;

a memory, wherein the memory stores a trust zone extension application and an input forwarding application; and

a trusted security zone extension application stored in the memory that, upon execution by the processor, configures the processor to;

transmit and provision the trust zone extension application and the input forwarding application to an intelligent appliance via the trusted security zone and the short range communication interface, the trust zone extension application executable as a non-preemptible routine that is not able to be preempted on a processor of the intelligent application, wherein execution as the non-preemptible routine prevents the trust zone execution application from being preempted by holding the processor of the intelligent application and preventing another application from executing on the processor of the intelligent application, and wherein responsive to execution of the non-preemptible routine of the trust zone extension application, the another application is prevented from reading an input from a user interface input device of the intelligent appliance,

receive the input from the input forwarding application executing on the intelligent appliance via the short range communication interface, and

transmit a message based on the input via the trusted security zone and the cellular radio transceiver.

13. The cellular wireless modem of claim 12, wherein the cellular radio transceiver communicates based on one of a code division multiple access (CDMA) protocol, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) protocol, a worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) protocol, or a long term evolution (LTE) wireless communication protocol.

14. The cellular wireless modem of claim 12, wherein the short range communication interface is one of a WiFi radio transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, a wired serial communication interface, or a wired parallel communication interface.

15. The cellular wireless modem of claim 12, wherein the trusted security zone extension application is stored in a portion of the memory accessible only by the trusted security zone and wherein the trusted security zone extension application is executed only by the trusted security zone.

16. The cellular wireless modem of claim 12, wherein the message transmitted by the trusted security zone extension application comprises confidential information.

17. The cellular wireless modem of claim 16, wherein the confidential information comprises payment account information.

18. The cellular wireless modem of claim 16, wherein the confidential information comprises individual health information.