Apparatus and methods for activation of communication devices

• US 9,736,144 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCanna, Patrick, Crockett, John, Harber, David, Lewis, Aubryn, Rulifson, Liane F, Ahluwalia, Inderpreet Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zecher, Dede
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCOY, RICHARD ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US14/330,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/48 using secure binding, e.g. securely binding identity modules to devices, services or applications

Abstract

A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, storing, by a universal integrated circuit card including at least one processor, a digital root certificate locking a communication device to a network provider, and disabling an activation of the communication device responsive to receiving an indication of a revocation of the stored digital root certificate from a certificate authority, wherein the indication of the revocation of the stored digital root certificate is associated with a revocation of permission for an identity authority to issue a security activation information to the communication device on behalf of the network provide. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A universal integrated circuit card for a communication device, the universal integrated circuit card comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processing system comprising a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processing system, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a digital root certificate locking the communication device to a network provider, wherein the digital root certificate includes an expiration date;

storing the digital root certificate in the memory;

receiving, over a network from a trusted identity provider having an issuing authority from the network provider, a digitally signed security identifier for a prospective subscriber of the communication device, wherein the digitally signed security identifier includes network identifying information for the prospective subscriber that is digitally signed using the digital root certificate, wherein a first condition for enabling of the communication device is validation of the digitally signed security identifier against the digital root certificate that is stored in the memory, and wherein the digitally signed security identifier is usable by only the network provider;

receiving over the network from a trusted certificate authority a certificate revocation status associated with the digital root certificate,

determining if the certificate revocation status is a revoked status indicating that the digital root certificate has been revoked due to a termination of the issuing authority of the trusted identity provider;

if the certification revocation status is the revoked status;

disabling activation of the communication device; and

if the certification revocation status is not the revoked status;

receiving over the network an instruction;

determining whether the instruction that is received is for modifying the expiration date of the digital root certificate;

modifying the expiration date of the digital root certificate responsive to determining that the instruction is for modifying the expiration date;

disabling activation of the communication device according to the expiration date that is modified;

determining whether the expiration date of the digital root certificate has expired; and

disabling the first condition for enabling the communication device such that the communication device is unlocked from the network provider, wherein the disabling of the first condition does not alter the digitally signed security identifier.

2. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 1, wherein the digitally signed security identifier comprises identifying information associated with the prospective subscriber.

3. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 1, wherein the digital root certificate is issued from an identity authority.

4. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 1, wherein the universal integrated circuit card is fixably attached to the communication device.

5. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 1, wherein the universal integrated circuit card is removably attached to the communication device.

6. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprises receiving a request to activate the communication device.

7. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a request to a trusted certificate authority for the certificate revocation status associated with the digital root certificate responsive to a request to activate the communication device.

8. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise deleting the digital root certificate from the memory responsive to the certificate revocation status comprising the revoked status.

9. The universal integrated circuit card of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise deleting the digital root certificate from the memory responsive to the receiving the instruction to modify the expiration date of the digital root certificate.

10. A communication device, comprising:

a memory to store executable instructions; and

a processing system comprising a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising;

receiving a digital root certificate locking the communication device to a network provider, wherein the digital root certificate comprises an expiration date;

providing the digital root certificate to a universal integrated circuit card that is installed in the communication device;

receiving, from a trusted identity provider having an issuing authority from the network provider, over a network a digitally signed security identifier for a prospective subscriber of the communication device, wherein a first condition for enabling of the communication device is validation of the digitally signed security identifier against the digital root certificate, and wherein the digitally signed security identifier is usable by only the network provider;

receiving over the network from a trusted certificate authority a certificate revocation status associated with the digital root certificate;

disabling activation of the communication device according to the certificate revocation status comprising a revoked status wherein the revoked status indicates that the digital root certificate has been revoked due to a termination of the issuing authority of the trusted identity provider;

receiving over the network an instruction;

determining whether the instruction that is received is for modifying the expiration date of the digital root certificate;

modifying the expiration date of the digital root certificate responsive to determining that the instruction is for modifying the expiration date;

disabling activation of the communication device according to the expiration date that is modified;

determining whether the expiration date of the digital root certificate has expired; and

disabling the first condition for enabling the communication device such that the communication device is unlocked from the network provider, wherein the disabling of the first condition does not alter the digitally signed security identifier.

11. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the digitally signed security identifier for the prospective subscriber is valid by way of a digital verification of the digitally signed security identifier according to the certificate revocation status comprising a non-revoked status.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise enabling activating of the communication device for the prospective subscriber to operate over a communication network of the network responsive to determining that the digitally signed security identifier for the prospective subscriber is valid.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the universal integrated circuit card is fixably attached to the communication device.

14. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the universal integrated circuit card is removably attached to the communication device.

15. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a request to the trusted certificate authority for the certificate revocation status associated with the digital root certificate.

16. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise deleting the digital root certificate responsive to the certificate revocation status comprising the revoked status.

17. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise deleting the digital root certificate from the memory responsive to the receiving the instruction to modify the expiration date of the digital root certificate.

18. A computer-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processing system comprising a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

receiving a digital root certificate that limits a communication device to use of a network provider, wherein the digital root certificate comprises an expiration date;

storing the digital root certificate in memory, wherein a first condition for enabling of the communication device is validation of a digitally signed security identifier against the digital root certificate that is stored in the memory, wherein the digitally signed security identifier is usable by only the network provider, is received from a trusted identity provider having an issuing authority granted by the network provider, and includes network identifying information for a prospective subscriber that is digitally signed using the digital root certificate;

receiving, over a network from a trusted certificate authority, a certificate revocation status associated with the digital root certificate;

determining if the certificate revocation status is a revoked status indicating that the digital root certificate has been revoked due to a termination of the issuing authority of the trusted identity provider;

if the certification revocation status is the revoked status;

disabling activation of the communication device; and

if the certification revocation status is not the revoked status;

receiving over the network an instruction;

determining whether the instruction that is received is for modifying the expiration date of the digital root certificate;

modifying the expiration date of the digital root certificate responsive to determining that the instruction is for modifying the expiration date;

disabling activation of the communication device according to the expiration date that is modified;

determining whether the expiration date of the digital root certificate has expired; and

disabling the first condition for enabling the communication device such that the communication device is unlocked from the network provider, wherein the disabling of the first condition does not alter the digitally signed security identifier.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise deleting the digital root certificate from the memory responsive to the certificate revocation status comprising the revoked status.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the digital root certificate has been revoked due to an alteration in a trust arrangement between the trusted identity provider and the network provider.