Trusted code generation and verification to prevent fraud from maleficent external devices that capture data

• US 9,779,232 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2015
• 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., Parsel, William M., Persson, Carl J., Schlesener, Matthew C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US14/596,218
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications

Abstract

A user equipment. The user equipment comprises a processor, a memory, a trusted security zone, wherein the trusted security zone provides hardware assisted trust, a ticket generator stored in the trusted security zone to generate a plurality of access codes, and a code generator stored in the trusted security zone. The code generator generates a different one-time-password for each of the plurality of access codes, wherein the one-time-password is not displayed on the user equipment, stores the one-time-password in the trusted security zone, and transmits the one-time-password to a trusted server through a trusted channel. Responsive to an associated access code from the plurality of access codes being displayed and upon request of a user of the user equipment, the code generator displays the one-time-password and invalidates the one-time-password promptly after the display ends.

Claims

1. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor of the user equipment;

a memory of the user equipment;

a trusted security zone of the user equipment, wherein the trusted security zone provides hardware assisted trust and is implemented by partitioning hardware and software resources into a secure partition and a normal partition;

a ticket generator stored in the secure partition in the trusted security zone of the user equipment to generate a plurality of access codes; and

a code generator stored in the secure partition in the trusted security zone of the user equipment configured to;

generate a different one-time-password for each of the plurality of access codes, wherein the one-time-password is not displayed on the user equipment,

store the one-time-password in the secure partition in the trusted security zone,

transmit the one-time-password to a trusted server through a trusted channel, wherein the one-time-password generated in the trusted security zone of the user equipment and received by the trusted server from the user equipment is stored in the trusted server,

responsive to an associated access code from the plurality of access codes being displayed and upon request of a user of the user equipment, display the one-time-password, wherein a request is sent to the trusted server from a point of sale or a workstation for the one-time-password associated with the access code, and wherein access is granted to the user equipment in response to a verification of the associated access code and the one-time-password from the user equipment and the one-time-password stored by the trusted server matching, and

invalidate the one-time-password promptly after the display ends.

2. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the one-time-password is integrated into a file that constitutes the associated access code in text.

3. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the one-time-password is separated from a file that constitutes the associated access code.

4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the one-time-password is generated by a random number generating algorithm, and wherein the one-time-password is invalidated within one minute after the display ends.

5. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the one-time-password is generated based on a seed chosen by the trusted server.

6. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the one-time-password is generated based on a previously generated one-time-password.

7. The user equipment of claim 4, wherein the one-time-password is generated based on time-synchronization between the trusted server and the user equipment.

8. A method of generating and verifying one-time-passwords for user equipments, comprising:

generating, by a code generator stored in a trusted security zone in a memory of a user equipment, a different one-time-password associated with each of a plurality of access codes, wherein the trusted security zone provides hardware assisted trust and is implemented by partitioning hardware and software resources into a secure partition and a normal partition, and wherein the one-time-password is not displayed on the user equipment at the time of generation;

storing the one-time-password in the secure partition in the trusted security zone of the user equipment;

transmitting the one-time-password to a trusted server through a trusted channel, wherein the one-time-password generated in the trusted security zone of the user equipment and received by the trusted server from the user equipment is stored in the trusted server;

responsive to an associated access code being displayed at a point of sale (POS), displaying the one-time-password;

transmitting, by the POS, a request to the trusted server for a one-time-password associated with the access code;

comparing the one-time-password displayed on the user equipment with the one-time-password stored by and received from the trusted server;

responsive to the associated access code having been verified and the one-time-password from the user equipment and the one-time-password stored by the trusted server matching, granting access associated with the access code to the user equipment; and

invalidating the one-time-password promptly after the display ends.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising utilizing a location-based service to recognize the proper POS location to display the access code and the one-time-password.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one-time-password is displayed upon request by a user of the user equipment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user of the user equipment enters a code for the code generator to display the one-time-password, and wherein the one-time-password is invalidated within 30 seconds after the display ends.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the access code is for at least one of a plane ticket, a sports event access, a music event access, a hotel room reservation, or a secure space access, and wherein the secure spaces access is secure access to one of a building, a floor, or a room.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the one-time-password is invalidated upon receipt of a command from the trusted server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the command from the trusted server is received by the user equipment through an application programming interface (API).

15. A method of generating and verifying one-time-passwords for user equipments, comprising:

generating, by a code generator stored in a trusted security zone in a memory of a user equipment, a different one-time-password associated with each of a plurality of access codes, wherein the trusted security zone provides hardware assisted trust and is implemented by partitioning hardware and software resources into a secure partition and a normal partition, and wherein the one-time-password is not displayed on the user equipment;

storing the one-time-password in the secure partition in the trusted security zone of the user equipment;

transmitting the one-time-password to a trusted server through an encrypted channel, wherein the one-time-password generated in the trusted security zone of the user equipment and received by the trusted server from the user equipment is stored in the trusted server;

responsive to an associated access code being displayed to a work station, transmitting the one-time-password to the work station through a dedicated channel, wherein the one-time-password is not displayed on the user equipment or the work station;

transmitting, by the work station, a request to the trusted server for a one-time-password associated with the access code;

comparing the one-time-password received from the user equipment with the one-time-password stored by and received from the trusted server;

examining the access code;

responsive to the associated access code having been verified and the one-time-password from the user equipment and the one-time-password stored by the trusted server matching, granting access associated with the access code to the user equipment; and

invalidating the one-time-password after granting access to the user equipment.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user equipment is one of a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a media player, a headset computer, a wearable computer, a game console, an Internet digital media streaming device, a television, or another network/communications capable device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user equipment establishes a wireless communication with a radio access network according to a code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless communication protocol, a global system for mobile communication (GSM) wireless communication protocol, a long-term evolution (LTE) wireless communication protocol, or a world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) wireless communication protocol.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the one-time-password is generated by a random number generating algorithm.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one-time-password is generated based on a seed chosen by the trusted server.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the one-time-password is generated based on a previously generated one-time-password.