Enabling communications between applications in a mobile operating system

• US 11,063,979 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2020
• Issued: 07/13/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2020
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Inventors: Lunati, Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Bechtel, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Park, Sangseok
• Application Number:
  US16/876,549
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6281 at program execution time, where the protection is within the operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0236 Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL
• 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 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for communications between applications in a mobile operating system. A first application may receive a request for data from a second application. The first application may generate a first URL to the second application, a parameter of the first URL comprising an identifier of the first application. A mobile operating system may access the first URL to open the second application. The second application may validate credentials for an account and initiate a server on a port. The second application may generate a second URL to the first application, a parameter of the second URL comprising the port. The operating system may access the second URL to open the first application. The first application may establish a connection with the server using the port specified in the second URL and receive data from the second application via the connection with the server.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive, by a first application executing on the processor, an indication specifying to receive data from a second application;

generate, by the first application, a first URL directed to the second application, wherein a parameter of the first URL comprises an identifier of the first application;

validate, by the first application using an application programming interface (API) of a mobile operating system (OS) executing on the processor, at least a portion of the first URL;

access, by the mobile OS, the first URL to open the second application;

validate, by the second application, authentication credentials for an account;

select, by the second application, a first port number of a plurality of port numbers;

initiate, by the second application, a local transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) server on the first port number;

generate, by the second application, a second URL directed to the first application, wherein a parameter of the second URL comprises the first port number;

validate, by the second application using the API of the OS, at least a portion of the second URL;

access, by the OS, the second URL to open the first application;

establish, by the first application, a connection with the local TCP/IP server using the first port number specified in the second URL; and

receive, by the first application, the data from the second application via the connection with the local TCP/IP server.

2. The device of claim 1, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive, by the local TCP/IP server of the second application, a request to establish the connection from the first application; and

determine, by the second application, to establish the connection based on identifying the identifier of the first application in the request.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the request further comprises a certificate of the first application, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

validate, by the second application, the certificate of the first application, wherein the second application further determines to establish the connection based on validating the certificate of the first application, wherein the local TCP/IP server is accessible only to applications executing on the device.

4. The device of claim 1, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to, prior to the second application initiating the local TCP/IP server:

receive, by the second application subsequent to validating the authentication credentials, encrypted data from a contactless card, wherein the encrypted data is generated based on a diversified key, wherein the diversified key is generated based on a master key and a counter value associated with the contactless card;

transmit, by the second application, the encrypted data to an authentication server; and

receive, by the second application, an indication from the authentication server specifying the authentication server decrypted the encrypted data based on the diversified key, wherein the second application initiates the local TCP/IP server based at least in part on the received indication from the authentication server.

5. The device of claim 1, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive, by the local TCP/IP server, a connection request from a second device via an external network; and

reject, by the local TCP/IP server, the connection request based on the connection request being received from the second device via the external network and the local TCP/IP server being accessible only to applications executing on the processor of the device.

6. The device of claim 1, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine, by the first application, that the data received from the second application comprises one or more attributes of the account; and

autofill, by the first application, the one or more attributes of the account to one or more form fields in the first application.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second URLs comprise universal link URLs, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

register, by the second application using an application programming interface of the OS, the second application as a background task to execute in a background of the OS; and

execute, by the OS, the local TCP/IP server as part of the background task in the background of the OS.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable program code which when executed by a processor of a device cause the processor to:

receive, by a first application executing on the processor, an indication specifying to receive data from a second application;

generate, by the first application, a first URL directed to the second application, wherein a parameter of the first URL comprises an identifier of the first application;

access, by a mobile operating system (OS) executing on the processor, the first URL to open the second application;

validate, by the second application, authentication credentials for an account;

select, by the second application, a first port number of a plurality of port numbers;

initiate, by the second application, a local transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) server on the first port number;

register, by the second application using an application programming interface of the OS, the second application as a background task to execute in a background of the OS;

generate, by the second application, a second URL directed to the first application, wherein a parameter of the second URL comprises the first port number;

access, by the OS, the second URL to open the first application;

establish, by the first application, a connection with the local TCP/IP server using the first port number specified in the second URL; and

receive, by the first application, the data from the second application via the connection the local TCP/IP server.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, comprising computer-readable program code which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

receive, by the local TCP/IP server of the second application, a request to establish the connection from the first application, wherein the request comprises a certificate of the first application;

validate, by the second application, the certificate of the first application; and

determine, by the second application, to establish the connection based on identifying the identifier of the first application in the request and the validation of the certificate of the first application, wherein the local TCP/IP server is accessible only to applications executing on the device.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, comprising computer-readable program code which when executed by the processor cause the processor to, prior to the second application initiating the local TCP/IP server:

receive, by the second application subsequent to validating the authentication credentials, encrypted data from a contactless card, wherein the encrypted data is generated based on a diversified key, wherein the diversified key is generated based on a master key and a counter value associated with the contactless card;

transmit, by the second application, the encrypted data to an authentication server; and

receive, by the second application, an indication from the authentication server specifying the authentication server decrypted the encrypted data based on the diversified key, wherein the second application initiates the local TCP/IP server based at least in part on the received indication from the authentication server.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, comprising computer-readable program code which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

validate, by the first application using an application programming interface (API) of the OS, at least a portion of the first URL;

validate, by the second application using the API of the OS, at least a portion of the second URL;

receive, by the local TCP/IP server, a connection request from a second device via an external network; and

reject, by the local TCP/IP server, the connection request based on the connection request being received from the second device via the external network and the local TCP/IP server being accessible only to applications executing on the processor of the device.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, comprising computer-readable program code which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

determine, by the first application, that the data received from the second application comprises one or more attributes of the account; and

autofill, by the first application, the one or more attributes of the account to one or more form fields in the first application.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, comprising computer-readable program code which when executed by the processor cause the processor to:

execute, by the OS, the local TCP/IP server as the background task in the background of the OS,

wherein the first and second URLs comprise universal link URLs.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first application executing on a processor of a device, an indication specifying to receive data from a second application;

generating, by the first application, a first URL directed to the second application, wherein a parameter of the first URL comprises an identifier of the first application;

accessing, by a mobile operating system (OS) executing on the processor, the first URL to open the second application;

validating, by the second application, authentication credentials for an account;

selecting, by the second application, a first port number of a plurality of port numbers;

initiating, by the second application, a local transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) server on the first port number;

registering, by the second application using an application programming interface of the OS, the second application as a background task to execute in a background of the OS;

generating, by the second application, a second URL directed to the first application, wherein a parameter of the second URL comprises the first port number;

accessing, by the OS, the second URL to open the first application;

establishing, by the first application, a connection with the local TCP/IP server using the first port number specified in the second URL; and

receiving, by the first application, the data from the second application via the connection the local TCP/IP server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, by the local TCP/IP server of the second application, a request to establish the connection from the first application; and

determining, by the second application, to establish the connection based on identifying the identifier of the first application in the request.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request further comprises a certificate of the first application, further comprising:

validating, by the second application, the certificate of the first application, wherein the second application further determines to establish the connection based on validating the certificate of the first application, wherein the local TCP/IP server is accessible only to applications executing on the device, wherein the OS rejects requests to access to the TCP/IP server received from remote devices via an external network.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising prior to the second application initiating the local TCP/IP server:

receiving, by the second application subsequent to validating the authentication credentials, encrypted data from a contactless card, wherein the encrypted data is generated by the contactless card based on a diversified key, wherein the diversified key is generated based on a master key and a counter value associated with the contactless card;

transmitting, by the second application, the encrypted data to an authentication server; and

receiving, by the second application, an indication from the authentication server specifying the authentication server decrypted the encrypted data based on the diversified key, wherein the second application initiates the local TCP/IP server based at least in part on the received indication from the authentication server.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

validating, by the first application using an application programming interface (API) of the OS, at least a portion of the first URL;

validating, by the second application using the API of the OS, at least a portion of the second URL;

receiving, by the local TCP/IP server, a connection request from a second device via an external network; and

rejecting, by the local TCP/IP server, the connection request based on the connection request being received from the second device via the external network and the local TCP/IP server being accessible only to applications executing on the processor of the device.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, by the first application, that the data received from the second application comprises one or more attributes of the account; and

autofilling, by the first application, the one or more attributes of the account to one or more form fields in the first application.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second URLs comprise universal link URLs, the method further comprising:

executing, by the OS, the local TCP/IP server as part of the background task in the background of the OS.