Server verification of secure electronic messages

• US 20060036865A1
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Adams, Neil P., Brown, Michael S., Brown, Michael K., Kirkup, Michael G., Little, Herbert A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/181
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• 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 12/106 Packet or message integrity

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing encoded messages within a wireless communications system are disclosed. A server within the wireless communications system determines whether the size of an encoded message is too large for a wireless communications device. If the message is too large, the server removes part of the message and sends an abbreviated message to the wireless device, together with additional information relating to processing of the encoded message, such as, for example, hash context values, that assist the wireless communications device in verifying the abbreviated message.

Claims

1. A method for processing encoded messages comprising:

receiving an encoded message at a server, the encoded message having a message size;

comparing the message size to a predetermined threshold;

sending said encoded message to a device when said message size is less than said predetermined threshold;

removing a portion of said encoded message and sending an abbreviated message to said device when said encoded message is larger than said predetermined threshold, said abbreviated message being said encoded message less the removed portion such that the abbreviated message has a size smaller than the predetermined threshold;

processing said encoded message in a predetermined sequence at said server and providing results of said processing to said device; and

processing said abbreviated message at said device using at least portions of the results of processing at the server received by the device to verify the message received by the device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said device is a mobile wireless communications device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said portion of said encoded message that is removed is an attachment to an encoded e-mail message.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said processing of said encoded message at said server comprises performing a sequential hashing function on predetermined portions of the encoded message to generate hash context values for said predetermined portions.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said processing of said abbreviated message comprises performing a sequential hashing function on predetermined portions of said abbreviated message and inserting appropriate hash context values received from the server where necessary to verify said abbreviated message.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising performing an exclusive OR function on predetermined hash context values and sending a result of said exclusive OR function to said device and said device processing said abbreviated message by performing an exclusive OR function on predetermined hash context values and comparing a result of said exclusive OR function to the result received from the server.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said processing of said encoded message at said server comprises verifying that digests of the encoded message match and said processing of said abbreviated message comprises verifying a signature of said abbreviated message based on the result of the processing of said encoded message at said server.

8. A method for processing encoded messages comprising:

receiving an encoded message at a server, the encoded message having a message size;

comparing the message size to a predetermined threshold;

removing a portion of said encoded message and sending an abbreviated message to said device when said encoded message is larger than said predetermined threshold, said abbreviated message being said encoded message less the removed portion such that the abbreviated message has a size smaller than the predetermined threshold;

processing said encoded message in a predetermined sequence at said server and providing results of said processing to said device; and

processing said abbreviated message at said device using at least portions of the results of processing at the server received by the device to verify the message received by the device.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said device is a mobile wireless communications device.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said portion of said encoded message that is removed is an attachment to an encoded e-mail message.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein said processing of said encoded message at said server comprises performing a sequential hashing function on predetermined portions of the encoded message to generate hash context values for said predetermined portions.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said processing of said abbreviated message comprises performing a sequential hashing function on predetermined portions of said abbreviated message and inserting appropriate hash context values received from the server where necessary to verify said abbreviated message.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising performing an exclusive OR function on predetermined hash context values and sending a result of said exclusive OR function to said device and said device processing said abbreviated message by performing an exclusive OR function on predetermined hash context values and comparing a result of said exclusive OR function to the result received from the server.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein said processing of said encoded message at said server comprises verifying that digests of the encoded message match and said processing of said abbreviated message comprises verifying a signature of said abbreviated message based on the result of the processing of said encoded message at said server.

15. A system for verifying encoded electronic messages, comprising:

a server for receiving an encoded message at a server, the encoded electronic message having a message size;

program logic resident on said server for comparing the message size to a predetermined threshold, removing a portion of said encoded message and sending an abbreviated message to said device when said encoded message is larger than said predetermined threshold, said abbreviated message being said encoded message less the removed portion such that the abbreviated message has a size smaller than the predetermined threshold;

processing said encoded message in a predetermined sequence at said server and providing results of said processing to said device; and

a wireless communications device for receiving messages from said server, said wireless communications device including program logic for processing said abbreviated message at said device using at least portions of the results of processing at the server received by the device to verify the message received at the device.

16. A system for verifying encoded electronic messages comprising:

a server;

a mobile wireless communications device;

means for receiving an encoded electronic message at a server, the encoded message having a message size;

means for comparing the message size to a predetermined threshold;

means for removing a portion of said encoded message and sending an abbreviated message to said mobile wireless communications device when said encoded message is larger than said predetermined threshold, said abbreviated message being said encoded message less the removed portion such that the abbreviated message has a size smaller than the predetermined threshold; and

means for processing said encoded message in a predetermined sequence at said server and providing results of said processing to said mobile wireless communications device;

means resident on said mobile wireless communications device for processing said abbreviated message at said device using at least portions of the results of processing at the server received by the device to verify the message received at the device.

17. A method for processing encoded messages comprising:

sending an abbreviated encoded electronic message from a server to a mobile device, the abbreviated message being at least a portion of an original encoded message received by the server; and

sending results of processing performed by the server on the encoded message to the mobile device for use in processing the abbreviated message to verify the abbreviated message.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said mobile device is a wireless communications device.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein a portion of said encoded message that is removed to form the abbreviated message is an attachment to an encoded e-mail message.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said processing of said encoded message performed by said server comprises performing a sequential hashing function on predetermined portions of the encoded message to generate hash context values for said predetermined portions.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said processing of said abbreviated message comprises performing a sequential hashing function on predetermined portions of said abbreviated message and inserting appropriate hash context values received from the server where necessary to verify said abbreviated message.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising performing an exclusive OR function on predetermined hash context values and sending a result of said exclusive OR function to said device and said device processing said abbreviated message by performing an exclusive OR function on predetermined hash context values and comparing a result of said exclusive OR function to the result received from the server.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein said processing of said encoded message by said server comprises verifying that digests of the encoded message match and said processing of said abbreviated message comprises verifying a signature of said abbreviated message based on the result of the processing of said encoded message at said server.

24. A system for verifying encoded messages for a mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a server operable to perform at least a portion of verification processing of said encoded message when said server determines that a size of the encoded message is too large for processing by the mobile wireless communications device alone.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said verification processing of said encoded message performed by said server comprises performing a sequential hashing function on predetermined portions of the encoded message to generate hash context values for said predetermined portions.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said mobile wireless communications device receives said hash context values from said server and uses said hash context values to perform verification processing of received portions of said encoded message.

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising performing an exclusive OR function on predetermined hash context values and sending a result of said exclusive OR function to said mobile wireless communications device for use in verification processing of received portions of said encoded message at said mobile wireless communications device.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein said verification processing of said encoded message by said server comprises verifying that digests of the encoded message match and verification processing of portions of the encoded message received by the mobile wireless communications device comprises verifying a signature of said message based on the result of the verification processing of said encoded message at said server.