Method, Server, Computer Program and Computer Program Product for Communicating with Secure Element

• US 20120047237A1
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Arvidsson, Petter, Eld, Mattias, Pierrel, Sebastien
• Granted Patent: US 9,572,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications

Abstract

It presented a method for sending a message to a secure element connected to a mobile equipment, wherein the secure element is coupled to a user of the mobile equipment. The method comprises the steps, performed in an application manager server of: receiving, from an application server, an application message and an identifier of a destination secure element; generating a secure element message from the application message; from a plurality of connectivity providers, selecting a connectivity provider capable of communicating with the destination secure element; and sending the secure element message to the selected connectivity provider for forwarding to the destination secure element. A corresponding application manager server, computer program and computer program product are also presented.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for sending a message to a secure element connected to a mobile equipment, wherein the secure element is associated with a user of the mobile equipment, the method being performed in an application manager server, and comprising:

receiving, from an application server, an application message and an identifier of a destination secure element;

generating a secure element message from the application message;

from a plurality of connectivity providers, selecting a connectivity provider capable of communicating with the destination secure element;

sending the secure element message to the selected connectivity provider for forwarding to the destination secure element over a real-time communication channel;

receiving a response to the secure element message from the selected connectivity provider, wherein the response is sent from the destination secure element using the real-time communication channel; and

sending the response to the application server.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said response to the secure element message received from the selected connectivity provider acknowledges that the destination secure element has received the secure element message.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of generating a secure element message comprises:

using the application message as a secure element message.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

setting up a secure channel to the secure element;

wherein the step of sending the secure element message for forwarding to the destination secure element comprises sending the secure element message over the secure channel.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps, prior to the step of sending the secure element message, of:

sending, to a secure element manager server, the secure element message; and

receiving, from the secure element manager server, a signature of the secure element message;

wherein said sending a secure element message to the connectivity provider includes sending the signature.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the signature is appended to the secure element message.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step, prior to the step of sending the secure element message to a secure element manager server, of:

from a plurality of secure element manager servers, selecting a secure element manager server which is associated with the destination secure element;

wherein the step of sending the secure element message to a secure element manager server comprises sending the secure element message to the selected secure element manager server.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein several secure element messages to be signed are sent collectively and corresponding signatures are received collectively.

24. An application manager server for sending messages to a secure element connected to a mobile equipment, wherein the secure element is associated with a user of the mobile equipment, the application manager server comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from an application server, an application message and an identifier of a destination secure element;

a controller configured to generate a secure element message from the application message;

a connection selector configured to select, from a plurality of connectivity providers, a connectivity provider capable of communicating with the destination secure element; and

a sender configured to send the secure element message to the selected connectivity provider for forwarding to the destination secure element over a real-time communication channel;

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a response to the secure element message from the selected connectivity provider, wherein the response is sent from the destination secure element using the real-time communication channel; and

wherein the sender is further configured to send the response to the application server.

25. The application manager server of claim 24, wherein the connection selector is configured to select a second application manager server that is capable of communicating with the destination secure element.

26. The application manager server of claim 24, wherein said response to the secure element message received from the selected connectivity provider includes an acknowledgement that the destination secure element has received the secure element message.

27. The application manager server of claim 24, wherein the application manager server comprises a secure element manager interface configured to:

send, to a secure element manager server, the secure element message; and

receive, from the secure element manager server, a signature of the secure element message.

28. The application manager server of claim 24, wherein the application manager server comprises a secure element manager server selector configured to select, from a plurality of secure element manager servers, a secure element manager server which is associated with the destination secure element.

29. A computer program product stored in computer-readable media, said computer program product comprising program instructions for sending a message to a secure element connected to a mobile equipment, wherein the secure element is associated with a user of the mobile equipment, the computer program product comprising computer program code which, when run on an application manager server, configures the server to:

receive, from an application server, an application message and an identifier of a destination secure element;

generate a secure element message from the application message;

from a plurality of connectivity providers, select a connectivity provider capable of communicating with the destination secure element;

send the secure element message to the selected connectivity provider for forwarding to the destination secure element over a real-time communication channel;

receive a response to the secure element message from the selected connectivity provider, wherein the response is sent from the destination secure element using the real-time communication channel; and

send the response to the application server.