Method and architecture for managing a fleet of mobile stations over wireless data networks

• US 6,292,657 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1998
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Laursen, Andrew L., Jeffery, Maurice A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/114,588
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/417, 455/466, 455/31.2, 455/31.3, 455/38.1, 455/517, 340/825.44, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/328
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention discloses a fleet managing system in which fleet data can be securely managed and disseminated to a selective group of mobile stations serviced by a carrier infrastructure. The fleet managing system relies on a series of consecutive transitive trusts between pairs of components in the system so that all communications from a provisioning entity to the mobile stations are secure. The access to the fleet managing system is guarded with a challenge response every time there is a request arriving at the system while the mobile stations are verified by an account manager in the system to ensure that the fleet data is eventually pushed to the correct group of mobile stations. Apart distinctly from existing fleet managing systems for mobile stations, the present invention provides secure means for an authorized entity, from anywhere at any time, to control the dissemination of mobile data to a specified group of mobile stations without incurring additional costs to or direct involvement of a service carrier.

Claims

1. An architecture for securely managing a plurality of mobile stations, said architecture comprising:

a carrier infrastructure providing a radio link to the plurality of the mobile stations over a wireless data network using a first communication protocol;

a fleet managing system coupled to said carrier infrastructure, said fleet managing system comprising a proxy server, said proxy server further comprising

an account manager managing a plurality of user accounts, each corresponding to one of the mobile stations; and

a proxy server module;

a memory receiving fleet data;

a provisioning interface providing secure access to said memory;

wherein said fleet managing a system further comprises a fleet server including said memory and said provisioning interface, said fleet server is grouped to said proxy server over a landnet using a second communication protocol;

wherein said provisioning interface receives a request to push said fleet data in said memory to the plurality of the mobile stations, and

wherein said proxy server module pushes said fleet data, via said carrier infrastructure, to the plurality of the mobile stations over said wireless data network after said request is authenticated by said provisioning interface and verified by said account manager.

2. The architecture as recited in claim 1, wherein said proxy server module comprises a mapper performing protocol mapping from said first communication protocol to said second communication protocol and from said second communication protocol to said first communication protocol.

3. The architecture as recited in claim 2, wherein said second communication protocol is a secure data transfer protocol.

4. The architecture as recited in claim 2, wherein said second communication protocol is Secure HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTPS).

5. The architecture as recited in claim 2, said architecture further comprises a provisioning entity from which said request is originated.

6. The architecture as recited in claim 5, wherein said provisioning entity is a computing device coupled directly to said fleet server, said provisioning entity being prompted with a challenge response for credential information when said request is received at said provisioning interface.

7. The architecture as recited in claim 5, wherein said provisioning entity is a computing device coupled to said fleet server over said landnet using said second communication protocol, said provisioning entity being prompted with a challenge response for credential information when said request is received, through said landnet, at said provisioning interface.

8. The architecture as recited in claim 5, wherein said provisioning entity is a computing device coupled to a private server comprising private fleet data, said private server communicating said fleet server over said landnet using said second communication protocol, said computing device causing said private fleet data in said private server to be transferred, over said landnet, to said memory in said fleet server.

9. The architecture as recited in claim 8, wherein said proxy server module pushes said private fleet data from said fleet server to the plurality of the mobile stations upon said provisioning entity authenticating said private fleet data.

10. The architecture as recited in claim 5, wherein said provisioning entity is a commanding mobile station coupled to said proxy server over said wireless data network.

11. The architecture as recited in claim 10, wherein said commanding mobile station comprises a device identification.

12. The architecture as recited in claim 11, wherein said commanding mobile station is granted an access to said managing system when said device identification is verified by said account manager with said plurality of said user accounts, said commanding mobile station executing said request that causes said fleet data to be pushed to the plurality of the mobile stations.

13. The architecture as recited in claim 12, wherein said commanding mobile is one of the plurality of the mobile stations.

14. The architecture as recited in claim 5, wherein said provisioning entity provides access to said managing system so that said fleet data and the plurality of the mobile stations can be determined therefrom.

15. The architecture as recited in claim 14, wherein said proxy server module verifies respectively each of the plurality of the mobile stations with said plurality of said user accounts.

16. A method for securely managing a plurality of mobile stations serviced by a carrier infrastructure, said method comprising:

sending a request from a provisioning entity to push fleet data to the plurality of the mobile stations;

receiving a challenge response from a fleet managing system in response to said request;

accessing said fleet managing system by supplying correct credential information to said challenge response;

wherein said fleet managing system comprises;

an account manager managing a plurality of user accounts, each corresponding to one of the mobile stations;

a proxy server module;

a memory; and

a provisioning interface providing secure access to said memory;

preparing said fleet data to be received in said memory;

determining the plurality of the mobile stations verified by said account manager with said plurality of said user accounts; and

executing said request to cause said fleet data pushed by said proxy server module to the plurality of the mobile stations.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said fleet managing system is secure with a series of consecutive transitive trusts between said provisioning entity and said fleet server, said fleet server and said proxy server as well as said proxy server and each of the plurality of the mobile stations.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said fleet managing system comprises a proxy server and a fleet server, said proxy server and said fleet server securely coupled, wherein said proxy server comprises said account manager and said proxy server and wherein said fleet server comprises said memory and said provisioning interface.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said provisioning interface in said fleet server is securely coupled to said provisioning entity.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said proxy server is securely respectively coupled with each of the plurality of the mobile stations.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said request comprises a link request to establish a secure communication session with said provisioning interface and an IP address of said provisioning interface.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said provisioning entity operates a browser, said browser using a secure communication protocol, by said IP address of said provisioning interface, to establish said secure communication session with said provisioning interface.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said accessing said fleet managing system by supplying correct credential information to said challenge response comprises:

supplying said correct credential information upon receiving said challenge response;

verifying said correct credential information with predefined credential information in said provision interface; and

integrating said provisioning entity to said fleet managing system so that a user can access said fleet managing system through said provisioning entity.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein said preparing said fleet data to be received in said memory comprises navigating to said fleet data using said browser.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein said determining the plurality of the mobile stations verified by said account manager with said plurality of said user accounts comprising:

grouping the plurality of the mobile stations serviced by said proxy server by using an identification of each of the plurality of the mobile stations; and

associating said fleet data with each of the plurality of the mobile stations.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein said executing said request to cause said fleet data pushed by said proxy server module to the plurality of the mobile stations comprises:

pushing said fleet data by said proxy server, respectively and individually, to each of the plurality of the mobile stations over a wireless data network using a wireless communication protocol.