Secure wireless electronic-commerce system with wireless network domain

• US 6,463,534 B1
• Filed: 03/26/1999
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehta, Rajiv, Lin, Jyh-Han, Geiger, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/276,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 705/67, 705/76, 705/1, 380/278, 380/282, 713/168, 713/169, 713/175, 713/176, 713/200, 713/201, 713/173
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

A method of conducting transactions in a wireless electronic commerce system, where the system comprises a wireless network operator certification authority (400) having a root public key certificate and at least one attribute authority (404, 405, 406) having a digital certificate that is dependent from the root public key certificate. The attribute authority is accessible by a wireless client device (450, 452) via a wireless network. The digital certificate is delivered from the attribute authority to the wireless device, the attribute authority is verified to the wireless client device using the digital certificate and the root public key certificate pre-loaded in the wireless client device under authority of the wireless network operator. An attribute (software, service, right/permission or other content item) is delivered to the wireless client device over the wireless network and ultimately enabled at the wireless client device.

Claims

1. A method of conducting transactions in a wireless electronic commerce system comprising a wireless network operator certification authority having a root public key certificate and at least one attribute authority having a digital certificate that is dependent from the root public key certificate, where the attribute authority is accessible by a wireless client device via a wireless network, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication between the wireless client device and the attribute authority;

delivering an attribute certificate from the attribute authority to the wireless device;

verifying the attribute authority to the wireless client device using the attribute certificate and the root public key certificate pre-loaded in the wireless client device under authority of the wireless network operator;

delivering an attribute to the wireless client device over the wireless network; and

enabling the attribute at the wireless client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of executing a transaction whereby the wireless client device authorizes payment for the attribute from the attribute authority.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of executing a transaction comprises delivering a second digital certificate from the wireless client device to the attribute authority and verifying the second digital certificate using the root public key certificate from the certification authority.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transferring from the attribute authority to a billing computer of the wireless network operator an instruction to add an item to a wireless network operator bill for the wireless client device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless client device has a subscriber identity module and the second digital certificate is pre-loaded into the subscriber identity module by the wireless network operator.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless client device is a wireless communicator and the second digital certificate is pre-loaded into the wireless communicator under authority of the wireless network operator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute certificate represents at least one of (i) purchased service or product certificates and (ii) system operations permissions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute is software code for execution by the wireless client device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute certificate includes an expiration period that is subject to a periodic renewal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the verification step includes the step of failing verification if the expiration period expires without renewal.

11. A method of conducting transactions in a wireless electronic commerce system comprising a wireless network operator certification authority having a root public key certificate and at least first and second attribute authorities, having respective first and second digital certificates that are dependent from the root public key certificate, where the attribute authorities are accessible by a wireless client device via a wireless network, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication between the wireless client device and the first attribute authority;

delivering a first attribute to the wireless client device over the wireless network;

generating an electronic voucher verifiable by the second attribute authority;

establishing a wireless communication between the wireless client device and the second attribute authority;

requesting a second attribute from the second attribute authority;

identifying the electronic voucher at the second attribute authority; and

delivering the second attribute from the second attribute authority to the wireless device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of generating an electronic voucher verifiable by the second attribute authority includes delivering the electronic voucher from the first attribute authority to the second attribute authority via a connection therebetween.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic voucher identifies a wireless client for which the voucher is valid.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of generating an electronic voucher verifiable by the second attribute authority includes delivering the electronic voucher from the first attribute authority to the second attribute authority via the wireless client.

16. The wireless electronic commerce system of claim 11, wherein the attribute certificate represents at least one of (i) purchased service or product certificates and (ii) system operations permissions.

17. The wireless electronic commerce system of claim 11, wherein the attribute is software code for execution by the wireless client device.

18. The wireless electronic commerce system of claim 11, wherein the attribute certificate includes an expiration period that is subject to a periodic renewal.

19. The wireless electronic commerce system of claim 18, wherein the verification means fails verification if the expiration period expires without renewal.

15. A wireless electronic commerce system comprising:

a wireless network operator certification authority server having a root public key certificate;

at least one attribute authority server coupleable to the wireless network operator certification authority server, having an attribute certificate that is dependent from the root public key certificate;

a wireless client device having pre-loaded therein the root public key certificate;

a wireless network coupling the wireless client device to the at least one attribute authority server;

verification means in the wireless client device for verifying the attribute certificate to the wireless client device using the root public key certificate pre-loaded in the wireless client device;

means associated with the attribute authority server for sending and means associated with the wireless client device for receiving an attribute over the wireless network; and

means for enabling the attribute at the wireless client device.