Network element and method for controlling access to low level computer system services

• US 7,315,942 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2000
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Cofta, Piotr, Linden, Mikael, Immonen, Olli, Lukkaroinen, Mikko
• Primary Examiner(s): HENEGHAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US09/546,439
• Time in Patent Office: 2,822 Days
• Field of Search: 713/172, 713/173, 713176-179, 713/191, 713/167, 709/221, 709/225, 707/10, 717/175, 717/176, 717/177, 717/178
• US Class Current: 713/167
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

A solution for controlling activities to be carried out in a network element in a flexible and safe manner. A data transmission network includes a network element, which includes data transfer means for transmitting and receiving data from the data transmission network, which data includes one or more commands: processing means for processing the data provided in a specified format; and control means for modifying the received command into a format required by the processing means. The control means includes a driver the origin of which can be verified with the help of an electronic signature; and one or more functions that control the operation of the processing means, which can only be initiated by the driver the origin of which has been verified with the help of the electronic signature.

Claims

1. A network element comprising:

data transfer means configured to download a driver from a network server via a data transmission network;

an interface unit configured to transmit and receive data to and from an external unit, to transmit a signal to the external unit, said signal being indicative of attachment of the external unit to the network element, to automatically initiate the downloading of the driver in response to information obtained in a response signal from the external unit, said information indicating the presence of a new application in the external unit, and to obtain from the external unit an address from which the driver is to be downloaded;

control means configured to check that the origin of the downloaded driver has been verified prior to executing one or more functions in the restricted library;

wherein said control means comprises;

said driver configured to modify one or more commands received into a format required by the external unit, to invoke one or more functions in a restricted library in the network element to control the operation of the external unit, invoke one or more functions in a standard library in the network element; and

wherein an origin of said downloaded driver is verified using at least an electronic signature.

2. A network element according to claim 1, wherein said network element is a wireless terminal.

3. A network element according to claim 1, wherein said driver is stored in the network element as a byte compiled code.

4. A network element according to claim 3, wherein said electronic signature comprises a character string, processed by the secret key of the publisher of said code, whereupon the verification of the driver'"'"'s origin takes place by decrypting the encryption of the character string by the code of publisher'"'"'s public key.

5. A network element according to claim 4, wherein said character string comprises a hash computed from said code by a specified hash function.

6. A network element according to claim 1, wherein a driver relating to a specific use is arranged to receive a command in a specified format.

7. A network element according to claim 1, wherein said external unit is a smart card.

8. A data transmission network, comprising a network element, which network element comprises:

a data transfer device configured to download a driver from a network server via a data transmission network;

an interface unit configured to transmit a signal to an external unit, said signal being indicative of attachment of the external unit to the network element, to automatically initiate the downloading of the driver in response to information obtained in a response signal from the external unit, said information indicating the presence of a new application in the external unit, to obtain from the external unit an address for the downloading of the driver, transmit and receive data to and from the external unit, which data comprises one or more commands, the external unit processing data provided in a required format;

a control unit configured to check that the origin of the downloaded driver has been verified prior to executing one or more functions in the restricted library;

wherein said control unit comprises;

said driver configured to modify at least one received command into the format required by the external unit, to invoke one or more functions in a restricted library in said network element to control the operation of said external unit, invoke one or more functions in a standard library in said network element;

and

wherein the origin of said downloaded driver is verified using at least an electronic signature.

9. A data transmission network according to claim 8, wherein said network element is a wireless terminal.

10. A data transmission network according to claim 8, wherein said network element is a network server.

11. A data transmission network according to claim 8, wherein said external unit is a smart card.

12. A method for processing data, the method comprising:

sending to an external unit a signal indicative of attachment of the external unit to a network element;

receiving a response signal from said external unit to the network element;

receiving an address from which a driver is to be downloaded from an external unit;

downloading said driver from a data transmission network to said network element in response to information obtained in a response signal from the external unit, said information indicating the presence of a new application in the external unit;

verifying an origin of the driver using at least an electronic signature;

executing an application in the network element;

the application issuing a command to the driver;

the driver modifying the command into a format required by an external unit;

the driver calling a function in a restricted library to control the operation of the external unit; and

checking that the origin of the driver has been verified prior to executing the function.