Apparatus and method for secure over the air programming of a communication device

• US 9,942,227 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chastain, Walter Cooper, Chin, Stephen Emille
• Primary Examiner(s): LEUNG, ROBERT B
• Application Number:
  US15/449,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180366A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, receiving an over-the-air programming message that is utilizing a hypertext transfer protocol where the over-the-air programming message including programming data for use by the mobile communication device, converting the over-the-air programming message to a short message service transport protocol to generate an adjusted message that includes the programming data, and providing the adjusted message to a universal integrated circuit card of the mobile communication device via a baseband proxy operating in a device processor of the mobile communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processing system comprising a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising;

receiving, from a network interworking function server, an over-the-air programming message;

converting the over-the-air programming message to a short message service transport protocol to generate an adjusted message; and

providing the adjusted message to a secure element of the device,

wherein the receiving of the over-the-air programming message is based on the network interworking function server determining a priority among a group of over-the-air programming messages including the over-the-air programming message to determine a transmission schedule for the group of over-the-air programming messages.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise decrypting the over-the-air programming message utilizing a first keyset that is provided to the processing system and the network interworking function server by a remote management server, wherein the decrypting is performed prior to the generating of the adjusted message.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the secure element comprises a universal integrated circuit card, wherein the device comprises a mobile communication device, and wherein the processing system is a secure device processor coupled to the universal integrated circuit card to form a secure services platform of the mobile communication device.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a baseband processor, wherein the operations further comprise executing a user interworking function to exchange messages with the secure element, and wherein the processing system, the secure element and a baseband processor are separate from each other and are in communication with each other.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

registering an internet protocol address with the network interworking function server, the internet protocol address being associated with the user interworking function, wherein the registering of the internet protocol address is based on a mutual authentication of the network interworking function server and the user interworking function utilizing a first keyset that is provided to the user interworking function and the network interworking function server by a remote management server.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first keyset is provided to the user interworking function utilizing a remote management keyset.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a response from the secure element, the response being associated with the adjusted message,

converting the response to a hypertext transfer protocol to generate an adjusted response; and

encrypting the response utilizing a first keyset that is provided to the user interworking function and the network interworking function server by a remote management server, wherein the encrypting is performed prior to the generating of the adjusted response.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the providing the adjusted message to the secure element is via a baseband proxy.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise authenticating with the baseband proxy prior to the providing the adjusted message to the secure element, wherein the authenticating with the baseband proxy is based on a second keyset.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a response that is utilizing the short message service transport protocol, the response being received from the secure element, the response being associated with the adjusted message provided to the secure element, the response being received from the secure element via the baseband proxy;

converting the response to a hypertext transfer protocol to generate an adjusted response; and

providing the adjusted response to the network interworking function server.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a secure device processor of a device, an over-the-air programming message from a network interworking function server, wherein the over-the-air programming message includes programming data for use by the device;

converting, by the secure device processor, the over-the-air programming message to a short message service transport protocol to generate an adjusted message that includes the programming data; and

providing, by the secure device processor, the adjusted message to a secure element of the device via a baseband proxy of the device, wherein the secure device processor, the secure element and the baseband proxy are separate from each other and are in communication with each other; and

registering an internet protocol address with the network interworking function server, the internet protocol address being associated with a user interworking function being executed by the secure device processor, wherein the registering of the internet protocol address is based on a mutual authentication of the network interworking function server and the user interworking function utilizing a first keyset that is provided to the user interworking function and the network interworking function server by a remote management server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the over-the-air programming message is one of a group of over-the-air programming messages, wherein the network interworking function server determines a priority among the group of over-the-air programming messages, and wherein the priority is utilized for determining a transmission schedule for the group of over-the-air programming messages.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the group of over-the-air programming messages is associated with a group of over-the-air programming servers.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a response that is utilizing the short message service transport protocol, the response being received from the secure element, the response being associated with the adjusted message provided to the secure element, the response being received from the secure element via the baseband proxy;

converting the response to a hypertext transfer protocol to generate an adjusted response; and

providing the adjusted response to the network interworking function server.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

authenticating with the baseband proxy prior to the providing the adjusted message to the secure element, wherein the authenticating with the baseband proxy is based on a second keyset.

16. A machine readable storage device comprising instructions which, responsive to being executed by a user interworking function of a secure device processor of a communication device, cause the user interworking function to perform operations comprising:

registering with a network interworking function server, the registering being based on registration information associated with the user interworking function, wherein the registering is based on a mutual authentication of the network interworking function server and the user interworking function utilizing a first keyset that is provided to the user interworking function and the network interworking function server by a remote management server;

receiving from the network interworking function server, an over-the-air programming message, the over-the-air programming message including programming data for use by the communication device;

converting the over-the-air programming message to a short message service transport protocol to generate an adjusted message that includes the programming data; and

providing the adjusted message to a secure element of the communication device.

17. The machine readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the over-the-air programming message is one of a group of over-the-air programming messages, wherein the network interworking function server determines a priority among the group of over-the-air programming messages, and wherein the priority is utilized for determining a transmission schedule for the group of over-the-air programming messages.

18. The machine readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the registration information comprises an internet protocol address associated with the user interworking function.

19. The machine readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a response that is utilizing the short message service transport protocol, the response being received from the secure element, the response being associated with the adjusted message provided to the secure element, the response being received from the secure element via a baseband proxy;

converting the response to a hypertext transfer protocol to generate an adjusted response; and

providing the adjusted response to the network interworking function server.

20. The machine readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise authenticating with the baseband proxy prior to the providing the adjusted message to the secure element.