Blackberry Corporation

Research in Motion Corporation

Other

Certicom Corporation

Michael Andrew Goldsmith

Jacek Pawel Nawrot

Robert Henderson Wood

Maxime M Matton

Roger Paul Bowman

Christopher Pattenden

Ian M Robertson

Bao Quoc Nguyen

Lyall Kenneth Winger

Christopher Lyle Bender

Jerry Mailloux

Omar Barake

Casey Vandeputte

Matthew John Campagna

Robert John Lambert

Atul Asthana

Thomas Charles Nagy

Brian Neill

Tom Nagy

Oliver Whitehouse

Christopher E S Pattenden

Brian Lamb

John Michael Agar

Sye Van Der Veen

Maxime Matton

Robert Duff

Nicolaas Santoso Handojo

Michael Goldsmith

Ian Michael Robertson

Casey Jonathan Vandeputte

John M Agar

Brian P Neill

Nicolaas S Handojo

Brian Paul Neill

A mobile device is provided. The mobile device comprises a storage device storing one or more files and a serial port for connecting the mobile device to a remote system. The mobile device further comprises a user interface allowing a user of the mobile device to select a file stored on the storage device such that when the mobile device is connected to the remote system via the serial port, the remote system can only access the selected file.

File sharing with a hostile system

Augmented processor hardware contains a microcode interpreter. When encrypted microcode is included in a challenge from a service requiring authentication, the microcode may be passed to the microcode interpreter. Based on decryption and execution of the microcode taking place at the processor hardware, tampering by potentially abusive device software may be avoided.

Microcode-based challenge/response process

Methods, systems, and computer programs for verifying a password are disclosed. For example, the password can be verified on a mobile device to control user access to the mobile device. In some implementations, a mobile device includes a user interface, a main processor, and a co-processor. The user interface receives a submitted password value from a user. The main processor calls the co-processor to provide a hash chain input value based on the submitted password value. The main processor evaluates a hash chain based on the hash chain input value provided by the co-processor. Evaluating the hash chain generates a submitted password verification value. The submitted password verification value is compared to a stored password verification value stored on the mobile device. Access to mobile device functionality may be permitted or denied based on a result of the comparison.

Verifying passwords on a mobile device

Systems and methods are provided for computing a secret shared with a portable electronic device and service entity. The service entity has a public key G and a private key g. A message comprising the public key G is broadcast to the portable electronic device. A public key B of the portable electronic device is obtained from a manufacturing server and used together with the private key g to compute the shared secret. The portable electronic device receives the broadcast message and computes the shared secret as a function of the public key G and the portable electronic device's private key b. The shared secret can be used to establish a trusted relationship between the portable electronic device and the service entity, to activate a service on the portable electronic device, and to generate certificates.

Provisioning a shared secret to a portable electronic device and to a service entity

Normally, at the time of manufacturing, security may be provided to a device being manufactured through the loading of an operating system that has been cryptographically signed. The present application discloses a 'factory mode' for the device. The 'factory mode' allows the device to execute untrusted operating system code, such as unsigned operating system code and operating system code that has been signed, but the certificate authority is not trusted. To support execution of untrusted operating system code in a secure manner, the device may be adapted to prevent data of predetermined type from being loaded on the device while the device is in the &#x201c;factory mode&#x201d;. In contrast to the &#x201c;factory mode&#x201d;, the secure mode of the device is referred to herein as a &#x201c;product mode&#x201d;. There develops a need to manage, in a secure manner, transitions between the &#x201c;product mode&#x201d; and the &#x201c;factory mode&#x201d;.

Managing booting of secure devices with untrusted software

A mobile communications device having a digital certificate authenticating the device itself is proposed. A server for authenticating the device and a method of authenticating the device are also disclosed. The device comprises a transmitter, a processor, a memory and a computer readable medium. The memory includes a certificate certifying the authenticity of the mobile communications device, the certificate comprising device-specific data and a digital signature signed by an authority having control of the authenticity of the mobile communications device. The computer readable medium has computer readable instructions stored thereon that when executed configure the processor to instruct the transmitter to transmit a copy of the certificate to a service provider in response to a request to authenticate the mobile communications device with the service provider.

Use of certificate authority to control a device's access to services

Augmented processor hardware contains a microcode interpreter. When encrypted microcode is included in a message from a service, the microcode may be passed to the microcode interpreter. Based on decryption and execution of the microcode taking place at the processor hardware, extended functionality may be realized.

Utilization of a microcode interpreter built in to a processor

A handheld electronic device that receives geo-location based signal data into a microprocessor on board the handheld electronic device. The microprocessor processes the signal data into location data representative of the present geographic location of the electronic handheld device. The microprocessor adjusts at least one user defined setting of the handheld electronic device based on whether the location data indicates that the handheld electronic device is within stored geographical boundaries.

Adjusting user settings on a handheld mobile communication device based upon location

The described embodiments relate generally to methods, systems and security devices for authorizing use of a software tool. Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a security device. The security device comprises at least one communication subsystem for enabling communication between the security device and a first external device, wherein the first external device has a software tool executable on the first external device. The security device further comprises a memory and processor coupled to the at least one communication subsystem and configured to control the at least one communication subsystem. The memory is accessible to the processor and stores a key for authorizing use of the software tool. The memory further stores program instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute a security application.

System, method and security device for authorizing use of a software tool

An electronic device having an alterable configuration includes a non-volatile memory configurable to include at least a first partition and a second partition, the non-volatile memory storing a boot ROM. The boot ROM is operable when executed by a processor of said electronic device to, in the event that a third partition is available, boot an operating system in the third partition, the operating system operable when booted to cause the third partition to be deleted and the second partition to be expanded to encompass memory freed by the deletion; and otherwise boot an operating system in the first partition.

Electronic device having an alterable configuration and methods of manufacturing and configuring the same

Methods and apparatuses for configuring a universal serial bus (USB) connection. The method comprises receiving, at a USB port, first identification data that includes a generic device class code and a vendor identifier. Receiving the first identification causes one of enabling interaction with a peripheral device in accordance with functionality specified by the generic device class code if the host device does not support software associated with the vendor identifier, or sending, at the USB port, a query to the peripheral device if the host device does support software associated with the vendor identifier, the query sent to determine whether the peripheral device supports at least one function different from the functionality specified by the generic device class code.

Method and apparatus for enabling enhanced USB interaction

The described embodiments relate generally to methods, systems and devices for maintaining data integrity of a removable media card of a handheld electronic device, particularly when such media card is removed from such device.

Systems and methods for maintaining data integrity of removable media of an electronic device

Systems and methods for configuring a universal serial bus (USB) including for connection by a peripheral device by detecting an attach event at a USB port on the peripheral device; receiving, at the USB port, a first request for device identification; sending, at the USB port, a first identification data; receiving, at the USB port, a query related to the first identification data, the query indicating software associated with the vendor identifier is supported by the sender of the query; simulating a detach and then an attach at the USB port; receiving, at the USB port, a second request for device identification; and sending, at the USB port, a second identification data that includes an indication that the peripheral device supports at least one function from a plurality of functions that are different from the functionality defined by a generic device class code.

Growing community of inventors

Waterloo, Canada

Robert Henderson Wood