# US 11,443,323 B2 · System and method for secure transactions with a trusted execution environment (TEE)

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- Number: US 11,443,323 B2
- Document ID: US11443323B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/122,705
- Filed: 2018-09-05
- Published: 2019-09-12
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-07
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yifei Wang; An Liu; Pai Peng; Peng Ning
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443323B2

## CPC

- G06Q 20/40975: {using encryption therefor}
- G06F 21/57: Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
- G06Q 20/3226: {Use of secure elements separate from M-devices}
- G06Q 20/3278: {RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices}
- G06Q 20/3821: {Electronic credentials}
- G06Q 20/3823: {combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction}
- H04B 5/20: characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium
- H04B 5/70: specially adapted for specific purposes
- H04B 5/77: for interrogation
- H04L 9/006: {involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models (network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)}
- H04L 9/321: {involving a third party or a trusted authority}
- H04L 63/18: {using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215)}
- H04L 2209/56: Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
- H04L 2209/805: Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A mobile communications device includes a near field communications (NFC) port and processor. The processor executes a trusted application within a trusted execution environment (TEE) for processing sensitive data. Additionally, the processor executes a NFC driver within the TEE for providing a secure channel between the trusted application and the NFC port such that sensitive data being exchanged across the secure channel are inaccessible to other processes being executed by the processor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A mobile communications device comprising:
a near field communications (NFC) port;
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile communications device to:
implement a kernel space;
execute a trusted application within a trusted execution environment (TEE) for processing protected data, wherein the TEE is separate from the kernel space;
encrypt the protected data in the TEE;
receive a request for the protected data from an external device communicatively connected to the mobile communications device via the NFC port;
responsive to receiving the request from the external device, pass the encrypted protected data to
an NFC driver executing within the TEE;
responsive to passing the encrypted protected data to the NFC driver executing within the TEE, disable a second NFC driver executing within the kernel space; and
pass the encrypted protected data from the NFC driver executing within the TEE to the NFC port.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to execute an interface to receive additional encrypted protected data from an external source and transmit the additional encrypted protected data to the trusted application.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the memory further contains instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile communications device to:
execute a host card emulator (HCE) to manage transactions through the NFC port; and
execute the second NFC driver to exchange non-protected data between the NFC port and the HCE.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The mobile communications device of claim 3, wherein the NFC driver executing in the TEE has a higher privilege than the second NFC driver executing in the kernel space.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The mobile communications device of claim 2, wherein the interface comprises a host card emulator (HCE).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the protected data comprises an application protocol data unit (APDU).

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The mobile communications device of claim 6, wherein the APDU comprises payment credentials for a credit transaction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The mobile communications device of claim 2, wherein the TEE is associated with a certificate accessible by the external source through the interface to verify the TEE with a root certificate authority.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein: the protected data comprises encrypted protected data transmitted to the NFC driver; and the NFC driver is further operable to decrypt the encrypted protected data prior to transmission to the NFC port.

### Claim 10

A method of performing a transaction within a mobile device having a near field communications (NFC) port, the method comprising:
executing, by a processor of the mobile device, a trusted application within a trusted execution environment (TEE) to process protected data, wherein the TEE is outside of a kernel space implemented by the processor;
encrypting the protected data in the TEE;
receiving a request for the protected data from an external device, the external device communicatively connected to the mobile device via the NFC port;
responsive to receiving the request from the external device, passing the encrypted protected data to
an NFC driver executing within the TEE;
responsive to passing the encrypted protected data to the NFC driver executing within the TEE, disabling a second NFC driver executing within the kernel space; and
passing the encrypted protected data from the NFC driver executing within the TEE to the NFC port.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
executing an interface to receive additional encrypted protected data from an external source and transmit the additional encrypted protected data to the trusted application.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
executing the host card emulator (HCE) within the mobile device to manage transactions through the NFC port; and
executing the second NFC driver to exchange non-protected data between the NFC port and the HCE.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the NFC driver executing in the TEE has a higher privilege than the second NFC driver.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein executing an interface comprises executing a host card emulator (HCE).

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the protected data comprises an application protocol data unit (APDU).

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the APDU comprises payment credentials for a credit transaction.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising: accessing a certificate associated with the TEE by the external source through the interface to verify the TEE with a root certificate authority.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the protected data comprises encrypted protected data transmitted to the NFC driver; and
the method further comprises decrypting the encrypted protected data with the NFC driver prior to transmission to the NFC port.