# US 8,751,824 B2 · Method and apparatus for protecting software of mobile terminal

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- Number: US 8,751,824 B2
- Document ID: US8751824B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/640,558
- Filed: 2010-12-08
- Published: 2013-01-31
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-14
- Assignees: Zte Corporation
- Applicants: Hua Lin
- Inventors: Hua Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8751824B2

## CPC

- H04W 12/12: Detection or prevention of fraud
- G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication
- G06F 21/51: at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
- G06F 21/72: in cryptographic circuits
- G06F 21/76: in application-specific integrated circuits [ASIC] or field-programmable devices, e.g. field-programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]
- H04L 9/3234: {involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853)}
- H04L 9/3271: {using challenge-response}
- H04L 9/3297: {involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps}
- H04W 12/03: Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
- G06F 2221/2107: File encryption
- H04L 2209/80: Wireless
- H04W 88/02: Terminal devices
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A method for protecting software of a mobile terminal is provided in the disclosure, wherein an encryption chip is mounted in the mobile terminal. The method includes: when the mobile terminal is turned on, whether or not the encryption chip is invalid is detected; when it is not invalid, the encryption chip authenticates the software of the mobile terminal through interaction with a main chip; when the authentication is not passed, the encryption chip controls a functional module of the mobile terminal through a hardware protection circuit. An apparatus for protecting software of a mobile terminal is also provided in the present disclosure. The solution of the disclosure can prevent the software of the mobile terminal from being cracked and protect the functions of the mobile terminal from illegal usage, thus the security of the mobile terminal is greatly improved and the interests of operators and manufacturers are protected.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for protecting software of a mobile terminal, comprising:
when the mobile terminal is turned on, detecting whether or not an encryption chip is invalid, wherein the encryption chip is mounted in the mobile terminal and information in the encryption chip cannot be modified by a main chip of the mobile terminal;
when the encryption chip is not invalid, authenticating, by the encryption chip, the software of the mobile terminal through interaction with the main chip; and when the authentication is not passed, controlling, by the encryption chip, a functional module of the mobile terminal through a hardware protection circuit;
wherein the authenticating, by the encryption chip, the software of the mobile terminal through interaction with a main chip comprises: sending, by the encryption chip, a secret key configured to authenticate the software of the mobile terminal to the main chip; after the main chip receives said secret key, searching, by the main chip, a secret key matched with said secret key in the main chip itself; returning, by the main chip, the matched secret key or an authentication passed message to the encryption chip when the secret key matched with said secret key is found; and returning, by the main chip, an authentication failure message or not returning the matched secret key to the encryption chip when the secret key matched with said secret key is not found or not searched;
when the encryption chip receives the authentication failure message or does not receive the matched secret key in a set period of time, then indicating that the authentication is not passed; when the encryption chip receives the authentication passed message or the matched secret key, indicating that the authentication is passed; wherein the secret key configured to authenticate the software of the mobile terminal and the secret key matched with said secret key are secret keys matched with each other and are respectively preset by a computer in the encryption chip and in the main chip;
or reading, by the encryption chip, a status of a GPIO interface of the main chip; when the status of the GPIO interface changes according to a preset period, indicating that the authentication is passed; when the status of the GPIO interface does not change according to the preset period, indicating that the authentication is not passed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting whether or not the encryption chip is invalid comprises: determining, by the main chip, whether or not the encryption chip is invalid according to whether or not information sent by the encryption chip is received in a set period of time; if the information is received, determining that the encryption chip is not invalid; otherwise, determining that the encryption chip is invalid;
or reading, by the main chip, a status of a General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) interface of the encryption chip, and determining, by the main chip, whether or not the encryption chip is invalid; when the status of the GPIO interface changes according to a preset period, determining that the encryption chip is not invalid; when the status of the GPIO interface does not change according to a preset period, determining that the encryption chip is invalid;
or determining, by the main chip, whether or not the encryption chip is invalid according to whether or not a secret key configured to authenticate the software of the mobile terminal is received in a set period of time is received; if the secret key is received, then determining that the encryption chip is not invalid; otherwise, determining that the encryption chip is invalid.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling, by the encryption chip, a functional module of the mobile terminal through a hardware protection circuit comprises: controlling, by the encryption chip, an analog switch in the hardware protection circuit through a control line to turn off a Flash, and/or lock a keyboard, and/or turn off a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and/or turn off an audio function, and/or turn off a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card access.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising: when the encryption chip is detected to be invalid, protecting and controlling the functional module of the mobile terminal through software.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the protecting and controlling the functional module of the mobile terminal through software comprises: turning off, by the main chip of the mobile terminal, a network service port, and/or an LCD port, and/or an audio functional port, and/or a keyboard response port through the software of the mobile terminal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising: setting a timer in the encryption chip; starting timing again each time the timer times out; and detecting again whether or not the encryption chip is invalid and authenticating the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 7

An apparatus for protecting software of a mobile terminal, comprising a main chip of the mobile terminal, an encryption chip and a hardware protection circuit; wherein
the main chip of the mobile terminal is configured to, when the mobile terminal is turned on, detect whether or not the encryption chip is invalid, interact with the encryption chip when the encryption chip is not invalid, and authenticate the software of the mobile terminal;
the encryption chip is configured to interact with the main chip of the mobile terminal, authenticate the software of the mobile terminal, and notify the hardware protection circuit to control a functional module of the mobile terminal when the authentication is not passed, wherein the encryption chip is mounted in the mobile terminal and information in the encryption chip cannot be modified by the main chip of the mobile terminal; and
the hardware protection circuit is configured to, according to the notification from the encryption chip, control the functional module of the mobile terminal;
wherein the encryption chip is configured to send a secret key configured to authenticate the software of the mobile terminal to the main chip of the mobile terminal; wherein when the encryption chip, in a set period of time, receives an authentication failure message or does not receive a matched secret key sent by the main chip of the mobile terminal, it indicates that the authentication is not passed; when the encryption chip receives an authentication passed message or the matched secret key, it indicates that the authentication is passed;
accordingly, the main chip of the mobile terminal is further configured to, after receiving said secret key configured to authenticate the software of the mobile terminal from the encryption chip, search a secret key matched with said secret key in the main chip itself; return the matched secret key or an authentication passed message to the encryption chip when the secret key matched with said secret key is found; and return an authentication failure message or not return the matched secret key to the encryption chip when the secret key matched with said secret key is not found or not searched;
accordingly, the apparatus further comprises a computer configured to set secret keys matched with each other in the encryption chip and in the main chip of the mobile terminal, respectively;
or, the encryption chip is configured to read a status of a GPIO interface of the encryption chip; wherein when the status of the GPIO interface changes according to a preset period, it indicates that the authentication is passed; when the status of the GPIO interface does not change according to the preset period, it indicates that the authentication is not passed;
accordingly, the main chip of the mobile terminal is further configured to preset a changing period of the status of the GPIO interface, and sets its own GPIO high or low according to the period.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the main chip of the mobile terminal is configured to, according to whether or not information sent by the encryption chip is received in a set period of time, determine whether or not the encryption chip is invalid; if the information is received, determine the encryption chip is not invalid; if the information is not received, determine the encryption chip is invalid; accordingly, the encryption chip is further configured to send predetermined information which determines that the encryption chip is not invalid to the main chip of the mobile terminal;
or the main chip of the mobile terminal is configured to, according to a read status of a General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) interface of the encryption chip, determine whether or not the encryption chip is invalid; when the status of the GPIO interface changes according to a preset period, determine the encryption chip is not invalid; when the status of the GPIO interface does not change according to the preset period, determine the encryption chip is invalid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the hardware protection circuit comprises a control line and an analog switch; wherein the analog switch is set on a signal line of the functional module of the mobile terminal; and the control line is configured to transmit a control signal which is used by the encryption chip to control the analog switch; and
the functional module of the mobile terminal comprises: a Flash, and/or a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) module, and/or a keyboard module, and/or an audio module, and/or a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card module.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the main chip of the mobile terminal is further configured to, when the encryption chip is detected to be invalid, protect and control the functional module of the mobile terminal through software;
wherein the protecting and controlling the functional module of the mobile terminal through software comprises: turning off a network service port, and/or an LCD port, and/or an audio functional port, and/or a keyboard response port through the software of the mobile terminal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the encryption chip is further configured to set a timer; wherein the timer starts timing again each time the timer times out, and triggers the main chip of the mobile terminal and the encryption chip to detect again whether the encryption chip is invalid and authenticate the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further comprising: setting a timer in the encryption chip; starting timing again each time the timer times out; and detecting again whether or not the encryption chip is invalid and authenticating the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, further comprising: setting a timer in the encryption chip; starting timing again each time the timer times out; and detecting again whether or not the encryption chip is invalid and authenticating the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 14 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, further comprising: setting a timer in the encryption chip; starting timing again each time the timer times out; and detecting again whether or not the encryption chip is invalid and authenticating the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 15 (depends on 5)

The method according to claim 5, further comprising: setting a timer in the encryption chip; starting timing again each time the timer times out; and detecting again whether or not the encryption chip is invalid and authenticating the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the encryption chip is further configured to set a timer; wherein the timer starts timing again each time the timer times out, and triggers the main chip of the mobile terminal and the encryption chip to detect again whether the encryption chip is invalid and authenticate the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the encryption chip is further configured to set a timer; wherein the timer starts timing again each time the timer times out, and triggers the main chip of the mobile terminal and the encryption chip to detect again whether the encryption chip is invalid and authenticate the software of the mobile terminal again.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the encryption chip is further configured to set a timer; wherein the timer starts timing again each time the timer times out, and triggers the main chip of the mobile terminal and the encryption chip to detect again whether the encryption chip is invalid and authenticate the software of the mobile terminal again.