US 8,789,161 B2Granted

Device and method for authenticating a transaction with a data processing apparatus

AssigneeVodafone Group PLC

InventorsDavid Jeal, Charles William Debney

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Abstract

A device or “dongle” (30) is provided for controlling communications between a Subscriber Identity Module (for SIM) (12), such as of the type used in a GSM cellular telephone system, and a computer, such as a WINDOWS® operating system-based PC (10). The SIM (12) can be authenticated by the telephone network, in the same way as for authenticating SIMs of telephone handset users in the network, and can in this way authenticate the user of the PC (10) or the PC (10) itself. Such authentication can, for example, permit the use of the PC (10) for a time-limited session in relation to a particular application, which is released to the PC (10), after the authentication is satisfactorily completed. The application may be released to the PC (10) by a third party after and in response to the satisfactory completion of the authentication process. A charge for the session can be debited to the user by the telecommunications network and then passed on to the third party. The dongle (30) provides additional security for the authentication data stored on the SIM by requiring a PIN to be entered and/or by only being responsive to requests received from the PC (10) which are encrypted using a key, which requests are generated by a special PC interface driver (38).

Claims60

Dependent claims

A device for connection to a data processing apparatus, the device comprising:

a first interface operatively coupled to an authentication storage means, the authentication storage means being registered with a telecommunications system and storing predetermined authentication information that is respectively associated with a subscription of a user with the telecommunications system, the predetermined authentication information corresponding to information used for authenticating a telecommunications terminal that is respectively used in association with the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system for conducting communications in the telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including an authenticating means that maintains a correspondence between the information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal and the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system;
a second interface configured to connect to the data processing apparatus;
and
an interface driver that, upon the first interface operatively coupling to the authentication storage means and the second interface connecting to the data processing apparatus, controls access to the predetermined authentication information and, in response to an input message transmitted in a communication session established between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system requesting a response that is based on the input message and the predetermined authentication information, enables the authenticating means, via the communication session between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system, to execute an authentication process for authenticating a transaction by the user with the data processing apparatus, and
wherein the authentication process for authenticating the transaction by the user with the data processing apparatus involves use of the predetermined authentication information stored by the authentication storage means, does not require use of the telecommunications terminal that is respectively associated with the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system, and does not require the telecommunications terminal to be authenticated for conducting communications in the telecommunications system using the information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal that corresponds to the predetermined authentication information that is respectively associated with the subscription of the user.

2 more elements

A method for authenticating a transaction with a data processing apparatus, the data processing apparatus being operatively associated with a security device, the security device being operatively associated with an authentication storage means that is registered with a telecommunications system and stores predetermined authentication information that is respectively associated with a subscription of a user with the telecommunications system, the predetermined authentication information corresponding to information used for authenticating a telecommunications terminal that is respectively used in association with the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system for conducting communications in the telecommunications system, the security device being configured to control access to the predetermined authentication information, the telecommunications system including an authenticating means that maintains a correspondence between the information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal and the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system, the method comprising:

operatively coupling the security device to the authentication storage means and connecting the device to the data processing apparatus;
and
using the security device to, in response to an input message transmitted in a communication session established between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system requesting a response that is based on the input message and the predetermined authentication information, obtain the predetermined authentication information from the authentication storage means and enable the authenticating means, via a communication session between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system, to execute an authentication process for authenticating the transaction by the user with the data processing apparatus that involves use of the predetermined authentication information stored by the authentication storage means, and
wherein the authentication process for authenticating the transaction by the user with the data processing apparatus does not require use of the telecommunications terminal that is respectively associated with the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system and does not require the telecommunications terminal to be authenticated for conducting communications in the telecommunications system using the information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal that corresponds to the predetermined authentication information that is respectively associated with the subscription of the user.

1 more element

A device, comprising:

authentication storage means registered with a telecommunications system and storing predetermined authentication information that is respectively associated with a subscription with the telecommunications system, the predetermined authentication information corresponding to information used for authenticating a telecommunications terminal that is respectively used in association with the subscription with the telecommunications system for conducting communications in the telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including an authenticating means that maintains a correspondence between the information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal and the subscription with the telecommunications system,
a first interface for coupling to a data processing apparatus to provide for the predetermined authentication information to be used to authenticate a transaction to be performed by the data processing apparatus,
a security means for controlling access to the predetermined authentication information via the data processing apparatus, and
an interface driver that, upon the first interface coupling to the data processing apparatus, in response to an input message transmitted in a communication session established between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system requesting a response that is based on the input message and the predetermined authentication information, enables the authenticating means, via a communication session between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system, to execute an authentication process that involves use of the predetermined authentication information stored by the authentication storage means for authenticating performance of the transaction by the data processing apparatus, and
wherein the authentication process for authenticating performance of the transaction by the data processing apparatus does not require use of the telecommunications terminal that is respectively used in association with the subscription with the telecommunications system and does not require the telecommunications terminal to be authenticated for conducting communications in the telecommunications system using the information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal that corresponds to the predetermined authentication information that is respectively associated with the subscription with the telecommunications system.

2 more elements

A device for connection to a data processing apparatus, the device comprising:

a first interface operatively coupled to an authentication storage means, the authentication storage means being registered with a telecommunications system and storing predetermined authentication information that is respectively associated with a subscription of a user with the telecommunications system, the predetermined authentication information corresponding to an authentication unit that is registered with the telecommunications system in association with the subscription of the user and that is used for authenticating a telecommunications terminal to be used in association with the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system for conducting communications in the telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including an authenticating means that maintains a correspondence between information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal in connection with the authentication unit and the subscription of the user with the telecommunications system;
a second interface configured to connect to the data processing apparatus;
and
an interface driver that, upon the first interface operatively coupling to the authentication storage means and the second interface connecting to the data processing apparatus, controls access to the predetermined authentication information and, in response to an input message transmitted in a communication session established between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system requesting a response that is based on the input message and the predetermined authentication information, enables the authenticating means, via a communication session between the data processing apparatus and the authenticating means included within the telecommunications system, to execute an authentication process for authenticating a transaction by the user with the data processing apparatus, and
wherein the authentication process for authenticating the transaction by the user with the data processing apparatus involves use of the predetermined authentication information stored by the authentication storage means, does not require use of the authentication unit that is registered with the telecommunications system in association with the subscription of the user, and does not require the telecommunications terminal to be authenticated for conducting communications in the telecommunications system using the information used for authenticating the telecommunications terminal.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/103,607Filed 9 May 2011 · continuation
Priority: GB 0224228.717 Oct 2002
Published: US 2011/0208529 A125 Aug 2011
Granted: 22 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

G06F 21/34
User authentication: involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
G06F 21/12
Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material ; Digital rights management [DRM]: protecting…
G06F 21/335
Using certificates: for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
G06F 21/35
Involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards: communicating wirelessly

Family

PCT/GB03/04371Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Oct 2003
US 2011/0208529 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Aug 2011
Application10/531,430Parent of this continuation
US 2006/0112275 A1Published application
US 8,789,161 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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