Patents Assigned to Certicom Corp.
  • Patent number: 9407444
    Abstract: There is provided a method for secure communications. The method includes a computing device receiving a notification comprising a message, a counter value, a signature signed by a signer and based on the message and the counter value, and an indication of the signer. The device obtains a current counter value based on an identity of the signer, checks the signature and compares the counter value with the current counter value; and, if the counter comparison and the signature checking is successful, accepting the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignees: Certicom Corp., BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Eoin Buckley, Robert John Lambert, Nevine Maurice Nassif Ebeid
  • Patent number: 9396644
    Abstract: A method for a device to determine that it has been lost is provided. The method comprises the device determining its current location, the device comparing its current location to a plurality of stored locations, and the device determining that it has been lost when its current location is a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is unlikely to be located or is not a stored location that has been designated as a location where the device is likely to be located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventor: Daniel Richard L. Brown
  • Patent number: 9369290
    Abstract: Challenge-response authentication protocols are disclosed herein, including systems and methods for a first device to authenticate a second device. In one embodiment, the following operations are performed by the first device: (a) sending to the second device: (i) a challenge value corresponding to an expected response value known by the first device, and (ii) a hiding value; (b) receiving from the second device a masked response value; (c) obtaining an expected masked response value from the expected response value and the hiding value; and (d) determining whether the expected masked response value matches the masked response value received from the second device. The operations from the perspective of the second device are also disclosed, which in some embodiments include computing the masked response value using the challenge value, the hiding value, and secret information known to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventor: Robert John Lambert
  • Patent number: 9356778
    Abstract: A method and system for distributed security for a plurality of devices in a communication network, each of the devices being responsible for generating, distributing and controlling its own keys for access to the communication network and using the keys to establish a trusted network, each device's membership to the communication network being checked periodically by other devices by using a challenge response protocol to establish which devices arc allowed access to the communication network and the trusted network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Scott Alexander Vanstone, Marinus Struik
  • Patent number: 9325642
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs for generating random values for encryption operations are described. In some examples, information from a message to be encrypted can be used to refresh the state of a pseudorandom generator. In some aspects, a state parameter of the pseudorandom generator is modified based on information in the message. Modifying the state parameter changes the state parameter from a prior state to a refreshed state based on the information in the message. A random output value is obtained by the pseudorandom generator in the refreshed state. The message is encrypted based on the random output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Gregory Marc Zaverucha, Daniel Richard L. Brown
  • Publication number: 20160087789
    Abstract: A method of formatting data for transmission to another party including the step of incorporating in the data a flag indicative of the absence of data for authentication of the sender. An authentication tag length is also included to permit variable length tags to be used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: Certicom Corp.
    Inventor: Marinus Struik
  • Patent number: 9294287
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs for interrogating an authentication device are disclosed. For example, a mobile device can include an interrogator module that interrogates an authentication module in a mobile device accessory, for example, upon installation of the mobile device accessory. In some implementations, challenge-response pairs and a challenge-response distribution are stored in a memory of an interrogator module. The challenge-response distribution defines selection probabilities for the challenge values. In some instances, the interrogator module receives an authentication request from an authentication module, and in response to the authentication request, the interrogator module selects an initial challenge value according to the challenge-response distribution. The interrogator module sends the authentication module an interrogation message that includes the initial challenge value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventor: Robert John Lambert
  • Patent number: 9286602
    Abstract: A method of securely communicating a message for a financial transaction from a first correspondent to one or more recipients. The method comprises dividing the message into at least two portions. Each portion is intended for a recipient. Each portion intended for receipt by one of the recipients is encrypted with that recipient's public key. The message is signed and transmitted to one of the recipients to enable the recipient to verify the message and further transmit the message to a further recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: BlackBerry Limited, Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Anthony Rosati, Matthew John Campagna, Gregory Marc Zaverucha, Scott Alexander Vanstone
  • Publication number: 20160048462
    Abstract: An asset management system is provided, which includes a hardware module operating as an asset control core. The asset control core generally includes a small hardware core embedded in a target system on chip that establishes a hardware-based point of trust on the silicon die. The asset control core can be used as a root of trust on a consumer device by having features that make it difficult to tamper with. The asset control core is able to generate a unique identifier for one device and participate in the tracking and provisioning of the device through a secure communication channel with an appliance. The appliance generally includes a secure module that caches and distributes provisioning data to one of many agents that connect to the asset control core, e.g. on a manufacturing line or in an after-market programming session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: CERTICOM CORP.
    Inventors: Daniel Francis O'Loughlin, Keelan Smith, Jay Scott Fuller, William Lundy Lattin, Marinus Struik, Yuri Poeluev, Matthew John Campagna, Thomas Rudolf Stiemerling, Wei Cheng Joseph Ku
  • Patent number: 9264227
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for secure communications. In some aspects, an initiator KMS receives, from an initiator UE, one or more values used in generation of an encryption key, which includes obtaining at least one value associated with a RANDRi. The initiator KMS sends the at least one value associated with the RANDRi to a responder KMS. The responder KMS generates the encryption key using the one or more values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignees: BlackBerry Limited, Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Eoin Buckley, Gregory Marc Zaverucha, Matthew John Campagna
  • Publication number: 20160044496
    Abstract: Techniques for use in transferring an assignment of a secure chip of a wireless device from a current subscription manager (SM) of a current mobile network operator (MNO) to a new SM of a new MNO are described. In one illustrative example, the current SM receives a request for transferring the assignment and produces transfer permission data in response. The transfer permission data includes an identifier of the secure chip, an identifier of the current SM, and a digital signature of the current SM. The current SM then sends to the secure chip a transfer permission message which includes the transfer permission data. The transfer permission data indicates a permission for the secure chip to transfer the assignment from the current SM to the new SM. Additional techniques are performed by the secure chip, and the new SM, as described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicants: CERTICOM CORP., BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Jean-Philippe Paul Cormier, David Philip Hole, Nicholas James Russell, Daniel Francis O'Loughlin
  • Patent number: 9253161
    Abstract: A method of communicating in a secure communication system, comprises the steps of assembling as message at a sender, then determining a security level, and including an indication of the security level in a header of the message. The message is then sent to a recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventor: Marinus Struik
  • Patent number: 9251325
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignees: BlackBerry Limited, Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Robert J. Lambert, Robert H. Wood, Brian Lamb
  • Patent number: 9246900
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for using a single credential request (e.g., registered public key or ECQV certificate) to obtain a plurality of credentials in a secure digital communication system having a plurality of trusted certificate authority CA entities and one or more subscriber entities A. In this way, entity A can be provisioned onto multiple PKI networks by leveraging a single registered public key or implicit certificate as a credential request to one or more CA entities to obtain additional credentials, where each additional credential can be used to derive additional public key-private key pairs for the entity A.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew John Campagna, Robert John Lambert, James Robert Alfred
  • Patent number: 9240884
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of verifiable generation of public keys. According to the method, a self-signed signature is first generated and then used as input to the generation of a pair of private and public keys. Verification of the signature proves that the keys are generated from a key generation process utilizing the signature. A certification authority can validate and verify a public key generated from a verifiable key generation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventor: Daniel R. Brown
  • Patent number: 9219610
    Abstract: There is provided a method for secure communications. The method comprises obtaining a broadcast message, computing a signature for said broadcast message using a private key, and sending a transmission to a communication device. The private key is associated with a certificate and the transmission comprises the signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignees: BlackBerry Limited, Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Michael Eoin Buckley, Matthew John Campagna, Gregory Marc Zaverucha
  • Patent number: 9208459
    Abstract: A serialization service module is provided for configuring an asset management system to provide a secure means of generating, assigning to chips (or other electronic objects or devices), and tracking unique serial numbers. To provide this service, a controller is used to define a product model, then to define one or more serialization schemas to be bound to each product model. Each serialization schema contains a range of serial numbers for a particular product. The serial number schemas are sent over a secure, encrypted connection to appliances at the manufacturer's location. Agents can then request serial number values by product name. The serial numbers are generated by the appliance, metered, and provided to the agents. The serial numbers are then injected sequentially into each die in a chip manufacturing process using the agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Eric Fung, Brian Neill, Chi Chiu Tse
  • Patent number: 9191395
    Abstract: A method of communicating in a secure communication system, comprises the steps of assembling a message at a sender, then determining a security level, and including an indication of the security level in a header of the message. The message is then sent to a recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventor: Marinus Struik
  • Patent number: 9183158
    Abstract: An asset management system is provided, which includes a hardware module operating as an asset control core. The asset control core generally includes a small hardware core embedded in a target system on chip that establishes a hardware-based point of trust on the silicon die. The asset control core can be used as a root of trust on a consumer device by having features that make it difficult to tamper with. The asset control core is able to generate a unique identifier for one device and participate in the tracking and provisioning of the device through a secure communication channel with an appliance. The appliance generally includes a secure module that caches and distributes provisioning data to one of many agents that connect to the asset control core, e.g. on a manufacturing line or in an after-market programming session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Daniel Francis O'Loughlin, Keelan Smith, Jay Scott Fuller, William Lundy Lattin, Marinus Struik, Yuri Poeluev, Matthew John Campagna, Thomas Rudolf Stiemerling, Weicheng Joseph Ku
  • Patent number: 9178699
    Abstract: In some aspects, an encryption method comprises encrypting a first portion of a message using a first secret key. The first secret key is generated based on the public key of an entity. A one-way function is used to generate a second secret key from the first secret key, and the first secret key is subsequently discarded. A second portion of the message is encrypted using the second secret key. The encrypted first portion of the message and the encrypted second portion of the message are provided to the entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignees: BlackBerry Limited, Certicom Corp.
    Inventors: Robert John Lambert, Daniel Richard L. Brown, Atsushi Yamada