Patents by Inventor Neil P. Adams

Neil P. Adams has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8326931
    Abstract: Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein facilitate the transmitting, receiving, and processing of encoded messages wherein the header fields in the message header are protected. In one embodiment, the contents of the header fields to be protected are inserted into the message body as one or more additional lines of text, for example, prior to encoding and transmitting the message to a message recipient. Upon receipt of the message, the message recipient processes the encoded message such that the contents of the protected header fields can be extracted from the message body. Accordingly, by inserting the contents of the header fields to be protected into the message body, the header fields may be protected using existing standards and protocols for facilitating secure message communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert A. Little, Neil P. Adams, Michael S. Brown
  • Publication number: 20120303786
    Abstract: In a system with a policy server, a first device able to communicate with the policy server and a second device able to communicate with the first device and unable to communicate with the policy server, the first device is to act as a policy proxy. The policy server may push to the first device a policy for the second device, and the first device may push the policy to the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little
  • Publication number: 20120297002
    Abstract: Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein facilitate the transmitting, receiving, and processing of encoded messages wherein the header fields in the message header are protected. In one embodiment, the contents of the header fields to be protected are inserted into the message body as one or more additional lines of text, for example, prior to encoding and transmitting the message to a message recipient. Upon receipt of the message, the message recipient processes the encoded message such that the contents of the protected header fields can be extracted from the message body. Accordingly, by inserting the contents of the header fields to be protected into the message body, the header fields may be protected using existing standards and protocols for facilitating secure message communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael S. Brown, Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little
  • Publication number: 20120292393
    Abstract: The described embodiments relate generally to devices, methods and systems for managing access to a memory card, such as a smart card, by a plurality of accessing devices. Certain embodiments relate to a smart card reader (SCR) for managing concurrent access to a smart card by a plurality of accessing devices, the SCR comprising: a processor; a channel manager responsive to the processor for interfacing with the smart card; a communication interface responsive to the channel manager for communicating with the plurality of accessing devices; and wherein, when a session is open on a first channel between a first accessing device and the smart card and the channel manager is configured to issue an open channel command to the smart card to cause the smart card to open a second channel between the smart card and the second accessing device in response to the session request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Michael E. McCallum
  • Publication number: 20120290809
    Abstract: A method and system for performing garbage collection involving sensitive information on a mobile device. Secure information is received at a mobile device over a wireless network. The sensitive information is extracted from the secure information. A software program operating on the mobile device uses an object to access the sensitive information. Secure garbage collection is performed upon the object after the object becomes unreachable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert A. Little, Neil P. Adams, Stefan E. Janhunen, John F.A. Dahms
  • Patent number: 8301120
    Abstract: A communications device includes multiple data transceivers, each configured for communication via a respective communication transport mode. The communication device has one or more data packets which are associated with one of the communication transport modes. The handheld communication device transmits or receives the data packet(s) via the data transceiver that is configured for communication with the corresponding communication transport mode. A user-indication of the communication transport mode of the data packet(s) is provided in accordance with the data transceiver that communicates the data packet(s). The user indication is provided on a per-data packet basis, substantially contemporaneously with the communication of the data packet(s) via the one data transceiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Neil P. Adams
  • Patent number: 8301878
    Abstract: A system and method for searching and retrieving certificates, which may be used in the processing of encoded messages. In one embodiment, a certificate synchronization application is programmed to perform certificate searches by querying one or more certificate servers for all of the certificates on those certificate servers. If all of the certificates on a certificate server cannot be successfully retrieved using a single search query, due to a search quota on the certificate server being exceeded for example, the search is re-performed through multiple queries, each corresponding to a narrower subsearch. Embodiments described herein enable large amounts of certificates to be automatically searched for and retrieved from certificate servers, thereby minimizing the need for users to manually search for individual certificates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael S. Brown, Neil P. Adams, David F. Tapuska, Herbert A. Little
  • Publication number: 20120271896
    Abstract: Systems and methods for handling messages on a mobile device. A system and method could be configured to receive at a mobile device a message that is associated with a message expiry indicator. If a message expiry indicator is determined to be associated with the received message, then the received message is removed from the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, David Victor MacFarlane, Ian M. Robertson, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8296829
    Abstract: A system and method for searching and retrieving certificates, which may be used in the processing of encoded messages. In one broad aspect, certificate identification data that uniquely identifies a certificate associated with a message is generated. The certificate identification data can then be used to determine whether the certificate is stored on a computing device. Only the certificate identification data is needed to facilitate the determination alleviating the need for a user to download the entire message to the computing device in order to make the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Michael S. Brown, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8291216
    Abstract: A system and method for processing certificates located in a certificate search. Certificates located in a certificate search are processed at a data server (e.g. a mobile data server) coupled to a computing device (e.g. a mobile device) to determine status data that can be used to indicate the status of those certificates to a user of the computing device. Selected certificates may be downloaded to the computing device for storage, and the downloaded certificates are tracked by the data server. This facilitates the automatic updating of the status of one or more certificates stored on the computing device by the data server, in which updated status data is pushed from the data server to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little, Michael K. Brown, Michael S. Brown, Michael G. Kirkup
  • Patent number: 8291215
    Abstract: A system and method for processing certificates located in a certificate search. Certificates located in a certificate search are processed at a data server (e.g. a mobile data server) coupled to a computing device (e.g. a mobile device) to determine status data that can be used to indicate the status of those certificates to a user of the computing device, without having to download those certificates to the computing device in their entirety. The data server is further adapted to transmit the status data to the computing device. In one embodiment, at least one status property of the certificates is verified at the data server in determining the status data. In another embodiment, additional certificate data is determined and transmitted to the computing device, which can be used by the computing device to verify, at the computing device, at least one other status property of the certificates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little, Michael K. Brown, Michael S. Brown, Michael G. Kirkup
  • Patent number: 8291212
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for pre-processing encrypted and/or signed messages at a host system before the message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device. The message is received at the host system from a message sender. There is a determination as to whether any of the message receivers has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device. For each message receiver that has a corresponding wireless mobile communication device: the message is processed so as to modify the message with respect to encryption and/or authentication aspect. The processed message is transmitted to a wireless mobile communication device that corresponds to the first message receiver. The system and method may include post-processing messages sent from a wireless mobile communications device to a remote system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the remote system to one or more receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: James A. Godfrey, Herbert A. Little, Michael K. Brown, Neil P. Adams, Carl L. Cherry, Timothy R. Tyhurst, Michael S. Brown
  • Publication number: 20120254678
    Abstract: Embodiments related to methods and systems for determining support for a memory card, where the memory card is accessible to a card reader and the card reader is in communication with an accessing device. One embodiment comprises transmitting a first test command to the memory card, receiving a response to the first test command, and determining that the response to the first test command indicates that a card type is not supported by a plurality of card drivers. In response to said determining, at least one additional test command specific to a card type supported by a selected card driver is automatically transmitted, and if the response is successful, the selected card driver, which was previously determined not to support the card type of the memory card, is indicated to support the card type of the memory card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little
  • Publication number: 20120239927
    Abstract: A system and method for searching and retrieving certificates, which may be used in the processing of encoded messages. In one broad aspect, a method is provided in which a certificate search request is received, a search of one or more certificate servers for certificates satisfying the request is performed, located certificates are retrieved and processed at a first computing device to determine data that uniquely identifies each located certificate, and search result data comprising the determined data is communicated to a second device (e.g. a mobile device) for use in determining whether each located certificate is already stored on the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Michael S. Brown, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8271782
    Abstract: Methods and systems for handling on an electronic device a secure message to be sent to a recipient. Data is accessed about a security key associated with the recipient. The received data is used to perform a validity check related to sending a secure message to the recipient. The validity check may uncover an issue that exists with sending a secure message to the recipient. A reason is determined for the validity check issue and is provided to the mobile device's user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Michael S. Brown, Herbert A. Little, Neil P. Adams
  • Publication number: 20120233459
    Abstract: Systems and methods for handling user interface field data. A system and method can be configured to receive input which indicates that the mobile device is to enter into a protected mode. Data associated with fields displayed on a user interface are stored in a secure form on the mobile device. After the mobile device leaves the protected mode, the stored user interface filed data is accessed and used to populate one or more user interface fields with the accessed user interface field data for display to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8261358
    Abstract: A method and system for performing garbage collection involving sensitive information on a mobile device. Secure information is received at a mobile device over a wireless network. The sensitive information is extracted from the secure information. A software program operating on the mobile device uses an object to access the sensitive information. Secure garbage collection is performed upon the object after the object becomes unreachable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert A. Little, Neil P. Adams, Stefan E. Janhunen, John F. A. Dahms
  • Patent number: 8261338
    Abstract: In a system with a policy server, a first device able to communicate with the policy server and a second device able to communicate with the first device and unable to communicate with the policy server, the first device is to act as a policy proxy. The policy server may push to the first device a policy for the second device, and the first device may push the policy to the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little
  • Publication number: 20120221841
    Abstract: Enhanced reset logic is included in a user's computerized device so that the device owner (e.g., the user's employer) can assure prompt reset (e.g., to insure device use of newly downloaded software versions or other control or security data) while still allowing user convenience (e.g., some limited continued normal use of the device before reset is forced upon the user thus permitting the user to avoid possibly aggravating losses of data and/or ongoing usage).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little, Russell N. Owen
  • Patent number: 8256012
    Abstract: A system and a method are provided for activating one or more security functions of a mobile electronic device. The system and method provide for the activation of one or more security functions when the mobile electronic device is stored in a mobile electronic device holder. Security functions include, for example, closing a data item currently being displayed on the mobile electronic device, erasing decrypted information stored on the mobile electronic device, locking the mobile electronic device, and performing a secure garbage collection operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert A. Little, Neil P. Adams, Scott W. Totzke