Patents by Inventor Herb A. Little

Herb A. Little 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).

  • Publication number: 20130001301
    Abstract: A system includes a wireless-enabled smart card reader able to be connected concurrently to at least two devices and a mobile device able to be connected wirelessly to the smart card reader and to control connections of the smart card reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Herb Little, Neil Adams
  • Patent number: 8316416
    Abstract: A first device has a display that is able to show information. The information is to be exchanged with a second device. The information is cleared from the display following receipt of an indication from the second device that the information has been successfully inputted at the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Herb Little, Michael S. Brown, Neil Adams
  • Publication number: 20120257752
    Abstract: An improved encryption and digital signature system and method in accordance with the invention reuses an encryption ephemeral key pair from an encryption process in a digital signature process. The reuse of the encryption ephemeral key pair in the digital signature process advantageously results in reduced byte size of the digital signature and reduction of costly computation overhead. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is based on the El Gamal encryption scheme and the Nyberg-Rueppel signature scheme. The present invention is particularly useful for operation in conjunction with small communication devices having limited processing and storage, wherein such devices may communicate via bandwidth sensitive RF links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventor: Herb A. Little
  • Patent number: 8219819
    Abstract: An improved encryption and digital signature system and method in accordance with the invention reuses an encryption ephemeral key pair from an encryption process in a digital signature process. The reuse of the encryption ephemeral key pair in the digital signature process advantageously results in reduced byte size of the digital signature and reduction of costly computation overhead. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is based on the El Gamal encryption scheme and the Nyberg-Rueppel signature scheme. The present invention is particularly useful for operation in conjunction with small communication devices having limited processing and storage, wherein such devices may communicate via bandwidth sensitive RF links.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Herb A. Little
  • Publication number: 20120139713
    Abstract: A system includes a wireless-enabled smart card reader able to be connected concurrently to at least two devices and a mobile device able to be connected wirelessly to the smart card reader and to control connections of the smart card reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2012
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Herb Little, Neil Adams
  • Publication number: 20120042161
    Abstract: Electronic messages are sent from a sending system to an identified recipient and are encrypted using information contained in a certificate for that recipient. An electronic device and method are provided for detecting receipt of a command to initiate transmission of a composed message to a recipient, and after said detection but prior to transmitting the message, determining that no valid digital certificate for said recipient is available at the communication device; retrieving a valid digital certificate for said recipient from a source over a network; and encrypting said composed message using the valid digital certificate; then initiating transmission of the encrypted, composed message to the recipient. Retrieval of the valid digital certificate can include repeated retrieval and validation of certificates until a valid certificate is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael S. BROWN, Michael G. KIRKUP, Herb LITTLE
  • Publication number: 20120032889
    Abstract: A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard, thumbwheel, display and associated software is optimized for use of the device with the thumbs. The associated software has a plurality of features to optimize efficient use of the limited keyboard space and encourage the use of the device by thumb-based data entry through the thumbwheel and/or through a combination of minimal number of keystrokes. Software features include international character scrolling, and auto-capitalization. The keys on the device keyboard are optimally shaped and configured for thumb-based input. In addition, the thumbwheel is inclined between the front and a side edge of the device so as to be reachable by either the thumb or index finger of the user's hand at the side edge of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Jason T. Griffin, John A. Holmes, Mihal Lazaridis, Herb A. Little, Harry R. Major, Craig Dunk, Michael Brown, Jérôme Lang
  • Patent number: 8081952
    Abstract: A mobile communications device for communicating with a wireless network is described. The device includes a processor, a communications sub-system connected to the processor for exchanging signals with the wireless network and with the processor, a user input device connected to the processor for sending user input signals to the processor in response to user inputs. A security module is associated with the processor for automatically taking a security action upon detecting a predetermined security user input through the user input device. The security action can include sending a duress message and/or wiping data stored on the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: David Thornton, Neil Patrick Adams, Herb Little
  • Patent number: 8074066
    Abstract: Electronic messages are sent from a sending system to an identified recipient and are encoded using information contained in a certificate. A key store is accessed by a messaging application to determine if a certificate associated with the recipient is present. If no certificate is present in the key store the messaging application accesses one or more certificate services to obtain a certificate. Where validation of the retrieved certificate is required, the messaging application invokes a certificate validation process. One or more further certificates are obtained by the messaging application where the retrieved certificate is invalid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael S. Brown, Michael G. Kirkup, Herb Little
  • Patent number: 8060539
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for notifying at least one invitee of an initial event of changes to the initial event. The method comprises receiving the initial event comprising a plurality of initial event elements and receiving an updated event comprising a plurality of updated event elements, each updated event element corresponding to a respective initial event element. The updated event elements are compared to the initial event elements to determine which of the updated event elements are changed event elements that differ from their respective initial event elements and the at least one invitee is notified of any specific changed event elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Herb Little, Melissa Adams
  • Patent number: 8024809
    Abstract: A system includes a first wireless-enabled device that transparently stores confidential information and a second wireless-enabled device that stores the same confidential information. The confidential information is to be used to secure a wireless communication link between the first device and the second device. One or both of the first device and the second device is to delete the confidential information upon fulfillment of one or more conditions related to the communication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Michael S. Brown, Michael K. Brown, Herb Little, Scott Totzke
  • Publication number: 20110225491
    Abstract: A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard, thumbwheel, display and associated software is optimized for use of the device with the thumbs. The associated software has a plurality of features to optimize efficient use of the limited keyboard space and encourage the use of the device by thumb-based data entry through the thumbwheel and/or through a combination of minimal number of keystrokes. Software features include international character scrolling, and auto-capitalization. The keys on the device keyboard are optimally shaped and configured for thumb-based input. In addition, the thumbwheel is inclined between the front and a side edge of the device so as to be reachable by either the thumb or index finger of the user's hand at the side edge of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Jason T. Griffin, John A. Holmes, Mihal Lazaridis, Herb A. Little, Harry R. Major, Craig Dunk, Michael Brown, Jérôme Lang
  • Publication number: 20110215999
    Abstract: A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard, thumbwheel, display and associated software is optimized for use of the device with the thumbs. The associated software has a plurality of features to optimize efficient use of the limited keyboard space and encourage the use of the device by thumb-based data entry through the thumbwheel and/or through a combination of minimal number of keystrokes. Software features include international character scrolling, and auto-capitalization. The keys on the device keyboard are optimally shaped and configured for thumb-based input. In addition, the thumbwheel is inclined between the front and a side edge of the device so as to be reachable by either the thumb or index finger of the user's hand at the side edge of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventors: Jason T. Griffin, John A. Holmes, Mihal Lazaridis, Herb A. Little, Harry R. Major, Craig Dunk, Michael Brown, Jérôme Lang
  • Publication number: 20110211530
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method operable on a mobile communications device is disclosed, the method comprising generating an authentication key for securing a personalized indicium assigned to the mobile communications device, wherein the personalized indicium comprises a Personal Information Number (PIN) that is mapped to at least one identifier associated with the mobile communications device; transmitting a registration request to a network node operable with a wireless network, the registration request having a registration request payload including the authentication key; receiving a challenge message from the network node, the challenge message generated when the network node detects a change of the IP address associated with the mobile communications device, and responsive to receiving the challenge message, executing a challenge response including an authentication value of a challenge string transmitted in the challenge message, wherein the authentication value is created using the authentication key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: David Bajar, Herb A. Little, James Godfrey, Allan David Lewis, Wen Gao, Marc Plumb, Michael Kenneth Brown, Graeme Whittington, Neil Patrick Adams
  • Patent number: 7969419
    Abstract: A hand-held electronic device with a keyboard, thumbwheel, display and associated software is optimized for use of the device with the thumbs. The associated software has a plurality of features to optimize efficient use of the limited keyboard space and encourage the use of the device by thumb-based data entry through the thumbwheel and/or through a combination of minimal number of keystrokes. Software features include international character scrolling, and auto-capitalization. The keys on the device keyboard are optimally shaped and configured for thumb-based input. In addition, the thumbwheel is inclined between the front and a side edge of the device so as to be reachable by either the thumb or index finger of the user's hand at the side edge of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Jason T Griffin, John A Holmes, Mihal Lazaridis, Herb A Little, Harry R Major, Craig Dunk, Michael S Brown, Jerome Lang
  • Patent number: 7961883
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scheme is provided for securing a personalized indicium assigned to a mobile communications device. Upon detecting at a network node that an address associated with the mobile communications device has changed, a challenge-and-response procedure is negotiated between the mobile communications device and the network node for authenticating the personalized indicium using a shared authentication key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: David Bajar, Herb A. Little, James Godfrey, Allan David Lewis, Wen Gao, Marc Plumb, Michael Kenneth Brown, Graeme Whittington, Neil Patrick Adams
  • Patent number: 7957726
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a scheme is provided for porting a personalized indicium, i.e., a Personal Information Number or PIN, from a first mobile communications device to a second mobile communications device. Upon receiving identity information from the first mobile communications device via a secure peer-to-peer communication session, the second mobile communications device is operable to negotiate with a network node using at least a portion of the received identity information for reassigning the PIN to an identifier associated therewith. Upon successfully porting the PIN to the second mobile communications device, a service provisioning database is accordingly updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Graeme Whittington, Allan David Lewis, James Godfrey, Herb A. Little, Marc Plumb
  • Patent number: 7920865
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for managing secure registration of a mobile communications device, the method comprising registering, at a network node, the mobile communications device using a first registration process, the first registration process requiring an authentication key associated with the mobile communications device; processing a request from the mobile communications device, the request including an indication that the mobile communications device is changing to a second registration process; and clearing the authentication key associated with the mobile communications device upon expiration of a time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: David Bajar, Allen David Lewis, Wen Gao, Herb A. Little, James Godfrey, Marc Plumb, Michael Kenneth Brown, Neil Patrick Adams
  • Patent number: 7912455
    Abstract: A method and system for data protection for applications that includes registering applications with a storage cleaning mechanism so that the registered applications can receive notification of impending storage cleaning operations. Upon receiving notification of an impending cleaning operation, the registered applications can release or unreference storage so it can be cleaned of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Herb Little
  • Publication number: 20100237148
    Abstract: A system includes a wireless-enabled smart card reader able to be connected concurrently to at least two devices and a mobile device able to be connected wireles sly to the smart card reader and to control connections of the smart card reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Herb Little, Neil Adams