Patents by Inventor Herbert A. Little

Herbert 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).

  • Patent number: 8554950
    Abstract: A system for providing information content over a network to a mobile communication device includes a transcoding system and a first network device. The transcoding system includes a plurality of transcoders. Each transcoder is operable to transcode the information content from a respective input content type into a respective output content type. The first network device is in communication with the transcoding system and includes a connection handler system. The first network device is operable to receive a first connection request that includes transcoder request data and to select a corresponding connection handler. The connection handler is operable to select one or more transcoders from the plurality of transcoders based on the transcoder request data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Salim H. Omar, Russell N. Owen, Herbert A. Little, Tomasz K. Rybak, Michael S. Brown, David P. Yach
  • Patent number: 8544084
    Abstract: Systems and methods for secure control of a wireless mobile communication device are disclosed. Each of a plurality of domains includes at least one wireless mobile communication device asset. When a request to perform an operation affecting at least one of the assets is received, it is determined whether the request is permitted by the domain that includes the at least one affected asset, by determining whether the entity with which the request originated has a trust relationship with the domain, for example. The operation is completed where it is permitted by the domain. Wireless mobile communication device assets include software applications, persistent data, communication pipes, and configuration data, properties or user or subscriber profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Russell N. Owen, Herbert A. Little, David P. Yach, Michael Shenfield
  • Patent number: 8543822
    Abstract: A first device in possession of a value is able to determine, without communicating the value and without communicating any information from which the value can be identified, whether a second device is also in possession of the value. The first device accomplishes this with the assistance of a third device that is able to communicate with the first device and with the second device. The second device also does not communicate the value and does not communicate any information from which the value can be identified. The first device may send additional information to the third device which, if passed to the second device, enables the second device to determine that the first device is in possession of the value. The value may be a secret.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Herbert A. Little, Dinah L. M. Davis
  • Patent number: 8527887
    Abstract: A method is provided for reducing a number of keys that a user is required to depress on a device having a keyboard with a limited number of keys when the user enters a password. The method comprising the following steps. A subset of characters used to define the password is determined. A filter to apply to the keyboard is determined in accordance with the determined subset of characters. The filter is applied when the user depresses the keys. Devices and computer readable medium for implementing the method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Neil Adams, George Babu, Herbert Little, Michael S. Brown
  • Patent number: 8521130
    Abstract: A system and method for handling message indicator processing on a wireless mobile communications device. Message state data is stored in a cache for use in generating message indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael S. Brown, Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8520851
    Abstract: A wireless communication system which employs cryptographic functions requiring random data input in a mobile wireless device includes provisions for securely adding randomness to the mobile wireless device. Such added randomness can be securely provided during synchronizing sessions with a device user's base computer via secure wired and/or wireless connections. The new random data can be obtained by software and/or hardware random number generators accessible to the user's base computer and/or from accessible secure external sources (e.g., a secure website source of random data).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Michael S. Brown, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8522321
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to the management of privileges associated with certain applications that are accessible by users of electronic equipment, such as, for example, networked computers, mobile wireless communications devices, and the like. In particular, the disclosure is directed to systems and methods for managing privileges associated with particular applications and for revoking these privileges in a timely and robust manner. For example, the device keeps track of which applications get access to which privileges. When policies or application control changes, the system detects which privileges have been revoked for which applications. This can be accomplished by simply comparing the old set of privileges with the new set of privileges. For each revoked privilege for a given application, the system determines if the application has ever accessed that privilege in the past. If an application has accessed a privilege that is now revoked at any time in the past, the device is reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Herbert Little
  • Patent number: 8510225
    Abstract: Authenticity of a proposed future or current participant in a multi-party dialog is checked by splitting an authenticity challenge query into at least two portions wherein none of the portions individually contains sufficient information to fully define the challenge query. These separated portions are then sent to another dialog participant over at least two different communication channels thus enhancing the probability that a successive challenge response is authentic. The authenticity challenge query and splitting thereof into plural portions may include formation of a logical combination (e.g., exclusive-OR) of first and second data strings (one of which may be a challenge question) to produce a resultant third data string where the separated and separately communicated portions include the first and third data strings as separate portions as being sent over respectively different communication channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: David Yach, Herbert A. Little, Gerhard D. Klassen
  • Patent number: 8510561
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein are generally directed to methods and devices in which computing devices, and mobile devices in particular, establish a shared encryption key for a device group comprising at least three mobile devices. In accordance with one example embodiment, a public key of a mobile device is computed using a shared password as performed in accordance with authentication acts of a password-authenticated key exchange protocol, and transmitted to at least one other mobile device of the group. A public value is computed as a function of a mobile device private key and of a public key of at least one other mobile device of the device group, in accordance with a group key establishment protocol. The public values of the mobile devices of the device group are used to compute a shared encryption key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventor: Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8499045
    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: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert A. Little, Neil P. Adams, Michael S. Brown
  • Patent number: 8489868
    Abstract: A code signing system and method is provided. The code signing system operates in conjunction with a signed software application having a digital signature and includes an application platform, an application programming interface (API), and a virtual machine. The API is configured to link the software application with the application platform. The virtual machine verifies the authenticity of the digital signature in order to control access to the API by the software application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: David P. Yach, Michael S. Brown, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8463855
    Abstract: A system and method for packaging electronic messages for delivery to a communication device is provided. Where the electronic message comprises at least one quoted parent message, the quoted parent message is identified by means of delimiters within the body of the electronic message, and the quoted message thus identified is replaced with an identifying instruction referring to an identifier corresponding to a previously received message comprising the quoted parent message. The edited electronic message is then transmitted to a recipient device, which uses the identifying instruction to reconstruct the original message by querying a data store using the identifier to locate a copy of the quoted parent message. If no quoted parent message is found, a request is issued by the recipient device to transmit a full version of the original electronic message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Michael S. Brown, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8463863
    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: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert A. Little, Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Patent number: 8447980
    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 one or more encryption and/or authentication aspects. 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 host system. Authentication and/or encryption message processing is performed upon the message. The processed message may then be sent through the host system to one or more receivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: James A. Godfrey, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8447696
    Abstract: Systems and methods for establishing a data connection between a mobile device and a peripheral. The mobile device is configured to determine whether to handle user approval of the data connection between the mobile device and the peripheral. Through the mobile device, an input mechanism is provided for the user to provide input. The input is used in determining whether to approve the data connection between the mobile device and the peripheral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Herbert A. Little, Christopher E. S. Pattenden, Michael K. Brown, Michael G. Kirkup
  • Patent number: 8442234
    Abstract: Systems and methods for updating status of digital certificate subkeys. A request is made to a key server to verify if a given key is revoked. If it is not, then the key with its subkeys is acquired from the key server. If one or more subkeys or signatures of the subkeys are different in the acquired key, then the key is replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael K. Brown, Michael G. Kirkup, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8442489
    Abstract: Systems and methods for establishing a security-related mode of operation for computing devices. A policy data store contains security mode configuration data related to the computing devices. Security mode configuration data is used in establishing a security-related mode of operation for the computing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, Michael K. Brown, Michael S. Brown, Michael G. Kirkup, Herbert A. Little, David Victor MacFarlane, Ian M. Robertson
  • Patent number: 8429411
    Abstract: A system and method for the creation and automated selection and inclusion an automated signature text with an electronic message, wherein the automated selection of the automated signature text is dependent on attributes of the message, the designated recipients, or attributes of the designated recipients as compared to the sender's attributes, such as the encoding type and/or transport method selected for the electronic message or the location of the recipient without the need for multiple user profiles or manual editing by the sender. At least one of a plurality of automated signature texts is associated with at least one encoding type of a plurality of encoding types, at least one message transport type, or with at least one predeterined recipient attribute or the outcome of a comparison of the recipient attribute with the sender's attributes. The appropriate automated signature text is inserted prior to encoding of the message for transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil P. Adams, David Victor MacFarlane, Herbert A. Little
  • Patent number: 8423763
    Abstract: A method and system for supporting multiple digital certificate status information providers are disclosed. An initial service request is prepared at a proxy system client module and sent to a proxy system service module operating at a proxy system. The proxy system prepares multiple service requests and sends the service requests to respective multiple digital certificate status information providers. One of the responses to the service requests received from the status information providers is selected, and a response to the initial service request is prepared and returned to the proxy system client module based on the selected response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert A. Little, Stefan E. Janhunen, Dale J. Hobbs
  • Patent number: 8412929
    Abstract: Systems and methods for handling electronic messages. An electronic message that is associated with a digital certificate is to be processed. A decision whether to check the validity of the digital certificate is based upon digital certificate checking criterion. An IT administrator may provide to one or more devices configuration data that establishes the digital certificate checking criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael G. Kirkup, Herbert A. Little, Ian M. Robertson