Patents by Inventor Michael Baentsch

Michael Baentsch 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: 10397008
    Abstract: A security device (6) is provided for facilitating management of secret data items such as cryptographic keys which are used by a remote server (2) to authenticate operations of the server (2). The device (6) has a user interface (13), control logic (16) and a computer interface (11) for connecting the device (6) to a local user computer (5) for communication with the remote server (2) via a data communications network (3). The control logic is adapted to establish via the user computer (5) a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications between the device (6) and server (2). In a backup operation, the secret data items are received from the server (2) via this connection. The control logic interacts with the user via the user interface (13) to obtain user authorization to backup secret data items and, in response, stores the secret data items in memory (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Harold Dykeman, Michael Osborne, Tamas Visegrady
  • Patent number: 10318724
    Abstract: A computer to boot from a user trusted device, the user trusted device comprising a connection interface enabling connection with said computer, the method comprising: enabling said computer to start booting from the user trusted device upon connection of the user trusted device with said computer via said connection interface; instructing a processor of the computer to execute virtualization sensitive code and issue completion data upon completion of execution, which completion data depends on the virtualization sensitive code and its execution by the processor; determining, based on said completion data, whether the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment; and enabling said computer to complete booting from the user trusted device upon determining that the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment. The invention is further directed to a user trusted device enabling this method and to related systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Patent number: 10229261
    Abstract: A computer to boot from a user trusted device, the user trusted device comprising a connection interface enabling connection with said computer, the method comprising: enabling said computer to start booting from the user trusted device upon connection of the user trusted device with said computer via said connection interface; instructing a processor of the computer to execute virtualization sensitive code and issue completion data upon completion of execution, which completion data depends on the virtualization sensitive code and its execution by the processor; determining, based on said completion data, whether the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment; and enabling said computer to complete booting from the user trusted device upon determining that the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment. The invention is further directed to a user trusted device enabling this method and to related systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Publication number: 20180294980
    Abstract: A security device (6) is provided for facilitating management of secret data items such as cryptographic keys which are used by a remote server (2) to authenticate operations of the server (2). The device (6) has a user interface (13), control logic (16) and a computer interface (11) for connecting the device (6) to a local user computer (5) for communication with the remote server (2) via a data communications network (3). The control logic is adapted to establish via the user computer (5) a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications between the device (6) and server (2). In a backup operation, the secret data items are received from the server (2) via this connection. The control logic interacts with the user via the user interface (13) to obtain user authorization to backup secret data items and, in response, stores the secret data items in memory (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Michael BAENTSCH, Harold DYKEMAN, Michael OSBORNE, Tamas VISEGRADY
  • Publication number: 20180181744
    Abstract: A computer to boot from a user trusted device, the user trusted device comprising a connection interface enabling connection with said computer, the method comprising: enabling said computer to start booting from the user trusted device upon connection of the user trusted device with said computer via said connection interface; instructing a processor of the computer to execute virtualization sensitive code and issue completion data upon completion of execution, which completion data depends on the virtualization sensitive code and its execution by the processor; determining, based on said completion data, whether the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment; and enabling said computer to complete booting from the user trusted device upon determining that the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment. The invention is further directed to a user trusted device enabling this method and to related systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Patent number: 9998288
    Abstract: A security device (6) is provided for facilitating management of secret data items such as cryptographic keys which are used by a remote server (2) to authenticate operations of the server (2). The device (6) has a user interface (13), control logic (16) and a computer interface (11) for connecting the device (6) to a local user computer (5) for communication with the remote server (2) via a data communications network (3). The control logic is adapted to establish via the user computer (5) a mutually-authenticated connection for encrypted end-to-end communications between the device (6) and server (2). In a backup operation, the secret data items are received from the server (2) via this connection. The control logic interacts with the user via the user interface (13) to obtain user authorization to backup secret data items and, in response, stores the secret data items in memory (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Harold D. Dykeman, Michael C. Osborne, Tamas Visegrady
  • Publication number: 20180089415
    Abstract: A computer to boot from a user trusted device, the user trusted device comprising a connection interface enabling connection with said computer, the method comprising: enabling said computer to start booting from the user trusted device upon connection of the user trusted device with said computer via said connection interface; instructing a processor of the computer to execute virtualization sensitive code and issue completion data upon completion of execution, which completion data depends on the virtualization sensitive code and its execution by the processor; determining, based on said completion data, whether the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment; and enabling said computer to complete booting from the user trusted device upon determining that the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment. The invention is further directed to a user trusted device enabling this method and to related systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Publication number: 20180089414
    Abstract: A computer to boot from a user trusted device, the user trusted device comprising a connection interface enabling connection with said computer, the method comprising: enabling said computer to start booting from the user trusted device upon connection of the user trusted device with said computer via said connection interface; instructing a processor of the computer to execute virtualization sensitive code and issue completion data upon completion of execution, which completion data depends on the virtualization sensitive code and its execution by the processor; determining, based on said completion data, whether the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment; and enabling said computer to complete booting from the user trusted device upon determining that the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment. The invention is further directed to a user trusted device enabling this method and to related systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Patent number: 9830684
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a handheld companion device, including: a screen, rigid physical connection means, communication means, adapted for setting up and supporting at least one communication link with at least one external computerized system; and a memory storing computerized methods. The present invention is further directed to related systems and methods for automatically rotating contents displayed on such devices, when rigidly attached on a handheld mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Reto J Hermann, Diego A Ortiz-Yepes
  • Patent number: 9824220
    Abstract: A system and method for executing software modules on a computer, the method comprising: executing (S4) a bootloader (15, 16), at least partly (16) in the computer (101); and upon execution of the bootloader: accessing (S5) requirements as to an initial set (IS) of software modules (SMn); and hardware specifications of the computer; determining (S6) within said initial set, one or more candidate sets (CS1, CS2) of software modules that are compatible (S6a) with said hardware specifications and can (S6b) be stored as a RAM disk; and storing (S9) the software modules of a final set (FS) on a RAM disk (121), the final set (FS) being one of the one or more candidate sets, and instructing to execute the software modules stored on the RAM disk, wherein each of the initial set and the final set of software modules comprises application components and operating system image components, and preferably further comprises hardware component drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Luis Garces-Erice, Thomas Gschwind, Frank Hoering, Michael Kuyper, Sean Rooney, Paolo Scotton
  • Patent number: 9811646
    Abstract: A method, a secure device and a computer program product for securely managing files. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server via a host, the host connected to the server through a telecommunication network, upon receiving a request for using a file stored on the secure device, processing the request at the secure device according to an updated use permission associated to the file, where the updated use permission is obtained by instructing at the secure device to establish a connection between the secure device and the server via the host and updating at the device the use permission associated to the file, according to permission data sent from the server through the established connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Harold D Dykeman, Reto J Hermann, Frank Hoering, Michael P Kuyper-Hammond, Diego Alejandro Ortiz-Yepes, Thomas D Weigold
  • Patent number: 9760729
    Abstract: A method, a secure device, a system and a computer program product for securely managing user access to a file system. The method includes providing a secure device, where the secure device is protected by design against malicious software or malware and adapted to establish a connection to a server through a telecommunication network establishing a connection between the secure device and the server, receiving at the secure device, through the established connection, data pertaining to a file system identifying files which are at least partly stored outside the secure device, exposing at the secure device the file system to a user, based on the data received from the server, the file system navigable by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Harold D Dykeman, Reto J Hermann, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P Kuyper-Hammond, Michael C Osborne, Thomas D Weigold
  • Patent number: 9639690
    Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to a user trusted device (10), comprising: a connection interface (12) enabling connection (S2) with a computer (101); and a persistent memory (14) storing modules (15, 16, 17), which are configured, upon connection of the user trusted device (10) with said computer (101) via said connection interface (12), to: enable said computer (101) to start booting (S3, S3a) from the user trusted device (10); map (S6) firmware data to a code, the firmware data comprising program code of an initialization firmware and/or data accessible by the initialization firmware (122) of the computer while starting to boot; attest (S7-S12) trustworthiness of the code; and enable (S14) said computer (101) to complete booting from the user trusted device (10) if the code is attested. The present invention is further directed to related systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Patent number: 9589128
    Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to a method for enabling a computer (101) to boot from a user trusted device (10), the user trusted device (10) comprising a connection interface (12) enabling connection (S2) with said computer (101), the method comprising: enabling (S3) said computer (101) to start booting from the user trusted device (10) upon connection (S2) of the user trusted device with said computer (101) via said connection interface (12); instructing a processor (105) of the computer (101) to execute (S7) virtualization sensitive code and issue (S8) completion data upon completion of execution, which completion data depends on the virtualization sensitive code and its execution by the processor (105); determining (S9-S14), based on said completion data, whether the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment; and enabling (S15) said computer (101) to complete booting from the user trusted device (10) upon determining that the execution was not performed in a virtualized environm
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Publication number: 20160171661
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a handheld companion device, including: a screen, rigid physical connection means, communication means, adapted for setting up and supporting at least one communication link with at least one external computerized system; and a memory storing computerized methods. The present invention is further directed to related systems and methods for automatically rotating contents displayed on such devices, when rigidly attached on a handheld mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Reto J Hermann, Diego A Ortiz-Yepes
  • Patent number: 9313201
    Abstract: A system and method of performing electronic transactions between a server computer and a client computer. The method implements a communication protocol with encrypted data transmission and mutual authentication between a server and a hardware device via a network, performs a decryption of encrypted server responses, forwards the decrypted server responses from the hardware device to the client computer, displays the decrypted server responses on a client display, receives requests to be sent from the client computer to the server, parses the client requests for predefined transaction information by the hardware device, encrypts and forwards client requests, displays the predefined transaction information upon detection, forwards and encrypts the client request containing the predefined transaction information to the server if a user confirmation is received, and cancels the transaction if no user confirmation is received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Reto Hermann, Thorsten Kramp, Thomas D. Weigold, Peter Buhler, Thomas Eirich, Tamas Visegrady, Frank Hoering, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond
  • Publication number: 20160070914
    Abstract: A system and method for executing software modules on a computer, the method comprising: executing (S4) a bootloader (15, 16), at least partly (16) in the computer (101); and upon execution of the bootloader: accessing (S5) requirements as to an initial set (IS) of software modules (SMn); and hardware specifications of the computer; determining (S6) within said initial set, one or more candidate sets (CS1, CS2) of software modules that are compatible (S6a) with said hardware specifications and can (S6b) be stored as a RAM disk; and storing (S9) the software modules of a final set (FS) on a RAM disk (121), the final set (FS) being one of the one or more candidate sets, and instructing to execute the software modules stored on the RAM disk, wherein each of the initial set and the final set of software modules comprises application components and operating system image components, and preferably further comprises hardware component drivers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Peter Buhler, Luis Garces-Erice, Thomas Gschwind, Frank Hoering, Michael Kuyper, Sean Rooney, Paolo Scotton
  • Patent number: 9218086
    Abstract: A mobile touch-generating device includes logic; a touch-generating system, including one or more touch-generating elements, operatively coupled to the logic and configured to generate touch events detectable by a touchscreen, via the elements; a network connectivity device operatively coupled to the logic to establish a secure connection with a server via a telecommunication network and receive data through an established secure connection; and a visualization device connectable to the logic to display contents according to data received through the established secure connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thorsten Kramp, Michael P. Kuyper-Hammond, Thomas D. Weigold
  • Publication number: 20150317471
    Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to a user trusted device (10), comprising: a connection interface (12) enabling connection (S2) with a computer (101); and a persistent memory (14) storing modules (15, 16, 17), which are configured, upon connection of the user trusted device (10) with said computer (101) via said connection interface (12), to: enable said computer (101) to start booting (S3, S3a) from the user trusted device (10); map (S6) firmware data to a code, the firmware data comprising program code of an initialization firmware and/or data accessible by the initialization firmware (122) of the computer while starting to boot; attest (S7-S12) trustworthiness of the code; and enable (S14) said computer (101) to complete booting from the user trusted device (10) if the code is attested. The present invention is further directed to related systems and methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade
  • Publication number: 20150317472
    Abstract: The present invention is notably directed to a method for enabling a computer (101) to boot from a user trusted device (10), the user trusted device (10) comprising a connection interface (12) enabling connection (S2) with said computer (101), the method comprising: enabling (S3) said computer (101) to start booting from the user trusted device (10) upon connection (S2) of the user trusted device with said computer (101) via said connection interface (12); instructing a processor (105) of the computer (101) to execute (S7) virtualization sensitive code and issue (S8) completion data upon completion of execution, which completion data depends on the virtualization sensitive code and its execution by the processor (105); determining (S9-S14), based on said completion data, whether the execution was not performed in a virtualized environment; and enabling (S15) said computer (101) to complete booting from the user trusted device (10) upon determining that the execution was not performed in a virtualized environm
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Michael Baentsch, Thomas Gschwind, Andreas Schade