Patents by Inventor Michael Kirkup

Michael Kirkup 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: 20070194131
    Abstract: A portable adapter for using a contact smart card with a contactless smart card reader and a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader. The adaptor is provided with a casing that is configured to engage a contact smart card or a contactless smart card, and is provided with an exterior portion that physically cooperates via a contact pad with a contact smart card reader. The adapter is provided with an interface passing signals between a contactless smart card and a contact smart card reader, and an interface for passing signals between a contact smart card and a contactless smart card reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup
  • Publication number: 20070074032
    Abstract: A system and method for providing code signing services to software application developers or to other individuals or entities that wish to have applications digitally signed. Signing of the applications may be required in order to enable the applications to access sensitive APIs and associated resources of a computing device when the applications are executed on the computing device. In one embodiment, a hash of an application is generated by a requestor of code signing services. The hash of the application, and not the application itself, may then be received in a code signing request to be digitally signed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little, Michael Rybak, David Tapuska
  • Publication number: 20070074031
    Abstract: A system and method for providing code signing services to software application developers or to other individuals or entities that wish to have applications digitally signed. Signing of the applications may be required in order to enable the applications to access sensitive APIs and associated resources of a computing device when the applications are executed on the computing device. In one embodiment, a method of providing code signing services will comprise at least some steps relating to registering the entities that seek access to sensitive APIs as controlled by the code signing authority. These steps are performed in order to establish trust relationships with those entities. The method of providing code signing services will also comprise additional steps relating to receiving and processing the code signing requests from such entities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little, Michael Rybak, David Tapuska
  • Publication number: 20070074034
    Abstract: A system and method for registering entities for code signing services. The entities may be software application developers or other individuals or entities that wish to have applications digitally signed. Signing of the applications may be required in order to enable the applications to access sensitive APIs and associated resources of a computing device when the applications are executed on the computing device. In one embodiment, a method of registering entities for code signing services will comprise the step of transmitting at least some account data to the registering individual or entity using an out-of-band communication system. This provides added security that the individual or entity registering for a code signing service is who that individual or entity purports to be.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little, David Tapuska
  • Publication number: 20070071238
    Abstract: A system and method for providing an indication of randomness quality of random number data generated by a random data service. The random data service may provide random number data to one or more applications adapted to generate key pairs used in code signing applications, for example. In one aspect, the method comprises the steps of: retrieving random number data from the random data service; applying one or more randomness tests to the retrieved random number data to compute at least one indicator of the randomness quality of the random number data; associating the at least one indicator with at least one state represented by a color; and displaying the color associated with the at least one indicator to a user. The color may be displayed in a traffic light icon, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little, Michael Rybak, David Tapuska
  • Publication number: 20070074033
    Abstract: A system and method for providing code signing services to software application developers or to other individuals or entities that wish to have applications digitally signed. Signing of the applications may be required in order to enable the applications to access sensitive APIs and associated resources of a computing device when the applications are executed on the computing device. In one embodiment, a method of providing code signing services will comprise at least some steps relating to registering the entities that seek access to sensitive APIs as controlled by the code signing authority, and managing the accounts of the registered entities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Adams, Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little, Michael Rybak, David Tapuska
  • Publication number: 20070066307
    Abstract: A wireless device in a discoverable mode controls its visibility by determining whether to ignore or respond to an inquiry, received from an inquiring device that is searching for discoverable devices, based at least in part on one or more properties of the inquiring device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup, Michael Brown
  • Publication number: 20070036300
    Abstract: A device and method for generating user notifications associated with tasks that are pending completion on a mobile device. When additional input is required from a user of the mobile device to complete performance of a task and is not being received from the user within a predefined time period, at least one form of user notification is generated. The particular form or forms of user notification are defined by a user profile associated with the user. User notifications may comprise visual, audible, and/or vibratory alerts, and different forms of these user notifications may be generated in a sequence. The volume of audible alerts or the period between periodic user notifications may vary over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup
  • Publication number: 20070038719
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for processing digitally signed messages in which address mismatch errors are detected. In at least one aspect, the number of address mismatch errors reported to a user for a message may be minimized for messages that properly incorporate message portions signed by someone other than the sender of the message, as may be the case where the message contains a conversation thread for example, by performing at least one predetermined action for digital signatures corresponding to signed data appearing after a message separator. The message separator may indicate that the message contains data from an older forwarded message or from an older message that has been replied to, for example. The at least one-predetermined action may comprise bypassing verification of address matches for those digital signatures, or verifying address matches for those digital signatures but suppressing user notification of any address mismatch errors, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup, Michael Brown
  • Publication number: 20070038704
    Abstract: A system and method for processing messages being composed by a user of a computing device (e.g. a mobile device). Embodiments are described in which the performance of certain tasks is initiated before a direction is received from a user to send a message being composed by the user. This may involve, for example, “pre-fetching” security-related data that will be required in order to send a message that is in the process of being composed by the user securely. Such data may include security policy data, certificate data, and/or certificate status data, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup
  • Publication number: 20060294304
    Abstract: A system and method for managing memory in a mobile device to prevent the swapping out of sensitive data to non-volatile storage from a volatile memory, to provide enhanced security for the sensitive data. In one broad aspect, there is provided a method of managing memory in a mobile device comprising the steps of identifying one or more data objects stored in a volatile memory on the mobile device to be swapped out to a non-volatile storage component, determining objects marked as containing sensitive data, and retaining so-marked objects in the volatile memory of the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Publication date: December 28, 2006
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup, Neil Adams, Herbert Little
  • Publication number: 20060273161
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing access to data. When an application needs to perform an action that requires access to data, the application acquires a “ticket” in order to access the data. While the application holds the ticket, it is given access to the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Inventors: Herbert Little, Neil Adams, Michael Brown, Jonathan Hammell, Michael Kirkup
  • Publication number: 20060277592
    Abstract: A system and method for determining a security encoding to be applied to a message being sent by a user of a computing device, such as a mobile device, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup
  • Publication number: 20060253529
    Abstract: Systems and methods of connection control for wireless mobile communication devices enabled for communication via a plurality of communication connections are provided. Connection control information associates software applications with communication connections. When a connection request specifying a requested connection is received from a software application, it is determined whether the requested connection is permitted by the connection control information. Where the requested connection is permitted by the connection control information, the requested connection is opened. If the requested connection is a first connection opened by the software application, then the software application is associated with the requested connection in the connection control information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Publication date: November 9, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little, David Yach
  • Publication number: 20060167976
    Abstract: A displayed string of emails is effectively compressed for improved readability by deleting some or all headers and/or by skipping the cursor from one message body to another in response to “hot” key actuation(s) by a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup, Michael Brown
  • Publication number: 20060123313
    Abstract: A system for adding a redundancy check to an electronic message to discourage tampering and facilitate identification of altered messages provides a communication device for composing message content, a messaging module with a formatting and encoding layer for encoding the message content with header information in a series of message blocks, and an encryption layer for calculating a redundancy check value and inserting the value in one or more locations within the series of message blocks according a rule defined by a characteristic of the message content or the header information, and encrypting the message for delivery to a recipient. Upon receipt, the recipient communication device decrypts the message, extracts the redundancy check value from the message, and compares a calculated redundancy check value with the extracted redundancy check value to determine if the message had been altered before receipt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2005
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup, Michael Brown
  • Publication number: 20060112419
    Abstract: A system and method for retrieving certificates and/or verifying the revocation status of certificates. In one embodiment, when a user opens a digitally signed message, a certificate that is required to verify the digital signature on the message may be automatically retrieved if it is not stored on the user's computing device (e.g. a mobile device), eliminating the need for users to initiate the task manually. Verification of the digital signature may also be automatically performed by the application after the certificate is retrieved. Verification of the revocation status of a certificate may also be automatically performed if it is determined that the time that has elapsed since the status was last updated exceeds a pre-specified limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Michael Brown, Neil Adams, Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little
  • Publication number: 20060094442
    Abstract: A mobile wireless communication device also has at least one wired communication port. Enhanced security is achieved by permitting the device to automatically disable one or more wireless ports when connected to a wired port. Specific combinations/permutations of such automatic control may be effected by use of an IT Policy also resident on the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2004
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Kirkup, Michael Brown, Herbert Little, Ian Robertson, Michael Brown
  • Publication number: 20060064493
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for integrating authentication protocols in the establishment of connections between a controlled-access first computing device and at least one second computing device. In one embodiment of the invention, network access user authentication data needed to access the at least one second computing device is transmitted to an authentication server automatically if the user has access to use the first computing device, thereby not requiring the user to manually enter the authentication data needed for such access at the first computing device. The network access user authentication data may be, for example, retrieved from a memory store of the first computing device and/or generated in accordance with an authentication data generating algorithm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2004
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Jonathan Hammell, Ian Robertson, Michael Brown, Michael Kirkup, Herbert Little
  • Publication number: 20060048215
    Abstract: An electronic device includes password protected functionality using a password that can be changed by the user. A user-specified password is stored in association with unique version data that is subsequently provided to help user recall of the password associated therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2004
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Applicant: Research in Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Brown, Herbert Little, Michael Kirkup