Patents by Inventor Michael Stephen Brown

Michael Stephen Brown 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).

  • Method and device for secure notification of identity
    Patent number: 8826008
    Abstract: A system, methods and devices for the secure notification of an identity in a communications network. The methods include sending or receiving a communication including a hash of a certificate of a device to notify or detect the presence of the device in a network. Each certificate is associated with an identity which is excluded from the communication of the hash of the certificate. The received hash is compared to hashes of certificates stored in an electronic device to determine an identity. The identity may represent an electronic device or a user of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, David Francis Tapuska
  • Generating a Symmetric Key to Secure a Communication Link
    Publication number: 20140237246
    Abstract: A symmetric key to be used to secure a communication link between a first device and a second device is generated as follows: a first symmetric key is generated; a second symmetric key is generated; packets communicated between the first device and the second device over communication link are hashed to create a hash result; the first symmetric key, the second symmetric key and the hash result are hashed to generate a third symmetric key to be used to secure the communication link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2013
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown, Neil Patrick Adams
  • SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR DISPLAYING A BARCODE AT A COMPUTING DEVICE
    Publication number: 20140224890
    Abstract: Embodiments of the systems, devices, and methods described herein generally facilitate the display of a barcode at a computing device for capture by another computing device. In accordance with one example embodiment, a barcode is generated at a first computing device, the barcode is displayed on a display screen associated with the first computing device, and one or more display properties of the barcode are dynamically modified while it is displayed at the first computing device until the barcode is successfully captured (e.g. by a camera) at a second computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little
  • System and method for controlling message attachment handling functions on a mobile device
    Patent number: 8804966
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling message attachment handling functions on a mobile device is described herein. An attachment handling control can be set to identify one of a number of selected attachment handling control modes. Depending on the attachment handling control mode identified, a request for the attachment structure that includes a decrypted session key for an encrypted message received at the mobile device may or may not be automatically sent to a remote server. This may provide the user with increased control over the content of an encrypted message that the remote server may access when determining the attachment structure for a message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup
  • System and Method for Exchanging Cryptographic Capabilities
    Publication number: 20140215205
    Abstract: In some data communication configurations, data received from a sender may need to be viewed or otherwise processed by more than one entity with a corresponding client. For example, a message sent to a corporate email address may be viewed by either or both a mobile device and a desktop device. For the sender to utilize the strongest algorithm or protocol used by the recipient, it would therefore need to know which algorithms or protocols are supported by both the mobile and desktop mail clients. A system and method are provided to enable the mobile device to know about the capabilities of related mail clients associated with the communication address (e.g. email address) and vice versa such that the intersection of the capabilities (i.e. the strongest algorithm or protocol supported by all parties involved) can be chosen and the messages or data cryptographically processed accordingly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Neil Patrick ADAMS, Michael Stephen Brown
  • System and method for retrieving certificates associated with senders of digitally signed messages
    Patent number: 8788812
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little, Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Grant Kirkup, Michael Kenneth Brown
  • System and method for handling message receipt notification
    Patent number: 8781443
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operation upon a wireless mobile device to handle message notifications. A method can include receiving a message by the wireless mobile device over a wireless communications network. The received message is processed so that at least a portion of the sender's message is displayed to a user of the wireless mobile device before a signed receipt is provided to the sender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Neil Patrick Adams, Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Kenneth Brown
  • System and method for retrieving certificates associated with senders of digitally signed messages
    Patent number: 8775798
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little, Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Grant Kirkup, Michael Kenneth Brown
  • E-mail with secure message parts
    Patent number: 8719951
    Abstract: A method for preventing a recipient of an electronically transmitted message from taking at least one action in relation to the message is disclosed. The message has at least two parts with one of the parts having a higher level of security than the other part. The method includes the step of extracting information from the message. The information indicates that the higher level security part is not permitted to have the action taken on it while the other part is so permitted. The method also includes the step of preventing the higher level security part from having the action taken on it in reaction to said recipient making an offending request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Blackberry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup
  • System and method for processing certificates located in a certificate search
    Patent number: 8719565
    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: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Neil Patrick Adams, Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup
  • MESSAGE-HANDLING SERVER AND METHOD FOR HANDLING SECURE MESSAGE ATTACHMENTS FOR A MOBILE DEVICE
    Publication number: 20140115665
    Abstract: A secure message that includes an attachment is received at a server. The secure message may have a secure layer that indicates that the secure message is at least digitally signed. The secure message may be provided without the attachment to the mobile device over a wireless network. A request may be received from the mobile device to access the attachment. The request may include an attachment identifier (ID) that identifies the attachment in accordance with a message-attachment indexing system. In response to the request to access the attachment, the server may perform an index lookup to find the attachment based upon the attachment ID, may look through the secure layer of the secure message in order to locate the attachment within the secure message, and may render at least an initial portion of the attachment by the server in a format for viewing by the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Stephen Brown
  • System and method for determining a security encoding to be applied to outgoing messages
    Patent number: 8689286
    Abstract: A device comprising a processor is disclosed herein. In one broad aspect, the processor is configured to: determine whether a general message encoding configuration setting at the device is set to a first setting indicating that when a security encoding is to be applied to a message, the security encoding is to be established by a policy engine, wherein the established security encoding cannot be overridden by a security encoding selection algorithm at the device; and if the general message encoding configuration setting is set to the first setting, transmit the message to at least one message recipient via the policy engine such that the policy engine applies the security encoding to the message prior to the policy engine transmitting the message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSMITTING AND UTILIZING ATTACHMENTS
    Publication number: 20140075191
    Abstract: A method of handling cryptographic information in a communication comprising body elements and attachment elements to a mobile device includes the steps of determining if the communication includes an attachment element comprising cryptographic information and converting the attachment element into a body element upon determining that the communication includes an attachment element comprising cryptographic information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: BLACKBERRY LIMITED
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony LITTLE, Albert HECHT-ENNS, David Francis TAPUSKA, Michael Stephen BROWN, Michael Grant KIRKUP
  • AUTHENTICATING AN AUXILIARY DEVICE FROM A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE
    Publication number: 20140068741
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, a method for authenticating a browser executing on an auxiliary device with a web service executing on a portable electronic device. The method includes receiving a request for a resource from the browser, determining whether the request identifies a protected resource, and selectively authenticating the request based on whether the request identifies a protected resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little
  • System and method for sending encrypted messages to a distribution list
    Patent number: 8667266
    Abstract: A system and method for sending encrypted messages to a distribution list. In one embodiment, the method comprises: identifying a distribution list address in a message; determining one or more member addresses associated with the distribution list address; for each member address, determining if a public key for a member identified by the member address is available on the computing device; and if so, encrypting the message to the member; sending the encrypted message to the distribution list address only if each of the one or more member addresses associated with the distribution list identifies a member for which a public key is available on the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Kenneth Brown
  • Automatic security action invocation for mobile communications device
    Patent number: 8667306
    Abstract: In one embodiment, there is provided a mobile communications device comprising: a processor; a communications subsystem operable to exchange signals with a wireless network; a storage element having application modules and data stored thereon, the data comprising at least user application data associated with the application modules and service data including data for establishing communications with the wireless network; and a security module operable to detect policy messages received by the device, and to perform a security action if a first policy message to enforce a first data protection policy is received and a subsequent policy message to enforce a second data protection policy is not received within a predetermined duration from the time at which the first policy message is received; wherein the security action comprises erasing or encrypting at least some of the data on the storage element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Neil Patrick Adams, Herbert Anthony Little, Steven Henry Fyke
  • System and method for processing encoded messages
    Patent number: 8661267
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing encoded messages at a message receiver. A received encoded message is decoded and stored in a memory. The stored decoded message can subsequently be displayed or otherwise processed without repeating the decoding operations. Decoding operations may include signature verification, decryption, other types of decoding, or some combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown
  • System and method for processing encoded messages
    Patent number: 8650258
    Abstract: Systems and methods for processing encoded messages within a wireless communication system. A server within the wireless communication system provides one or more indications to a mobile device as to certain conditions existing with respect to an encoded message. The mobile device performs a different message processing function based upon whether the indication is provided. The indications may include indicating whether a message exceeds a message size threshold and/or may indicate whether a partial message is being sent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little
  • System and method for hindering a cold boot attack
    Patent number: 8650639
    Abstract: A method for hindering a cold boot attack on a user equipment (UE) is provided. The method includes, in response to detection of the cold boot attack, executing prioritized security procedures. A user equipment (UE) is also provided that includes a processor configured to execute prioritized security procedures responsive to detection of a cold boot attack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Stephen Brown, Robert John Lambert, Alfred John Menezes
  • Certificate management and transfer system and method
    Patent number: RE45087
    Abstract: A method and system for Certificate management and transfer between messaging clients are disclosed. When communications are established between a first messaging client and a second messaging client, one or more Certificates stored on the first messaging client may be selected and transferred to the second messaging client. Messaging clients may thereby share Certificates. Certificate management functions such as Certificate deletions, Certificate updates and Certificate status checks may also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony Little, Neil Patrick Adams, David Francis Tapuska, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup, James Andrew Godfrey