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).

  • Publication number: 20130246547
    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: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony Little, Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Patent number: 8538360
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for operating a mobile device, the method comprising: reading a barcode being displayed by another mobile device, to identify a group, by capturing at least one image of the barcode; and joining the group identified by the barcode. Another method and system are provided, the method comprising: storing a barcode on the mobile device, the barcode identifying a group; and displaying the barcode on a display of the mobile device such that the entire barcode is visible on the display to enable another mobile device to scan the barcode to join the group. Another method and system are provided, the method comprising: reading a barcode being displayed by another mobile device, to identify an individual associated with the other mobile device, by capturing at least one image of the barcode; and inviting the individual identified by the barcode to join a group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Hin Kai Hung, Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Patent number: 8539226
    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: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony Little, Neil Patrick Adams, David Francis Tapuska, Michael Stephen Brown, James Andrew Godfrey, Michael Grant Kirkup
  • Publication number: 20130239225
    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. The conditions include general timeout, device inactivity, loss of connection over the communication link, a decline in signal strength, and a predefined number of transactions having occurred between the first device and the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Kenneth Brown, Herbert Anthony Little, Scott William Totzke
  • Patent number: 8526618
    Abstract: System and methods for processing encoded messages at a message receiver are described. Encoded message processing is performed in multiple stages. In a first stage, a new received message is at least partially decoded by performing any decoding operations that require no user input and a resulting context object is stored in memory, before a user is notified that the new message has been received. When the user accesses the new message, any further required decoding operations are performed on the stored context object in a second stage of processing. The message can subsequently be displayed or otherwise processed relatively quickly, without repeating the first stage decoding operations. Decoding operations may include signature verification, decryption, other types of decoding, or some combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Kenneth Brown
  • Patent number: 8527767
    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: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup, Herbert Anthony Little
  • Patent number: 8522355
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for implementation on a mobile device to force the mobile device into a secure state upon detection or determination of a triggering event. Once it is determined that a triggering event has occurred, each application operating on the mobile device is caused to immediately unreference sensitive objects and a secure garbage collection operation is performed upon the unreferenced sensitive objects to render data associated therewith unreadable. The mobile device is then caused to enter a secure state, in which the mobile device cannot be accessed without authorization. A microprocessor within the mobile device is configured to determine the existence of the triggering event according to a configuration data structure and to perform the secure garbage collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony Little, Neil Patrick Adams, Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Publication number: 20130219471
    Abstract: A first device establishes a connection with a second device and attempts access, via the connection to an enterprise server of an enterprise. The first device may have a number of security perimeters, ones of which are allowed to use various communications proxies provided by the second device. If the first device and the second device are associated with a same common enterprise, an enterprise perimeter of the first device may be enabled to access the enterprise using an enterprise proxy of the second device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Stephen BROWN, Herbert Anthony LITTLE, Graham RUSSELL, David Francis TAPUSKA
  • Patent number: 8516068
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Stephen Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup
  • Patent number: 8515068
    Abstract: A challenge response scheme authenticates a requesting device by an authenticating device. The authenticating device generates and issues a challenge to the requesting device. The requesting device combines the challenge with a hash of a password provided by a user, and the combination is further hashed in order to generate a requesting encryption key used to encrypt the user supplied password. The encrypted user supplied password is sent to the authenticating device as a response to the issued challenge. The authenticating device generates an authenticating encryption key by generating the hash of a combination of the challenge and a stored hash of an authenticating device password. The authenticating encryption key is used to decrypt the response in order to retrieve the user-supplied password. If the user-supplied password hash matches the stored authenticating device password hash, the requesting device is authenticated and the authenticating device is in possession of the password.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Grant Kirkup
  • Patent number: 8516242
    Abstract: A system and method for implementing an enhanced transport layer security (ETLS) protocol is provided. The system includes a primary server, an ETLS servlet and an ETLS software module. The primary server operates on a computer network and is configured to communicate over the computer network using a non-proprietary security protocol. The ETLS servlet also operates on the computer network and is securely coupled to the primary server. The ETLS servlet is configured to communicate over the computer network using an ETLS security protocol. The ETLS software module operates on a mobile device, and is configured to communicate over the computer network using either the non-proprietary security protocol or the ETLS security protocol. Operationally, the ETLS software module initially contacts the server over the computer network using the non-proprietary security protocol, and subsequently contacts the server through the ETLS servlet using the ETLS security protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little, David Paul Yach
  • Patent number: 8503974
    Abstract: A wireless communication device (and its related method of operation) includes, if invoked, password protected access to data stored therewithin and/or to normal device operations and further includes duress password checking logic that automatically causes a duress message to be sent if a duress password has been entered. The duress message is preferably sent without maintaining any user accessible indication of such sending. It is also preferred that the password checking logic automatically cause an end-of-duress message to be sent if a normal password is entered after a duress password has been entered. A plurality of different duress passwords may be entered into a duress password portion of data memory in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Neil Patrick Adams, Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Grant Kirkup, Ian Robertson, Jonathan F. Hammell, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Publication number: 20130191220
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for displaying advertising content on a mobile device by displaying an over-scroll region on a display of the mobile device, and displaying a first advertisement in at least a first portion of the over-scroll region. The method may include determining information associated with the over-scroll region, and selecting the first advertisement based on the information associated with the over-scroll region. The method may also include displaying a second advertisement in a second portion of the over-scroll region and selecting the second advertisement based on the information associated with the over-scroll region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Terrill Mark Dent, Maribei Romo Savournin, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Patent number: 8495235
    Abstract: A novel and useful system and method of automatic resource connection, selection and rating for providing a radio like listening experience to a user. The mechanism is operative to automatically establish a connection from a mobile communications device having media player capability to a music file collection. Playlists maintained on the device are periodically updated with new playlists downloaded to the device. The device generates playlists so as to eventually cycle though the entire contents of a music file collection. Users are given the ability to rate songs by title, artist, album, etc. These ratings are used to calculate scores for each song which are used to bias a random selection process for determining the next song to play. This provides a user with a radio like listening experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Publication number: 20130179148
    Abstract: A method and communication device are provided for database augmentation using linguistic data stored on a device, and utilizing a database stored on a device to perform multi-word substitution. A database may be augmented by monitoring other databases that contain linguistic data, such as contact databases containing linguistic data regarding entities that a device may communicate with, and updating the database with linguistic data in the other databases. The linguistic data in the augmented database may be compared with words received from an input apparatus to determine whether any of the received words should be replaced with linguistic data from the augmented database. The augmented database may contain one word entries and multi-word entries to allow for multi-word substitution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
    Inventors: Terrill Mark Dent, Herbert Anthony Little, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Patent number: 8482461
    Abstract: Operation of a satellite-based navigation-signal broadcast system receiver, such as a GPS receiver, on a wireless communications device is controlled by determining whether the device is stationary or in motion. Motion determination is accomplished by analyzing radiofrequency signal traces, e.g. GSM signal traces, received from one or more nearby base stations. A three-tiered analysis provides a progressively more accurate determination as to whether the device is moving or stationary while providing, in certain instances, a more rapid determination than prior-art techniques. When the device is determined to be stationary, the GPS receiver can be deactivated. When the device is determined to be moving, the receiver can be reactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion
    Inventors: Sandra Marcela Küpfer, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Patent number: 8478830
    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 pre-determined 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: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Kenneth Brown, Michael Grant Kirkup, Michael Stephen Brown
  • Patent number: 8479160
    Abstract: A method for debugging client-side code includes a client receiving an application file set from a server in response to the client requesting an application. A singleton is generated on the client by executing a script in the application file set. The singleton monitors a data event generated by an application programming interface. The singleton writes a client data record to a cache memory in response to the application programming interface generating the data event. The client data record records an application event. The singleton flushes the contents of the cached memory in response to a flush event, and transfers the contents to the server for persistent storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Craig Michael Lawton, Michael Stephen Brown, Sachin Pravin Patel
  • Publication number: 20130166907
    Abstract: A device certificate binds an identity of a first device to a public key of the first device. The first device comprises a certificate authority service that creates for a process on the first device a process certificate certifying one or more capabilities of the process on the first device. The process certificate is presented to the second device. Upon validating the process certificate using the device certificate, the second device permits the process on the first device to have on the second device one or more of the verified certified capabilities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Michael Stephen Brown, David Francis Tapuska
  • Patent number: 8474029
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for facilitating access to an electronic device. Password information is stored on the electronic device, and on a portable authenticator. When a user attempts to access the electronic device, the user is prompted to enter a password at the electronic device. The portable authenticator determines the validity of the entered password. The electronic device receives the results of the validity determination from the portable authenticator, and provides access to the electronic device based on the received validity determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Research In Motion Limited
    Inventors: Neil Patrick Adams, David Francis Tapuska, Michael Stephen Brown, Herbert Anthony Little