Patents by Inventor Thomas P. Mensch

Thomas P. Mensch 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: 20250097018
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to cryptographic key exchanges. In some embodiments, a first device belonging to a first device group receives a request to perform a key exchange to establish a shared secret with a second device belonging to a second device group. The first device verifies a key authorization data structure issued by a key authority, the key authorization data structure including a first public key of a first participant authority authorized to identify members of the first device group and a second public key of a second participant authority authorized to identify members of the second device group. In response to the verifying being successful, the first device performs the requested exchange using a public key pair attested to by the first participant authority as belonging to a member in the first device group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas P. Mensch, Elad Efrat, David Tamagno, Armaiti Ardeshiricham, Wade Benson, Yannick L. Sierra
  • Publication number: 20250094602
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to cryptographic key exchanges. In some embodiments, a computing device includes a cryptographic circuit coupled to a secure memory inaccessible to a processor of the computing device. Program instructions executing on the computing device can request performance of a key exchange to establish a shared secret with another device. The cryptographic circuit is configured to perform the key exchange including deriving the shared secret using private key material maintained in the secure memory. In some embodiments, the key exchange includes verifying a key authorization data structure issued by a key authority including a first public key of a first participant authority and a second public key of a second participant authority. In response to the verifying being successful, the exchange uses a public key pair attested to by the first participant authority as belonging to a member in the first device group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Thomas P. Mensch, Elad Efrat, David Tamagno, Armaiti Ardeshiricham, Wade Benson, Yannick L. Sierra
  • Publication number: 20240169046
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Anasosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Publication number: 20240103840
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a system and method for secure delivery of assets to a trusted device. Multiple levels of verification are implemented to enable components of a software update and asset delivery system to verify other components within the system. Furthermore, updates are provided only to client devices that are authorized to receive such updates. In one embodiment, the specific assets provided to a client device during a software update can be tailored to the client device, such that individual client devices can receive updated versions of software asset at a faster or slower rate than mass market devices. For example, developer or beta tester devices can receive pre-release assets, while enterprise devices can receive updates at a slower rate relative to mass market devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dallas B. De Atley, Bailey E. Basile, Venkat V. Memula, Thomas P. Mensch, Robert M. Marini, David P. Remahl, Kelsey J. Skillman, Edward E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20240078343
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to application verification. In various embodiments, a computing device includes a secure circuit configured to maintain a plurality of cryptographic keys of the computing device. In such an embodiment, the computing device receives, from an application, a request for an attestation usable to confirm an integrity of the application, instructs the secure circuit to use one of the plurality of cryptographic keys to supply the attestation for the application, and provides the attestation to a remote computing system in communication with the application. In some embodiments, the secure circuit is configured to verify received metadata pertaining to the identity of the application and use the cryptographic key to generate the attestation indicative of the identity of the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Hervé Sibert, Eric D. Friedman, Erik C. Neuenschwander, Jerrold V. Hauck, Thomas P. Mensch, Julien F. Freudiger, Alan W. Yu
  • Patent number: 11868455
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Anasosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Patent number: 11861350
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a system and method for secure delivery of assets to a trusted device. Multiple levels of verification are implemented to enable components of a software update and asset delivery system to verify other components within the system. Furthermore, updates are provided only to client devices that are authorized to receive such updates. In one embodiment, the specific assets provided to a client device during a software update can be tailored to the client device, such that individual client devices can receive updated versions of software asset at a faster or slower rate than mass market devices. For example, developer or beta tester devices can receive pre-release assets, while enterprise devices can receive updates at a slower rate relative to mass market devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dallas B. De Atley, Bailey E. Basile, Venkat V. Memula, Thomas P. Mensch, Robert M. Marini, David P. Remahl, Kelsey J. Skillman, Edward E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11822664
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to securing computing devices during boot. In various embodiments, a secure circuit of a computing device generates for a public key pair and signs, using a private key of the public key pair, configuration settings for an operating system of the computing device. A bootloader of the computing device receives a certificate for the public key pair from a certificate authority and initiates a boot sequence to load the operating system. The boot sequence includes the bootloader verifying the signed configuration settings using a public key included in the certificate and the public key pair. In some embodiments, the secure circuit cryptographically protects the private key based on a passcode of a user, the passcode being usable by the user to authenticate to the computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Xeno S. Kovah, Nikolaj Schlej, Thomas P. Mensch, Wade Benson, Jerrold V. Hauck, Josh P. de Cesare, Austin G. Jennings, John J. Dong, Robert C. Graham, Jacques Fortier
  • Patent number: 11790119
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to application verification. In various embodiments, a computing device includes a secure circuit configured to maintain a plurality of cryptographic keys of the computing device. In such an embodiment, the computing device receives, from an application, a request for an attestation usable to confirm an integrity of the application, instructs the secure circuit to use one of the plurality of cryptographic keys to supply the attestation for the application, and provides the attestation to a remote computing system in communication with the application. In some embodiments, the secure circuit is configured to verify received metadata pertaining to the identity of the application and use the cryptographic key to generate the attestation indicative of the identity of the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hervé Sibert, Eric D. Friedman, Erik C. Neuenschwander, Jerrold V. Hauck, Thomas P. Mensch, Julien F. Freudiger, Alan W. Yu
  • Patent number: 11722315
    Abstract: Systems and methods for storing and recovering data for a device are described. In one embodiment, factory generated calibration data can be generated, sealed and restored securely even if two sensors in two different devices, such as a first ambient light sensor and a second ambient light sensor have the same sensor identifier. In one embodiment, a device transmits a database key to cause storage or recovery of the calibration data, and the database key includes a sensor identifier and a public cryptographic key of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Thomas P. Mensch, Chiye K. Kojima, Han Jong Yu, Jerrold V. Hauck, Muralidhar S. Vempaty, Peter Chang, Tiffany Shih-Yu Fang, Yiqun Zhu
  • Publication number: 20220303137
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provided techniques to enable peripherals configured to provide secure functionality. A secure circuit on a peripheral device can be paired with a secure circuit on a host device outside of a factory environment without compromising security by verifying silicon keys that are embedded within the secure circuit during manufacturing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Applicant: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Kyle C. Brogle, Wade Benson, Sean P. Devlin, Lucie Kucerova, Thomas P. Mensch, Yannick L. Sierra, Tomislav Suchan
  • Publication number: 20220043647
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a system and method for secure delivery of assets to a trusted device. Multiple levels of verification are implemented to enable components of a software update and asset delivery system to verify other components within the system. Furthermore, updates are provided only to client devices that are authorized to receive such updates. In one embodiment, the specific assets provided to a client device during a software update can be tailored to the client device, such that individual client devices can receive updated versions of software asset at a faster or slower rate than mass market devices. For example, developer or beta tester devices can receive pre-release assets, while enterprise devices can receive updates at a slower rate relative to mass market devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dallas B. De Atley, Bailey E. Basile, Venkat V. Memula, Thomas P. Mensch, Robert M. Marini, David P. Remahl, Kelsey J. Skillman, Edward E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20210397716
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to securing computing devices during boot. In various embodiments, a secure circuit of a computing device generates for a public key pair and signs, using a private key of the public key pair, configuration settings for an operating system of the computing device. A bootloader of the computing device receives a certificate for the public key pair from a certificate authority and initiates a boot sequence to load the operating system. The boot sequence includes the bootloader verifying the signed configuration settings using a public key included in the certificate and the public key pair. In some embodiments, the secure circuit cryptographically protects the private key based on a passcode of a user, the passcode being usable by the user to authenticate to the computing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Xeno S. Kovah, Nikolaj Schlej, Thomas P. Mensch, Wade Benson, Jerrold V. Hauck, Josh P. de Cesare, Austin G. Jennings, John J. Dong, Robert C. Graham, Jacques Fortier
  • Patent number: 11151235
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Anasosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma, Kelsey Y. Ho
  • Patent number: 11144297
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a system and method for secure delivery of assets to a trusted device. Multiple levels of verification are implemented to enable components of a software update and asset delivery system to verify other components within the system. Furthermore, updates are provided only to client devices that are authorized to receive such updates. In one embodiment, the specific assets provided to a client device during a software update can be tailored to the client device, such that individual client devices can receive updated versions of software asset at a faster or slower rate than mass market devices. For example, developer or beta tester devices can receive pre-release assets, while enterprise devices can receive updates at a slower rate relative to mass market devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Dallas B. De Atley, Bailey E. Basile, Venkat V. Memula, Thomas P. Mensch, Robert M. Marini, David P. Remahl, Kelsey J. Skillman, Edward E. Thomas
  • Publication number: 20210286865
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Ansosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Patent number: 10944571
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method for recovering user data for a device. To initiate recovery, the method sends to a first server a first request including at least (i) a device identifier and (ii) a first set of cryptographic data for a second set of servers with which the first server communicates. If the first server verifies the device identifier with an attestation authority, the method receives from the second set of servers a second set of cryptographic data generated by the second set of servers. After receiving input of a device passcode for the device, the method sends to the first server a second request comprising at least a third set of cryptographic data for the second set of servers generated based on the device passcode. If the first server verifies the device passcode with the second set of servers, the method receives access to the user data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Raghunandan K. Pai, Thomas P. Mensch, Navin Bindiganavile Suparna
  • Patent number: 10929515
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Ansosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Publication number: 20200159966
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to application verification. In various embodiments, a computing device includes a secure circuit configured to maintain a plurality of cryptographic keys of the computing device. In such an embodiment, the computing device receives, from an application, a request for an attestation usable to confirm an integrity of the application, instructs the secure circuit to use one of the plurality of cryptographic keys to supply the attestation for the application, and provides the attestation to a remote computing system in communication with the application. In some embodiments, the secure circuit is configured to verify received metadata pertaining to the identity of the application and use the cryptographic key to generate the attestation indicative of the identity of the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Hervé Sibert, Eric D. Friedman, Erik C. Neuenschwander, Jerrold V. Hauck, Thomas P. Mensch, Julien F. Freudiger, Alan W. Yu
  • Publication number: 20200084050
    Abstract: Systems and methods for storing and recovering data for a device are described. In one embodiment, factory generated calibration data can be generated, sealed and restored securely even if two sensors in two different devices, such as a first ambient light sensor and a second ambient light sensor have the same sensor identifier. In one embodiment, a device transmits a database key to cause storage or recovery of the calibration data, and the database key includes a sensor identifier and a public cryptographic key of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Thomas P. Mensch, Chiye K. Kojima, Han Jong Yu, Jerrold V. Hauck, Muralidhar S. Vempaty, Peter Chang, Tiffany Shih-Yu Fang, Yiqun Zhu