Patent Document

FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention generally relates to secure distributed systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and system for a configurable smartcard. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0002]    Smart cards are not merely a piece of plastic with a strip of magnetic material. Smart cards also store and process information. Smart cards are storage devices with the core mechanics to facilitate communication with a reader or coupler. They have file system configurations and the ability to be partitioned into public and private spaces that can be made available or locked. They also have segregated areas for protected information, such as certificates, e-purses, and entire operating systems. In addition to traditional data storage states, such as read-only and read/write, some vendors are working with sub-states best described as “add only” and “update only.” 
         [0003]    The physical characteristics of smart cards are governed by international standards. For example, the size of a card is covered by ISO-7810. ISO-7816 and subsequent standards cover manufacturing parameters, physical and electrical characteristics, location of the contact points, communication protocols, data storage, and more. Data layout and format, however, can vary from vendor to vendor. 
         [0004]    Smart cards are a way to increase security especially for enterprise systems. Enterprise system often contain valuable information such as financial data, personnel records, strategies, etc., that may be critical for the entity administrating the enterprise system. Moreover, smart cards may offer a method to control access to data within the enterprise systems. Accordingly, the reasons to use smart card are plentiful. 
         [0005]    Typically, when inserting a smart card, the computer may acknowledge the smart card. However, beyond this acknowledgment, there is typically no other response by the computer. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    An embodiment relates generally to a method of using a token. The method includes embedding the token with at least one action and detecting a presence of the token. The method also includes authenticating the token; and executing an applet in response to a valid authentication of the token. 
         [0007]    Another embodiment pertains generally to a system for a configurable token. The system includes a server configured to provide application and data services and a token management system configured to be executed on the server. The system also includes at least one client coupled with the server and a token configured with an applet. The system also includes a security client configured to be executed on the at least one client. The security client is configured to enroll a token with the token management system and execute the applet in response to the completion of the enrollment of the token. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, as the same become better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying figures, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram of a certificate server in accordance with another embodiment; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary token in accordance with yet another embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram in accordance with yet another embodiment; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary computing platform. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]    For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in, all types of secure systems, and that any such variations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, in the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specific embodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
         [0015]    Embodiments relate generally to systems, apparatus, and methods for managing a token. More particularly, a token applet may be embedded on token, such as a smart card. The token applet may be configured to execute user-specified instructions. For example, if the token was issued by a bank, the token applet may be configured to direct the user to the home account site as an authenticated user. Accordingly, the token applet may comprise of instructions to perform a predetermined task. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary secure system  100  in accordance with an embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the system  100  depicted in  FIG. 1  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified. Moreover, the system  100  may be implemented using software components, hardware components, or combinations thereof. 
         [0017]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the secure system  100  includes a server  105 , clients  110  and a local network  115 . The server  105  may be a computing machine or platform configured to execute a token management system  120  through a multiple user operating system (not shown) in conjunction with the clients  110 . The server  105  may be implemented with server platforms as known to those skilled in the art from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, etc. 
         [0018]    The server  105  may interact with the clients over the local network  115 . The local network  115  may be a local area network implementing an established network protocol such as Ethernet, token ring, FDDI, etc. The local network  15  provides a communication channel for the server  105  and clients  110  to exchange data and commands. 
         [0019]    The clients  110  may be computing machine or platform configured to execute secure and open applications through the multi-user operating system. The clients  110  may be implemented with personal computers, workstations, thin clients, thick clients, or other similar computing platform. The clients  110  may use operating systems such as Linux, Windows, Macintosh or other available operating system. 
         [0020]    Each client  110  may be configured to interface with a security device  125 . The security device  125  may be configured to act as a gatekeeper to the client  110 . More particularly, a user may use a security token (not shown), such as a smart card, to access the respective client  110 . Each client  110  may have a security client  130  executing to monitor the security device  125 . 
         [0021]    The security client  130  may be configured to manage the token. More specifically, the security client  130  may enroll the token, recover keys for the token or reset a personal identification number for the token. The security client  130  may also be configured to interface with the token management system  120  and act as a proxy for application program data units (APDUs) between the token management system  120  and the token. The security client  130  may be further configured to display user interfaces as the token management system  120  directs, i.e., prompting the user for credentials and/or PIN, displaying token status. 
         [0022]    The token management system  120  comprises several modules, as depicted in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 2  shows an exemplary architecture of the token management system  120  in accordance with another embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the token management system  120  depicted in  FIG. 2  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified. Moreover, the token management system  120  may be implemented using software components, hardware components, or combinations thereof. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the token management system  120  includes a token processing system (labeled as TPS in  FIG. 2 )  205 , a token key service (TKS) module  210 , a data recovery manager (DRM) module  215  and a certificate authority (CA) module  220 . The TPS  205  may be configured to act as a registration authority. The TPS  205  may direct the enrollment process. The TPS  205  may also be configured to act as a gateway between security clients  130  and tokens and the modules of the token management system  120 . 
         [0024]    The TKS module  210  may be configured to maintain master keys for the tokens. The TKS module  210  may also store symmetric keys associated with the token. These keys may be derived from a single master key combined with smart card serial number or identification number, i.e., the CID. The manufacturer of the smart card may store these symmetric keys onto the token. The manufacturer may also forward the single master key to the administrator of the token management system  120 , who installs the key into the TKS module  210 . 
         [0025]    The DRM module  215  may be configured to maintain a database of encrypted subject&#39;s private keys, which can be recovered on demand by an appropriate process. 
         [0026]    The CA module  220  may be configured to generate X.509 certificates in response to received subject public key information and certificate enrollment requests. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary token  300  in accordance with yet another embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the token  300  depicted in  FIG. 3  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the token  300  includes an interface  305 , a processor  310 , and memory  315 . The interface  305 , the processor  310  and the memory  315  may be implemented with an application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or other similar technologies. 
         [0029]    The interface  305  may be configured as communication conduit for data between the token and the security client  130 . The interface  305  may comply with existing smart card interface standards as known to those skilled in the art. The processor  310  may be configured to provide a computing platform for the functions of the token  300 . For example, the processor  310  can transfer data, execute applets stored in the memory  315 . The memory  315  may be configured to securely store information such as private keys, data, applets (small applications). The memory  315  may be partitioned into blocks  320 - 324 . 
         [0030]    Accordingly, the token  300  may be configured to store a token applet  330  in accordance with various embodiments. More specifically, the token applet  330  may be small program of instructions which may direct the security client  130  to perform a predefined task. The token applet  330  may be written in an appropriate computer language such as C, C++, Perl, Java, Extended Markup Language (“XML”), or other similar language. For example, the token applet  330  may direct the security client  130  to connect with a predetermined website after enrollment or a valid authentication. The predetermined website may be a secure site but since the token  300  had previously been authenticated, the security client  130  may access the predetermined website. Refining the previous example, the token  300  may be issued by a stock trading company. After enrolling the token  300 , the token applet  330  may be configure to connect with the user&#39;s web page at the stock trading company web site (each web site being identified by a universal resource locater (“URL”)), where the authentication process between the user and the web page has already been accomplished. 
         [0031]    Another example is the token applet  330  may direct the security client  130  to retrieve a data file at a predetermined location as defined by a URL. The data file may contain instructions for the security client  130  to execute. Again the data file may be implemented in a computer language such as C++, Java, Perl or other similar languages. Accordingly, a configurable token may be implemented that permits authenticated access for the user. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  illustrates a flow diagram  400  implemented by the security client  130  in accordance with yet another embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the flow diagram  400  depicted in  FIG. 4  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified. Moreover, the implementation of flow diagram  400  may be as computer readable program code in a computer language such as C, C++, PASCAL, etc. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the security client  130  may initially be in an idle state, in step  405 . The security client  130  may have been invoked during the boot-up process of the client  110 . A user may insert a token, e.g., token  300 , into the security device  125  of the client  110 . In step  410 , the security client  130  may detect the presence of the inserted token  300 . 
         [0034]    In step  415 , the security client  130  may determine a status of the token  300 . If the token has already been initialized and bound to a user, i.e., enrolled, in step  420 , the security client  130  may be configured to retrieve and execute the token applet  330  for the client  110 , in step  425 . 
         [0035]    Otherwise, if the security client  130  determines that the inserted token  300  has not been enrolled, in step  420 , the security client  130  may be configured to enroll the token  300 . More specifically, the security client  130  may send a request to the token management  200  to generate keys and certificates for the inserted token  300  that bind the token  300  to the user. Additional details of enrolling a token may be found in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/446,957 entitled “Methods and Systems for Server Side Key Generation,” filed on Jun. 6, 2006 and concurrently filed U.S. patent application entitled “Methods and System for Phone Home Certification, which are incorporated in their entirety be reference. Subsequently, the security client  130  may execute the token applet  330 , in step  425  after receiving the requested keys and/or certificates. 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing platform  500  where an embodiment may be practiced. The functions of the security client and token management system may be implemented in program code and executed by the computing platform  500 . The security client and token management system may be implemented in computer languages such as PASCAL, C, C++, JAVA, etc. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the computer system  500  includes one or more processors, such as processor  502  that provide an execution platform for embodiments of the security client and token management system. Commands and data from the processor  502  are communicated over a communication bus  504 . The computer system  500  also includes a main memory  506 , such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), where the security client and token management system may be executed during runtime, and a secondary memory  508 . The secondary memory  508  includes, for example, a hard disk drive  510  and/or a removable storage drive  512 , representing a floppy diskette drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disk drive, etc., where a copy of a computer program embodiment for the security client and token management system may be stored. The removable storage drive  512  reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit  514  in a well-known manner. A user interfaces with the security client and token management system with a keyboard  516 , a mouse  518 , and a display  520 . A display adapter  522  interfaces with the communication bus  504  and the display  520 . The display adapter also receives display data from the processor  502  and converts the display data into display commands for the display  520 . 
         [0038]    Certain embodiments may be performed as a computer program. The computer program may exist in a variety of forms both active and inactive. For example, the computer program can exist as software program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code, object code, executable code or other formats; firmware program(s); or hardware description language (HDL) files. Any of the above can be embodied on a computer readable medium, which include storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form. Exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable, programmable ROM), and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrier or not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running the present invention can be configured to access, including signals downloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples of the foregoing include distribution of executable software program(s) of the computer program on a CD-ROM or via Internet download. In a sense, the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readable medium. The same is true of computer networks in general. 
         [0039]    While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. In particular, although the method has been described by examples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different order than illustrated or simultaneously. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims and their equivalents.

Technology Category: h