GB2412544A

GB2412544A - Visual verification of the user of a mobile device

Info

Publication number: GB2412544A
Application number: GB0406398A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Richard Thompson
Original assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
Current assignee: Vodafone Group PLC
Priority date: 2004-03-22
Filing date: 2004-03-22
Publication date: 2005-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 2024-03-22
Also published as: GB2412544B; GB0406398D0

Abstract

A method of providing a visual verification of the user of a mobile communication device and a mobile communication device for providing such a visual verification, in which the image 1 is received in the device 3, encrypted and stored in the device 3, and decrypted and displayed on the display 19 of the device 3. The method is suitable for displaying a photo-identity of the user of a contactless smart card which is integrated into the mobile device.

Description

1 24 12544

VISUAL VERIFICATION OF THE USER OF A MOBILE DEVICE

The invention relates to a method of providing visual verification of a designated user of a mobile communication device and a mobile communication device for providing such visual verification. It is suitable for displaying an image of the designated user of a contactless smart card (a "photo-identity") which is integrated into the mobile communication device.

There are circumstances when it would be beneficial for a mobile communication device to have the ability to display an image of a designated user of the mobile communication device so as to allow a third party to compare the image with the user of the mobile communication device to determine whether the user is the designated user. For example, it is known for a mobile communication device to include a contactless smart card comprising data identifying a designated user of the mobile communication device to enable, for example, financial transactions such as pre-payment for public transport or keyless entry to vehicles and buildings.

Such a device is disclosed in WO2004/012352. Although this technology has many inherent advantages, one disadvantage is the lack of associated photo-identity which is available with traditional contactless smart cards (which are typically embedded in credit card sized pieces of plastic bearing a photograph of the user). A visual identity check by, for example, security personnel is often required when a contactless smart card included in a mobile communication device is used, for example, for keyless entry to a building. A method and apparatus for providing such transactions with S biometric indicia to allow authentication of the identity of a user by comparison with stored data is disclosed in WO01/86599, but this requires further authentication equipment.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of providing visual verification of a designated user of a mobile communication device, comprising the steps of receiving data representing a visual identifier of the designated user, encrypting the data, storing the encrypted data in a storage location, decrypting the data using the device upon activation by a trigger, and displaying the decrypted data on a display 1 S of the device.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a mobile telecommunication device for providing visual verification of a designated user using encrypted data stored in a storage location representing a visual identifier of a designated user, the device comprising means for decrypting the data upon activation by a trigger, and means for displaying the decrypted data on a display of the device.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of providing visual verification of a designated user of a mobile communication device including a contactless smart card, comprising the steps of receiving an image of a designated user in the device, encrypting S the image, storing the encrypted image in the device, decrypting the image on activation by a trigger, and displaying the decrypted image on a display of the device.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is also provided a mobile telecommunication device including a contactless smart card for providing a visual verification of the designated user comprising means for receiving an image of a designated user in the device, means for encrypting the image, means for storing the encrypted image in the device, means for decrypting the image upon activation by a trigger, and means for displaying the decrypted image on a display of the device.

A method of providing visual verification of the user of a mobile communication device and a mobile communication device for providing such visual verification will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a mobile communication device including a SIM card, a store and a cryptosystem and a remote server; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram, similar to that shown in Figure 1, but including a digital camera incorporated into the device; and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the mobile communication device of either Figure 1 or Figure 2 upon activation by a trigger.

In the drawings, like elements are generally designated with the same reference numeral.

Referring to Figure 1, a mobile communication device is formed by, for example, a mobile telephone 3 generally of known kind which may be a telephone for use in a cellular network operating according to the GSM protocols and having a contactless smart card 4, a SIM card 13 and a cryptosystem 15. The contactless smart card 4 contains data identifying a designated user of the mobile telephone 3. The contactless smart card 4 is used by the designated user to verify the identity of the designated user.

The SIM card 13 is used, inter alla, for authenticating use of the mobile telephone 3 in the cellular network to which the SIM card 13 is subscribed.

The cellular network stores details of each SIM card issued under control of the network. When mobile telephone 3 is activated in an area covered by the cellular network, the mobile telephone 3 is authenticated by the cellular network. The network sends a challenge to the mobile telephone 3, which is passed to the SIM card 13. To respond to the challenge the SIM card 13 calculates a response which is dependent upon predetermined information held on the SIM - typically an authentication algorithm and a unique key Ki. This response is then transmitted by the mobile telephone 3 back to the network, which checks the response against its own information stored concerning the SIM card 13. The cellular network may implement an algorithm corresponding to the authentication algorithm on the SIM and may have a key corresponding to Ki. Using this information stored by the network, the network will be able to calculate the anticipated response to the challenge. If the anticipated response calculated by the network corresponds to the response received from the mobile telephone 3, the mobile telephone 3 is authenticated.

Figure I shows one way in which an image 1 of the designated user is received in the mobile telephone 3. An image 1 of the designated user is submitted by the designated user to a privately hosted secure server 5 prior to initialization of the mobile telephone 3. In order to maintain security, the server 5 is not Internet based and comprises instead an access point node (APN) controlled or hosted by the cellular network to which the SIM card 13 is subscribed. In order to initialise the mobile telephone 3, the user will utilise software available in the mobile telephone 3 and follow on- screen prompts. As part of the initialization, the image 1 stored in the server 5 is caused to transmit from the server 5 to the mobile telephone 3. This communication is provided via wireless telecommunications system link 7 between the server 5 and the mobile telephone 3. The telecommunications system link 7 is preferably a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) link.

This initialization process can only be executed by the user once, although it can be reset by the service provider to allow it to be repeated in controlled circumstances.

Once the image l has been downloaded onto the mobile telephone 3, it is encrypted using a Java cryptosystem 15 to produce an encrypted image 9.

This is achieved as follows. The image 1 is combined with a secret cryptography key 11 (which may be the key Ki described above) that is stored in the mobile telephone 3, and is preferably stored on the SIM card 13 of the mobile telephone 3. An image cryptography algorithm is provided in the cryptosystem 15 to combine the image l with the key 11, resulting in an encrypted image 9 which is derived from the original image 1. The encrypted image 9 is persistently stored in a storage location in the mobile telephone 3, to be decrypted and displayed on the display of the mobile telephone 3 when required as described below. Once the encrypted image 9 is stored in the mobile telephone 3, the designated user is able to use the contactless smart card 4 for any of the transactions allowed thereby.

Where a visual verification of the designated user is required in order to complete the transaction, this is achieved as described below with reference to Figure 3.

An alternative way in which the image 1 could be received in the mobile telephone 3, prior to use of the contactless smart card 4 by the user, is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 shows a mobile telephone 3 which is generally the same as the mobile telephone 3 of Figure 1, with like elements being designated the same reference numeral, and not described in detail here.

The mobile telephone 3 additionally comprises a digital camera 17, which is used to take the image 1 of the user. The image 1 is held in the mobile telephone 3. The image 1 is therefore able to be encrypted and subsequently decrypted using the Java cryptosystem 15 to allow visual verification of the user as described below. The mobile telephone 3 may allow the image 1 to be transmitted from the device 3 to the server 5 via the telecommunications system link 7, thereby allowing the image 1 to be stored remotely from the mobile telephone 3 on the server 5. This makes the image 1 available for subsequent downloading.

Figure 3 shows how the image 1 is displayed on the display 19 of the mobile telephone 3 upon activation of the mobile telephone 3. The mobile telephone 3 is activated when the contactless smart card 4 is read by an external reader to enable a transaction such as a financial transaction or entry to a vehicle or building, when the completion of such a transaction requires visual verification of the user by, for example, security personnel.

The Java cryptosystem 15 of the mobile telephone 3 is activated by a trigger 21 generated when the contactless smart card 4 is read. Upon activation, the cryptosystem 15 acts to retrieve the encrypted image 9 from its storage location in the mobile telephone 3 and combine the encrypted image 9 with the key 11 on the SIM card 13 using the cryptosystem 15. Once the encrypted image 9 has been decrypted using the key 11 to re-form the image I, the image 1 is displayed on a display 19 of the mobile telephone 3 for a predetermined length of time. The displaying of the image 1 after the activation of the contactless smart card provides an image of the designated user similar to that associated with known contactless smart cards, and provides the visual verification required to enable the designated user to complete the transaction.

The Java cryptosystem 15 is enabled or "signed" by the cellular network service provider, meaning that the one particular cryptosystem 15 is the only cryptosystem activated by the trigger 21 generated by the particular contactlcss smart card 4 associated with the mobile telephone 3. For example, the signal generated on activation of the trigger 21 may be encrypted using a key (for example, provided in association with the contactless smart card 4). The Java cryptosystem 15 is provided with a corresponding key. The encrypted signal received by the Java cryptosystem as a result of the activation of the trigger 21 can be decrypted only by the key provided to the Java cryptosystem 15. The Java cryptosystem 15 will only cause the display of image to run on the display l9 in response to receipt of and successful decryption of the signal received on activation of the trigger 21. In this way, the cryptosystem 15 cannot be accessed by a non-designated user or application in order to use fraudulently the image l l 5 to enable transactions enableable by the contactless smart card 4.

Other Java applications loaded onto the mobile telephone 3 could be permitted to display the image l of the designated user using the cryptosystem described herein - for example, a third party could contact the host of the server 5 to request that the image l of the designated user be displayed as a check that the person in possession of the mobile telephone 3 is the designated user. However, the Java cryptosystem 15 is the only application able to display the image I on the display 19 specifically after receiving the trigger 21 as the contactless smart card is activated.

Additionally, the cryptosystem may be "locked" so that it cannot be closed or otherwise interfered with during the period of time for which the image I is displayed on the display 19.

In the embodiments described above the image 1 of the designated user is obtained either from a privately hosted secure server 5 or from a digital camera 17 provided in association with the mobile telephone 3. This image is then encrypted using a secret cryptography key l I and is persistently stored in a storage location in the mobile telephone 3, to be decrypted and displayed on the display of the mobile telephoned 3 when required. In an alternative to these embodiments, the encrypted image 9 is not stored on the mobile telephone 3 but is instead stored on the privately hosted secure server 5 (or some other remote server).

When such an alternative arrangement is employed, when the contactless smart card 4 is read by an external reader, the trigger 21 generated when the contactless smart card 4 is read causes the mobile telephone 3 to retrieve the encrypted image 9 from the remote server. The encrypted image 9 is then decrypted by the cryptosystem 15 using the key l 1 on the SIM card 13 in the manner described in the previous embodiments. In this alternative arrangement the initial image I of the designated user may be encrypted either using the Java cryptosystem present on the mobile telephone 3, and subsequently transmitted to the remote server, or may be encrypted by the remote server. For example, if the image is encrypted using the key K, stored on the SIM card 13 and also known to the cellular network, this key K, could be made known to the remote server (provided it complies with the security requirements of the cellular network), thereby enabling the image I to be encrypted by the remote server.

In this arrangement, security is maintained because, although it might be possible for an unauthorized mobile telephone to obtain the encrypted image data from the remote server, this encrypted image data can only be decrypted satisfactorily by the mobile terminal 3 that has the relevant key.

An advantage of this alternative arrangement is that the mobile terminal 3 does not store the encrypted image - thereby reducing the amount of storage required for the mobile telephone 3. However, a disadvantage of this alternative arrangement is that it will only be possible for the contactless smart card 4 to be used to provide a visual verification of a designated user when the mobile terminal 3 is within the coverage area of the cellular network.

In the embodiment described above the cellular network is a GSM network.

The network may be a UMTS (3G) network or any other network (and not necessarily a mobile telephone communications network).

In the embodiment described above the mobile telephone 3 is for use in a GSM cellular network. It should be appreciated that the mobile device could be any device that is connectable to the cellular network - for example, a mobile telecommunication enabled PDA or a computer with a suitable datacard for connecting to the cellular network. Of course, if the network is not a mobile telecommunications network, the device will be a device suitable for communication with whatever type of network is provided.

The embodiments described herein are not intended to, and should not be taken to, limit the scope of the invention which extends to any suitable arrangement for image cryptography in a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of providing visual verification of a designated user of a mobile communication device, comprising the steps of: receiving data representing a visual identifier of the designated user; encrypting the data; storing the encrypted data in a storage location; decrypting the data using the device upon activation by a trigger; and displaying the decrypted data on a display of the device.

2. The method of claim l, wherein the step of receiving data representing a visual identifier of the designated user in the device comprises storing the data in an external source and transmitting the data from the external source to the device.

3. The method of claim 2 and comprising transmitting a signal to the external source, such signal causing the external source to transmit said data to the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitted signal is transmissible only once.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving data representing a visual identifier of the designated user in the device comprises receiving the image from a camera integrated into the device.

6. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the step of encrypting the data comprises using an algorithm stored in the device to combine the image with a key stored in the device.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the encrypted data is stored in the device.

8. The network of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the step of encrypting the data comprises using an algorithm stored in an external source to encrypt the data using a key.

9. The method of any one of claims I to 6 or claim 8, wherein the encrypted data is stored in an external source.

10. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the step of decrypting the data upon activation by a trigger comprises retrieving the data from said storage location and combining the image with a key stored in the device to decrypt the image.

11. The method of any preceding claim, and in which the device includes a contactless smart card, the method comprising generating a trigger for the decryption step on the reading of the contactless smart card by an external reader.

1 2. The method of claim 11, wherein the decryption step is only performed on receipt of said trigger.

13. The method of claim 11 or 12, and including verifying the authenticity of said trigger.

14. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the decrypted image is displayed on the display of the device for a predetermined length of time.

15. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the visual identifier is an image of the designated user of the device.

16. A mobile communication device embodying the method steps of any preceding claim.

17. A mobile telecommunication device for providing visual verification of a designated user using encrypted data stored in a storage location representing a visual identifier of a designated user, the device comprising means for decrypting the data upon activation by a trigger, and means for displaying the decrypted data on a display of the device.

18. The device of claim 17, including means for receiving data representing a visual identifier of the designated user in the device using a mobile telecommunication system link to an external source.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the external source is a secure server to which the data has been previously submitted by the designated user.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the device is linked to the secure server by a mobile telecommunication system link.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the mobile telecommunication system link comprises the General Packet Radio Service system.

22. The device of any one of claims 17 to 21, further comprising means for transmitting a signal to the external source, such a signal causing the external source to transmit said data to the device.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the means for transmitting the signal to the external source is configured to transmit the said signal once only.

24. The device of any one of claims 17 to 23, including means for receiving said data representing a visual identifier of the designated user.

25. The device of claim 27, wherein the means for receiving data representing a visual identifier of the designated user in the device comprise a camera integrated into the device.

26. The device of any one of the preceding claims, including means for encrypting the data representing a visual identifier of the designated user.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the means for encrypting the data comprises a key stored in the device and an algorithm stored in the device to combine the image with the key.

28. The device of any one of claims 17 to 27, wherein the encrypted data is stored in the device in said storage location.

29. The device of any one of claims 17 to 28, wherein the means for decrypting the image upon activation by a trigger comprises a key stored in the device and an algorithm stored in the device to combine the image with the key.

30. The device of any one of claims 17 to 29, and in which device includes a contactless smart card, the device further comprising means for generating a trigger when the contactless smart card is read by an external reader.

31. The device of claim 29 or 30, wherein the arrangement is such that the means for decrypting the image is only operable in response said trigger.

32. The device of claim 29, 30 or 31, including means for verifying the authenticity of said trigger.

33. The device of any one of claims 17 to 32, wherein the visual identifier is an image of the designated user of the device.

34. A method of providing visual verification of a designated user of a mobile communication device, comprising the steps of: receiving an image of the designated user in the device; encrypting the image; storing the encrypted image in a storage location in the device; decrypting the image upon activation by a trigger; and displaying the decrypted image on a display of the device.

35. A mobile telecommunication device for providing visual verification of a designated user comprising means for receiving an image of a designated user in the device, means for encrypting the image, means for storing the encrypted image in a storage location in the device, means for decrypting the image upon activation by a trigger, and means for displaying the decrypted image on a display of the device.

36. A method of providing visual verification of a designated user of a mobile communication device including a contactless smart card substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

37. A mobile telecommunication device including a contactless smart card with means for providing visual verification of a designated user substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.