Secure zone for digital communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10484338-B2
Application number	US-201816034611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2018
Priority date	Apr 13, 2012
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

The systems, methods and apparatuses described herein provide a computing environment that includes a secure zone for executing tasks. An apparatus according to the present disclosure may comprise a screen, a secure zone and an indicator operatively controlled by the secure zone. The secure zone may be configured to execute a task and to assume control over an output to the screen while the apparatus is operating in a secure mode and to transfer control over the output to the screen to a non-secure zone while the apparatus is operating in a non-secure mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a screen;
an indicator;
a non-secure zone; and
a secure zone comprising:
a non-volatile storage configured to store at least one digital certificate and at least one encryption key;
a secure processor configured to execute a task comprising task certificate information representing a task signer; and
a supervisor configured to:
control access to the at least one digital certificate and the at least one encryption key;
assume control over an output of the screen when the apparatus operates in a secure mode and to transfer control over the output of the screen to the non-secure zone when the apparatus operates in a non-secure mode; and
control operation of the indicator, wherein the supervisor activates the indicator when the apparatus operates in the secure mode and deactivates the indicator when the apparatus operates in the non-secure mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the supervisor is further configured to delegate the control over the output to the entire screen to the task executed by the secure processor when the apparatus is operating in the secure mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the supervisor is further configured to deactivate the indicator when the supervisor delegates the control over the output to the entire screen to the task executed by the secure processor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the supervisor is further configured, when the apparatus is operating in the secure mode, to delegate control of a first portion of the screen to the task executing within the secure zone, and display the task certificate information in a second portion of the screen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secure mode is a full-screen secure mode or a partial-screen secure mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the supervisor is further configured to activate the indicator when the apparatus is operating in the partial-screen secure mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the supervisor is further configured to:
delegate the control over the output of the entire screen to the task executed by the secure processor when the apparatus is operating in the full-screen secure mode; and
deactivate the indicator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an input device, and a switch connected to the input device, wherein the switch is configured to direct input received through the input device to the secure zone in the secure mode and to the non-secure zone in the non-secure mode.

9. That apparatus of claim 1 , wherein apparatus further comprises a mixer, and the secure zone further comprises a decoder and an image processor; wherein the mixer is configured to receive input from one or more of: the decoder, the image processor, and the non-secure zone; and wherein the mixer is configured to provide the output to the screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the mixer is configured to receive the task certificate information, and information from the decoder, and provide to the screen an output comprising in part the task certificate information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the mixer is configured to exclude input received from the non-secure zone from the output to the screen when the apparatus is operating in the secure mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secure zone further comprises a memory inaccessible to the non-secure zone, the memory of the secure zone configured to store executable code; and wherein the supervisor is configured to load the executable code of the task into the memory and let the secure processor execute the executable code.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the supervisor is further configured to decrypt the task.

14. A method of operating an apparatus, comprising:
receiving a task, at a secure zone of the apparatus, from a non-secure zone of the apparatus, wherein the task comprises task certificate information representing a task signer;
assuming control, by a supervisor of the secure zone, over an output to a screen of the apparatus;
executing the task, by a secure processor of the secure zone, utilizing data stored in a memory of the secure zone, wherein the memory of the secure zone is inaccessible to the non-secure zone;
activating, by the supervisor, an indicator of the secure zone when the task is being executed by the secure processor; and
transferring control, by the supervisor, over the output to the screen to the non-secure zone after the task execution is complete.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the output to the screen comprises the task certificate information.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising decrypting, by the supervisor, the task using an encryption key stored in a non-volatile storage of the secure zone.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising validating, by the supervisor, a digital signature associated with the task using a corresponding digital certificate stored in a non-volatile storage of the secure zone.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the secure zone comprises an interface separating the non-secure zone from the secure zone, and the secure zone receives the task from the non-secure zone through the interface.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising executing an operating system and at least one application in the non-secure zone.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising switching input received from a peripheral device to the secure zone when the task is being executed; and switching input received from the peripheral device to the non-secure zone after the task execution is completed.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a mixer and the secure zone further comprises of a decoder and an image processor, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving input at the mixer from the decoder and the image processor, wherein the input from the image processor comprises the task certificate information representing the task signer; and
generating an output by the mixer to the screen, wherein the output comprises the task certificate information representing the task signer to be displayed on a designated area of the screen when the task is being executed by the secure processor.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the task certificate information representing the task signer comprises an identity image.

23. The method of claim 14 , further comprising excluding input received from the non-secure zone from the output to the screen when the task is being executed by the secure processor.

Assignees

• Ologn Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Ignatchenko Sergey

Classifications

• G06F21/84

  output devices, e.g. displays or monitors · CPC title

• G06F21/44

  Program or device authentication · CPC title

• G06F21/53

  by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine · CPC title

• G06F21/57

  Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities · CPC title

• G06F2221/2143

  Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen · CPC title