Smart Card with Domain-Trust Evaluation and Domain Policy Management Functions

Abstract

Methods and instrumentalities are disclosed that enable one or more domains on one or more devices to be owned or controlled by one or more different local or remote owners, while providing a level of system-wide management of those domains. Each domain may have a different owner, and each owner may specify policies for operation of its domain and for operation of its domain in relation to the platform on which the domain resides, and other domains. A system-wide domain manager may be resident on one of the domains. The system-wide domain manager may enforce the policies of the domain on which it is resident, and it may coordinate the enforcement of the other domains by their respective policies in relation to the domain in which the system-wide domain manager resides. Additionally, the system-wide domain manager may coordinate interaction among the other domains in accordance with their respective policies. A domain application may be resident on one of the domains. The domain application may be ported to the platform based on a relationship between at least one domain owner and at least one other domain owner of the one or more domains.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method to provision services for an Applications Service Provider (ASP) on a subscriber module of a device, the method comprising:
 receiving an authorization from the ASP to create a security domain, on the subscriber module, for the ASP;   establishing the security domain for the ASP upon verification of the authorization;   sending a first receipt confirming the establishment of the security domain;   receiving, from the ASP, an application to be loaded in the security domain;   installing the application and activating the application in the security domain; and   sending a second receipt to the ASP upon successful installation and activation of the application in the security domain.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application enables a plurality of service providers to provision a respective domain that is subsidiary to the security domain with credentials that enable authentication with the respective service provider. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber module comprises a plurality of domains subsidiary to the security domain, the method further comprising:
 provisioning, at a first domain of the plurality of domains subsidiary to the security domain, credentials for authentication with a first service provider.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber module comprises a plurality of domains subsidiary to the security domain, and the application enables a plurality of service providers to provision credentials in a respective domain subsidiary to the security domain, such that the credentials of each service provider are isolated with respect to one another and with respect to the security domain. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the authorization comprises an authorization token. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein establishing the security domain for the ASP comprises creating a pristine execution and storage environment in the subscriber module before downloading and installing the application. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein establishing the security domain for the ASP comprises providing a secure execution and storage environment in the security domain that is isolated from other domains on the subscriber module. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 provisioning an identity and credentials, in the security domain, which are associated with the security domain of the ASP.   
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first receipt comprises a cryptographic parameter that is generated using credentials associated with the established security domain. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 activating the application comprises associating an identity and cryptographic parameters with the application in the security domain of the ASP; and   the second receipt comprises a cryptographic parameter indicating activation of the application in the security domain.   
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber module is a global platform (GP) compliant card, the method further comprising:
 sending a message such that an entry is made in a GP registry, wherein the entry associates the security domain with the ASP.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the security domain is associated with a state, and the state is one of an installed state, a selectable state, a personalized state, or a locked state. 
     
     
         13 . A device comprising a processor and a memory, the device further comprising computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the device which, when executed by the one or more processors of the apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an authorization from the ASP to create a security domain, on a subscriber module, for the ASP;   establishing the security domain for the ASP upon verification of the authorization;   sending a first receipt confirming the establishment of the security domain;   receiving, from the ASP, an application to be loaded in the security domain;   installing the application and activating the application in the security domain; and   sending a second receipt to the ASP upon successful installation and activation of the application in the security domain.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the application enables a plurality of service providers to provision a respective domain that is subsidiary to the security domain with credentials that enable authentication with the respective service provider. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the subscriber module comprises a plurality of domains subsidiary to the security domain, the method further comprising:
 provisioning, at a first domain of the plurality of domains subsidiary to the security domain, credentials for authentication with a first service provider.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the subscriber module comprises a plurality of domains subsidiary to the security domain, and the application enables a plurality of service providers to provision credentials in a respective domain subsidiary to the security domain, such that the credentials of each service provider are isolated with respect to one another and with respect to the security domain. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the authorization comprises an authorization token. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein establishing the security domain for the ASP comprises creating a pristine execution and storage environment in the subscriber module before downloading the application and installing the application. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein establishing the security domain for the ASP comprises providing a secure execution and storage environment in the security domain that is isolated from other domains on the subscriber module.