Security device
View Patent ↗A portable electronic device comprising a service provision unit capable of providing a service to a user, a communication unit capable of receiving authorization data from an authorization device and a validation unit capable of analyzing the received authorization data to determine whether it meets a validation requirement and being arranged to inhibit provision of the service by the service provision unit if the authorization data does not meet the validation requirement, the communication unit being arranged to receive authorization data from the authorization device and the validation unit being arranged to analyze the received authorization data whenever the communication unit and the authorization device are capable of communicating with each other.
1. A method comprising:
performing a first validation operation based on a first generated code previously communicated between an authorization device and a user device separate to the authorization device;
determining that the first validation operation is successful and enabling provision of one or more services by said user device;
storing a second generated code communicated between said authorization device and said user device in preparation for a second validation operation at a later time;
performing said second validation operation based on said second generated code;
treating the first generated code as a public key;
applying a function to the public key according to a public/private key protocol;
receiving a calculated value from the authorization device;
analyzing said calculated value in accordance with the public/private key protocol; and determining that the first validation operation is successful if the calculated value satisfies the requirements of the public/private key protocol.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second generated codes are communicated between said authorization device and said user device over a wired connection.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second generated codes are communicated between said authorization device and said user device over a wireless connection.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
after said enabling said provision of one or more services by said user device, monitoring for a presence of a trigger condition, detecting that said trigger condition is present, and inhibiting said user device from providing said one or more services until successful completion of said second validation operation.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the trigger condition is present if at least a predetermined length of time has elapsed since successful completion of the first validation operation.
6. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the user device comprises a battery and the trigger condition is present if the battery needs charging.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the authorization device comprises a dongle.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the authorization device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification tag.
9. An apparatus comprising:
a validation unit configured to perform a first validation operation based on a first generated code previously communicated between an authorization device and a user device separate to the authorization device, wherein the validation unit is further configured to treat the first generated code as a public key and apply a function to the public key according to a public/private key protocol, to receive a calculated value from the authorization device, and to analyze the calculated value in accordance with the public/private key protocol, and wherein the first validation operation is determined to be successful if the calculated value satisfies the requirements of the public/private key protocol;
an enabling unit configured to enable provision of one or more services by the user device in dependence on the first validation operation being successful;
a storing unit configured to store a second generated code communicated between the authorization device and the user device in preparation for a second validation operation at a later time; and
wherein the validation unit is further configured to perform the second validation operation based on the second generated code.
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first and second generated codes are communicated between said authorization device and said user device over a wired connection.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first and second generated codes are communicated between said authorization device and said user device over a wireless connection.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a monitoring unit configured to monitor for a presence of a trigger condition after said enabling provision of said one or more services by said user device in dependence on the first validation operation being successful; and an inhibiting unit configured to inhibit the service provision unit from providing said one or more services if the trigger condition is present until successful completion of said second validation operation.
13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the trigger condition is present if at least a predetermined length of time has elapsed since successful completion of said first validation operation.
14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the user device comprises a battery and the trigger condition is present if the battery needs charging.
15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the authorization device comprises a dongle.
16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the authorization device comprises a Radio Frequency Identification tag.
17. A computer program, embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program configured to control a processor to perform operations comprising:
performing a first validation operation based on a first generated code previously communicated between an authorization device and a user device separate to the authorization device;
determining that the first validation operation is successful and enabling provision of one or more services by the user device;
storing a second generated code communicated between the authorization device and the user device in preparation for a second validation operation at a later time; and
performing the second validation operation based on the second generated code;
treating the first generated code as a public key;
applying a function to the public key according to a public/private key protocol;
receiving a calculated value from the authorization device;
analyzing the calculated value in accordance with the public/private key protocol; and
determining that the first validation operation is successful if the calculated value satisfies the requirements of the public/private key protocol.
18. The computer program as claimed in claim 17 , which is further configured to control the processor to perform the following operations:
monitoring for a presence of a trigger condition after said enabling said provision of one or more services by said user device;
detecting that said trigger condition is present; and
inhibiting said user device from providing said one or more services until successful completion of said second validation operation.
19. The computer program as claimed in claim 17 , which is further configured to control the processor to perform the following operations:
determining that the trigger condition is present if at least a predetermined length of time has elapsed since successful completion of the first validation operation.
20. The computer program as claimed in claim 17 , which is further configured to control the processor to perform the following operations:
determining that the trigger condition is present if a battery of said user device needs charging.