Computer architecture for a handheld electronic device with a shared human-machine interface

1. A mobile PDA computer system, comprising:

a secure user processor, comprising:

a trusted microprocessor;

a trusted operating system executing on said trusted microprocessor;

a trusted application software executing on said trusted microprocessor;

a non-secure user processor, comprising:

a non-trusted microprocessor;

a non-trusted operating system executing on said non-trusted microprocessor;

a non-trusted application software executing on said non-trusted microprocessor;

a cryptographic engine configured for encrypting and decrypting data comprising:

a trusted cryptographic processor;

a trusted operating system executing on said trusted cryptographic processor;

a first data communication link for communicating data between said secure user processor and said cryptographic engine;

a second data communication link for communicating data between said non-secure user processor and said cryptographic engine; and

a shared human/machine interface comprising a digital multiplexer that is exclusively responsive to said cryptographic engine for selectively enabling exclusive bi-directional communication of information between a user and one of said secure user processor, said non-secure user processor and said cryptographic engine; and

a third data communication link for communicating control information between said cryptographic engine to said shared human/machine interface;

wherein said non-secure user processor is operatively connected to a communications transceiver, said secure processor is configured to utilize said non-secure processor to exchange information with said communications transceiver, and said cryptographic engine is further configured to command said shared human/machine interface to delete sensitive information contained therein and to command said digital multiplexer to connect to said non-secure user processor only after said sensitive information has been deleted from said shared human/machine interface.

2. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 1 , wherein said shared human/machine interface provides said bi-directional communication of information with said secure user processor, said non-secure user processor, and said cryptographic engine on a time multiplexed basis.

3. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 2 , wherein said sensitive information is deleted from said human/machine interface after it has been used for said bi-directional communication of information with said secure user processor or said cryptographic engine.

4. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 2 , wherein said human/machine interface comprises at least one input device to allow a user to input control commands and input data, and at least one output device to allow the mobile PDA computer system to inform a user.

5. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 1 , wherein said communications transceiver comprises a wireless communications transceiver.

6. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 5 , wherein said wireless communications transceiver is selected from the group consisting of a wireless LAN transceiver and a cellular telephone transceiver.

7. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 1 , further comprising a secure file system, wherein said secure file system serves said secure data in decrypted form exclusively to said secure user processor.

8. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 7 , wherein said secure data in said secure file system is available to said non-secure user processor only in an encrypted format.

9. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 8 , wherein said secure data in said secure file system is available to said secure user processor in a decrypted form only after a user of said secure user processor has provided a user authentication.

10. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 1 , wherein two audio interfaces are provided, a first audio interface for communicating audio information to and from said secure user processor, and a second audio interface for communicating audio information to and from said non-secure user processor.

11. A method for managing classified and unclassified data on a mobile PDA computer system, comprising:

processing classified data exclusively using a secure user processor, comprising a trusted microprocessor and a trusted operating system executing on said trusted microprocessor;

processing unclassified data exclusively using a non-secure user processor operatively connected to a communications transceiver, comprising a non-trusted microprocessor and a non- trusted operating system executing on said non-trusted microprocessor;

communicating encrypted and decrypted classified data between said secure user processor and said cryptographic engine using a first data communication link;

communicating data from said secure processor and said cryptographic engine to said non- secure processor exclusively in an encrypted form using a second data communication link between said cryptographic engine and said non-secure processor;

communicating data between a user and each of said secure user processor, said non-secure user processor, and said cryptographic engine using a shared human/machine interface; and

communicating encrypted classified data between said secure processor and said communications transceiver using said non-secure processor;

communicating a first command from said cryptographic engine to said shared human/machine interface for deleting sensitive information contained in said shared human/machine interface; and

subsequent to said deletion of said sensitive information, communicating a second command from said cryptographic engine to a digital multiplexer for connecting said shared human/machine interface to said non-secure user processor.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising performing wireless data communication of unclassified data from said non-secure processor using said communications transceiver.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein said communicating of said encrypted classified data further comprises performing a wireless data communication from said secure processor using said communications transceiver.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising selecting said communications transceiver for performing said wireless data communication from the group consisting of a wireless LAN transceiver and a cellular telephone transceiver.

15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising communicating classified audio information to and from said secure user processor with a first audio interface, and communicating unclassified audio information to and from said non-secure user processor with a second audio interface distinct from said first audio interface.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said sensitive information is deleted from said shared human/machine interface after a first communication session between said shared human/machine interface and said secure user processor and before a second communication session between said shared human/machine interface and said non-secure user processor.

17. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising zeroizing said shared human/machine interface after a first communication session between said shared human/machine interface and said non-secure user processor and before a second communication session between said shared human/machine interface and said secure user processor.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising controlling said zeroizing with said cryptographic engine.

19. A mobile PDA computer system, comprising:

a secure user processor, comprising:

a trusted microprocessor;

a trusted operating system executing on said trusted microprocessor;

a trusted application software executing on said trusted microprocessor;

a non-secure user processor, comprising:

a non-trusted microprocessor;

a non-trusted operating system executing on said non-trusted microprocessor;

a non-trusted application software executing on said non-trusted microprocessor;

a cryptographic engine configured for encrypting and decrypting data comprising:

a trusted cryptographic processor;

a trusted operating system executing on said trusted cryptographic processor;

a first data communication link for communicating data between said secure user processor and said cryptographic engine;

a second data communication link for communicating data between said non-secure user processor and said cryptographic engine;

a shared human/machine interface (HMI) comprising a digital multiplexer that is exclusively responsive to said cryptographic engine configured for selectively enabling an exclusive bi- directional communication of information between a user and only one of said secure user processor, said non-secure user processor and said cryptographic engine; and

a third data communication link for communicating control information between said cryptographic engine and said secure HMI;

wherein said cryptographic engine is further configured to command said shared HMI to delete sensitive information contained therein and to command said digital multiplexer to connect to said non-secure user processor only after said sensitive information has been deleted from said secure HMI.

20. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 19 , wherein said shared HMI is contained within a Radio Frequency Interference shielded enclosure.

21. The mobile PDA computer system according to claim 1 , wherein the trusted cryptographic processor serves as the only communication link between the secure user processor and non-secure user processor.