Methods and apparatus for providing application credentials

1. A method of obtaining information by which an application running on a device can be authenticated to a data server, comprising:

receiving a request to generate an application-specific credential for the application running on the device, wherein the request is associated with an application identifier that identifies the application; and

generating the application-specific credential using the application identifier and a device-specific master credential.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application-specific credential is generated using a one-way generation technique, so that the application identifier and the master credential cannot be discovered from the application-specific credential.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using a modification detection and/or authentication technique to determine if the application and/or the application identifier have been modified and to prove the application is associated with the application identifier.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the modification detection and/or authentication technique is generated by a server that is distinct from a provider of the application.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the modification detection and/or authentication technique is a digital signature.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is a wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master credential corresponds to a shared secret key between the device and a credential server that is configured to authenticate, on behalf of the data server, a request for data from the application running on the device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the data server, a request for data that includes the application identifier and the application-specific credential.

9. A device configured to provide information by which an application running on the device can be authenticated to a data server, comprising:

receiving logic that operates to receive a request to generate an application-specific credential for the application running on the device, wherein the request is associated with an application identifier that identifies the application; and

generating logic that operates to generate the application-specific credential using the application identifier and a device-specific master credential.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the generating logic uses a one-way credential generation technique, so that the application identifier and the device-specific master credential cannot be discovered from the application-specific credential.

11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising a modification detection and/or authentication technique that operates to determine if the application and/or the application identifier have been modified and prove the application is associated with the application identifier.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the modification detection and/or authentication technique is generated by a server distinct from a provider of the application.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the modification detection and/or authentication technique is a digital signature.

14. The device of claim 9 , wherein the device is a wireless device.

15. The device of claim 9 , wherein the device-specific master credential corresponds to a shared secret key between the device and a credential server that is configured to authenticate, on behalf of the data server, a request for data from the application running on the device.

16. The device of claim 9 , further comprising:

transmitting logic that operates to transmit, to the data server, a request for data that includes the application identifier and the application-specific credential.

17. A device configured to provide information by which an application running on the device can be authenticated to a data server, comprising:

means for receiving a request to generate an application-specific credential for the application running on the device, wherein the request is associated with an application identifier that identifies the application; and

means for generating the application-specific credential using the application identifier and a device-specific master credential.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the means for generating generates the application-specific credential using a one-way generation technique, so that the application identifier and the device-specific master credential cannot be discovered from the application-specific credential.

19. The device of claim 17 , further comprising means for using a modification detection and/or authentication technique to determine if the application and/or application identifier have been modified and prove the application is associated with the application identifier.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the modification detection and/or authentication technique is generated by a server distinct from a provider of the application.

21. The device of claim 19 , wherein the modification detection and/or authentication technique is a digital signature.

22. The device of claim 17 , wherein the device-specific master credential corresponds to a shared secret key between the device and a credential server that is configured to authenticate, on behalf of the data server, a request for data from the application running on the device.

23. The device of claim 17 , further comprising:

means for transmitting, to the data server, a request for data that includes the application identifier and the application-specific credential.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor in a device, causes the device to provide information by which an application running on the device can be authenticated to a data server, the instructions comprising:

at least one instruction for receiving from the application running on the device, a request to generate an application-specific credential for the application running on the device, wherein the request is associated with an application identifier that identifies the application; and

at least one instruction for generating the application-specific credential using the application identifier and a device-specific master credential.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 24 , wherein the application-specific credential is generated using a one-way generation technique, so that the application identifier and the device-specific master credential cannot be discovered from the application-specific credential.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein a modification detection and/or authentication technique that operates to determine if the application and/or the application identifier have been modified is generated by a server that is distinct from a provider of the application.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 25 , wherein a modification detection and/or authentication technique that operates to determine if a application and/or the application identifier have been modified is a digital signature.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 24 , wherein the at least one instruction for generating generates the application-specific credential using a one-way generation technique, so that the application identifier and the device-specific master credential cannot be discovered from the application-specific credential.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 24 , wherein the device is a wireless device.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 24 , wherein the device-specific master credential corresponds to a shared secret key between the device and a credential server that is configured to authenticate, on behalf of the data server, a request for data from the application running on the device.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 24 , further comprising:

instructions for transmitting, to the data server, a request for data that includes the application identifier and the application-specific credential.