Secure element as a digital pocket
The disclosure includes a system and method in which one or more virtual resources are presented to a secure element; and the one or more virtual resources are mapped to available resources based on a model architecture for the secure element in order to provide hardware abstraction, the available physical resources varying based on the model architecture and an associated host device, the virtual resources allowing consistent interaction with the virtual resources regardless of variation in the physical resources available and their location. The hardware abstraction increases the versatility of the secure element and may contribute to the secure element's functionality. The secure element providing functionality to replace most items carried in an individual's pockets, e.g., logical and physical keys, a thumb drive, identification, credit and debit cards, etc.
1. A method comprising:
detecting whether a portable device is in proximity to a host device;
responsive to the detecting that the portable device is in proximity to the host device, establishing wireless communication link between the portable device and the host device, a portion of a secure memory of the portable device being made wirelessly available to the host device as a physical key of the host device;
wirelessly receiving, at the host device, authentication information from the portable device via the wireless communication link; and
automatically unlocking the host device based on the authentication information.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising responsive to detecting that the portable device is no longer in proximity to the host device, automatically locking the host device, the host device being an automobile.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to detecting that the portable device is in proximity to the host device, wirelessly mounting at least the portion of the secure memory of the portable device on the host device, the mounted portion of the secure memory appearing as a physically connected storage device at the host device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein wirelessly receiving the authentication information from the portable device includes wirelessly receiving the authentication information from the secure memory of the portable device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication information are received from the portable device subsequent to a biometric authentication of a user associated with the portable device.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the biometric authentication of the user includes using a biometric sensor to scan biometric information of the user and comparing the scanned biometric information against a biometric sample of an authorized user stored in the secure memory of the portable device, the biometric sensor being located at the portable device.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the biometric authentication of the user includes using a biometric sensor to scan biometric information of the user and comparing the scanned biometric information against a biometric sample of an authorized user stored in the secure memory of the portable device, the biometric sensor being located at the host device.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication information comprises a username and a password.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically unlocking the host device based on the authentication information comprises autocompleting input of the authentication information for unlocking the host device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proximity is determined based on a signal strength of a wireless connection between the portable device and the host device satisfying a threshold.
11. A system comprising:
a host device including a radio frequency transceiver and a memory including instructions that, when executed by the host device, causes the system to:
detect whether a portable device is in proximity to the host device;
responsive to detecting that the portable device is in proximity to the host device, establish wireless communication link between the portable device and the host device, a portion of a secure memory of the portable device being made wirelessly available to the host device as a physical key of the host device;
wirelessly receive, at the host device, authentication information from the portable device via the wireless communication link; and
automatically unlock the host device based on the authentication information.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the host device, further cause the system to automatically lock the host device responsive to detecting that the portable device is no longer in proximity to the host device, the host device being an automobile.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the host device, further cause the system to:
wirelessly mount at least the portion of the secure memory of the portable device on the host device responsive to detecting that the portable device is in proximity to the host device, the mounted portion of the secure memory appearing as a physically connected storage device at the host device.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein to wirelessly receive the authentication information from the portable device, the instructions, when executed by the host device, further cause the system to wirelessly receive the authentication information from the secure memory of the portable device.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the authentication information are received from the portable device subsequent to a biometric authentication of a user associated with the portable device.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the biometric authentication of the user includes using a biometric sensor to scan biometric information of the user and comparing the scanned biometric information against a biometric sample of an authorized user stored in the secure memory of the portable device, the biometric sensor being located at the portable device.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the biometric authentication of the user includes using a biometric sensor to scan biometric information of the user and comparing the scanned biometric information against a biometric sample of an authorized user stored in the secure memory of the portable device, the biometric sensor being located at the host device.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the authentication information comprises a username and a password.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein to automatically unlock the host device based on the authentication information, the instructions, when executed by the host device, further cause the system to autocomplete input of the authentication information for unlocking the host device.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the proximity is determined based on a signal strength of a wireless connection between the portable device and the host device satisfying a threshold.