Secure access management of devices

• US 10,049,234 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Ned, Goel, Purushottam, Moore, Victoria
• Primary Examiner(s): Lwin, Maung T
• Application Number:
  US15/144,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20160246998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/82 Protecting input, output or interconnection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data

Abstract

Systems and methods may provide implementing one or more device locking procedures to block access to a device. In one example, the method may include receiving an indication that a user is no longer present, initiating a timing mechanism to set a period to issue a first device lock instruction to lock a peripheral device, relaying timing information from the timing mechanism to a controller module associated with the peripheral device; and locking the peripheral device upon expiration of the period.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a hardware processor to implement:

a security module driver to issue a first device lock instruction to lock a peripheral device based on a predetermined period of user inactivity,

a user presence logic to determine that a user is no longer present, and

a subscription logic to,

receive an indication that the user is no longer present,

set a period, in response to the indication that the user is no longer present, to issue a second device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device, and

issue the second device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to expiration of the period and a determination that the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device, which has issued, has not resulted in the lock of the peripheral device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a timer is to be initiated to monitor the predetermined period of user inactivity, and wherein the security module driver is to issue the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to expiration of the predetermined period of user inactivity.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subscription logic is to issue a lock notification to the security module driver in response to expiration of the predetermined period of user inactivity, and wherein the security module driver is to issue the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to the lock notification.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user presence logic is to implement a proximity sensor to determine that the user is no longer present.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the proximity sensor is to include one or more of an ultrasonic sensor and an infrared sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lock of the peripheral device is to include one or more of a block of input to the peripheral device and a block of use of the peripheral device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

a flush of a data buffer of content when the peripheral device is to be locked; and

a transition to a lower power state relative to a current power state when the peripheral device is to be locked.

8. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions which, if executed by a processor, cause a computer to:

receive an indication that a user is no longer present;

set a period, in response to the indication that the user is no longer present, to issue a second device lock instruction to lock a peripheral device; and

issue the second device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to expiration of the period and a determination that a first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device, which has issued, has not resulted in a lock of the peripheral device.

9. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein, if executed, the set of instructions cause a computer to:

issue the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device based on a predetermined period of user inactivity; and

determine that the user is no longer present.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein, if executed, the set of instructions cause a computer to:

initiate a timer to monitor the predetermined period of user inactivity; and

issue the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to expiration of the predetermined period of user inactivity.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein, if executed, the set of instructions cause a computer to:

issue a lock notification in response to expiration of the predetermined period of user inactivity; and

issue the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to the lock notification.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein, if executed, the set of instructions cause a computer to implement a proximity sensor to determine that the user is no longer present.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the lock of the peripheral device is to include one or more of a block of input to the peripheral device and a block of use of the peripheral device.

14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein, if executed, the set of instructions cause a computer to one or more of:

flush a data buffer of content when the peripheral device is to be locked; and

transition to a lower power state relative to a current power state when the peripheral device is to be locked.

15. A method comprising:

implementing a sensor to determine that a user is no longer present; and

implementing a hardware processor to;

receive an indication that the user is no longer present;

set a period, in response to the indication that the user is no longer present, to issue a second device lock instruction to lock a peripheral device; and

issue the second device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to expiration of the period and a determination that a first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device, which has issued, has not resulted in a lock of the peripheral device.

16. The method of claim 15, further including:

issuing the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device based on a predetermined period of user inactivity; and

determining that the user is no longer present.

17. The method of claim 16, further including:

initiating a timer to monitor the predetermined period of user inactivity; and

issuing the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to expiration of the predetermined period of user inactivity.

18. The method of claim 16, further including:

issuing a lock notification in response to expiration of the predetermined period of user inactivity; and

issuing the first device lock instruction to lock the peripheral device in response to the lock notification.

19. The method of claim 16, further including implementing a proximity sensor to determine that the user is no longer present.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the lock of the peripheral device includes one or more of blocking input to the peripheral device and blocking use of the peripheral device.