Controlling user access to electronic resources without password

• US 10,185,816 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ANGEL Secure Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ANGEL Secure Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Fred Hewitt
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong, Thong P
• Application Number:
  US15/646,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20170316196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861

Abstract

Described herein are devices and techniques for remotely controlling user access to a restricted computer resource. The process includes obtaining an image from equipment of a user, wherein the image includes an indication of an individual and an indication of a local environment. The individual is identified within the image to obtain an identification of the individual, and the local environment is determined as a predetermined local environment based on the identification of the local environment. Access to a restricted computing resource is facilitated based on the determining that the individual is the user and that the local environment is the predetermined local environment. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system comprising a processor, an image captured by equipment of a user, wherein the image comprises an indication of an individual and an indication of a local environment;

identifying, by the processing system, the individual within the image to obtain an identification of the individual;

determining, by the processing system, the local environment based on the indication of the local environment;

determining, by the processing system, that the local environment is a predetermined local environment; and

facilitating, by the processing system, access to a restricted computing resource based on the determining that the individual is the user and that the local environment is the predetermined local environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the restricted computing resource comprises a computer, and wherein the image comprises an image obtained by a camera proximal to the computer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, obtaining, by the processing system, a location associated with camera, wherein the facilitating of the access to the restricted computing resource is further based on the location associated with the camera.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining, by the processing system, a scan of a near-field communication tag proximal to the restricted computing resource, and wherein the facilitating of the access is further based on the obtaining of the scan of the near-field communication tag.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, obtaining, by the processing system, a second time stamp associated with the scan of the near-field communication tag, wherein the facilitating of the access to the restricted computing resource is further based on the second time stamp.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the processing system, a discovery of the equipment of the user within a personal area network of the restricted computing resource, and wherein the facilitating of the access is further based on the receiving of the discovery of the equipment of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, obtaining, by the processing system, a first time stamp associated with the image, wherein the facilitating of the access to the restricted computing resource is further based on the first time stamp.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, accessing, by the processing system, information stored in a tag to obtain tag information, wherein one of the identifying of the individual, the identifying of the local environment, or both is based on the tag information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the accessing of the tag information comprises accessing the information by way of the equipment of the user.

10. A system comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processing system including a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processing system, responsive to executing the instructions, facilitates performance of operations comprising;

obtaining an image from equipment of a user, wherein the image comprises an indication of an individual and an indication of a local environment;

identifying the individual within the image to obtain an identification of the individual;

determining the local environment based on the indication of the local environment;

determining that the local environment is a predetermined local environment; and

facilitating access to a restricted computing resource based on the determining that the individual is the user and that the local environment is the predetermined local environment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the restricted computing resource comprises a computer, and wherein the image comprises an image obtained by a camera via one of the computer or the equipment of the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, obtaining a location associated with the camera, wherein the facilitating of the access to the restricted computing resource is further based on the location associated with the camera.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise, obtaining a first time stamp associated with the image, wherein the facilitating of the access to the restricted computing resource is further based on the first time stamp.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a scan of a near-field communication tag proximal to the restricted computing resource; and

obtaining a second time stamp associated with the scan of the near-field communication tag, wherein the facilitating of the access is further based on the receiving of the scan of the near-field communication tag and the second time stamp.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise, obtaining information from a tag, wherein one of the identifying of the individual, the identifying of the local environment, or both is based on the information obtained from the tag.

16. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

obtaining an image from equipment of a user, wherein the image comprises an indication of an individual and an indication of a local environment;

identifying the individual within the image to obtain an identification of the individual;

determining that the local environment is a predetermined local environment based on the identification of the local environment; and

facilitating access to a restricted computing resource based on the determining that the individual is the user and that the local environment is the predetermined local environment.

17. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the restricted computing resource comprises a computer, and wherein the image comprises an image obtained by one of a first camera via the computer or a second camera via the equipment of the user.

18. The machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise, obtaining a location associated with the one of the first camera or the second camera, wherein the facilitating of the access to the restricted computing resource is further based on the location associated with the one of the first camera or the second camera.

19. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise, obtaining a first time stamp associated with the image, wherein the facilitating of the access to the restricted computing resource is further based on the first time stamp.

20. The machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a scan of a near-field communication tag proximal to the restricted computing resource; and

obtaining a second time stamp associated with the scan of the near-field communication tag, wherein the facilitating of the access comprises authorizing the access further based on the receiving of the scan of the near-field communication tag and the second time stamp.