Secure data entry via audio tones

• US 10,305,888 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Grosskopf, Gabriel Jakobus
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Bryan F
• Application Number:
  US15/089,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 725 7, 726 7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/40 Processing or translation of natural language natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A cloud client device identifies one or more devices within a predetermined range of the cloud client device operable to communicate with the cloud client device. The cloud client device pairs with one or more of the devices. To provide secure access to the cloud client device and to other functionality provided by the paired devices, the cloud client device accepts tones as a password. The cloud client device receives a password after a prompt as one or more tones and translates the tones for comparison with the password for the cloud client device. Access is allowed if the translated tones match the password for the cloud client device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a cloud client device;

by the cloud client device, prompting a user for a cloud client device password;

by the cloud client device, receiving the cloud client device password as one or more first tones, wherein each character of the cloud client device password is represented by two or more first tones, and wherein at least one of the one or more first tones is not audible by the human ear;

by the cloud client device, confirming the one or more first tones based, at least in part, on a checksum;

by the cloud client device, translating the one or more first tones, wherein at least a first one of the one or more first tones falls within a first predetermined range of tones, and wherein at least a second one of the one or more first tones falls within a second predetermined range of tones;

by the cloud client device, determining whether the translated one or more first tones match a first password, wherein the first password is associated with the cloud client device;

by the cloud client device, allowing access to the cloud client device based, at least in part, on the translated first tones matching the first password;

by the cloud client device, allowing access to at least one of one or more cloud services and at least one of one or more cloud applications based, at least in part, on a profile associated with the user and a cloud client device profile associated with the cloud client device, wherein the cloud client device profile comprises at least one or more settings, and wherein the one or more settings comprise at least one of an associated user, security, authentication, quality of service, access, and encryption;

by the cloud client device, receiving a network selection;

by the cloud client device, transmitting a password for access to the selected network as a series of tones;

by the cloud client device, providing one or more updates on status of the access; and

by the cloud client device, constructing dynamically a virtual set of sensors, wherein the virtual set of sensors are associated with one or more devices, and wherein the constructing comprises pairing the one or more devices by constructing a model of available devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud client device password is encrypted.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the cloud client device, prompting the user for a selection of a network from one or more available networks;

by the cloud client device, receiving the selection as one or more second tones;

by the cloud client device, translating the one or more second tones;

by the cloud client device, determining whether the translated second tones correspond to at least one of the one or more available networks; and

by the cloud client device, accessing the selected network based, at least in part, on the translated second tones corresponding to the at least one of the one or more available networks.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the cloud client device, prompting the user for a selection of a network from one or more available networks;

by the cloud client device, receiving the selection of the network;

by the cloud client device, prompting the user for a network password;

by the cloud client device, receiving the network password as one or more third tones;

by the cloud client device, translating the one or more third tones;

by the cloud client device, determining whether the translated one or more third tones match a second password, wherein the second password is associated with the selected network; and

by the cloud client device, allowing access to the selected network based, at least in part, on the translated third tones matching the third password.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

by the cloud client device, prompting the user for a first code;

by the cloud client device, receiving the code as one or more fourth tones;

by the cloud client device, translating the one or more fourth tones;

by the cloud client device, determining whether the translated one or more fourth tones match a second code; and

by the cloud client device, accessing information, hardware, or software based, at least in part, on the translated one or more fourth tones matching the second code.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information, software, or hardware comprises at least one of an application, a second cloud client device, a website, data associated with the second cloud client device, and one or more storage devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first tones are stored in a file.

8. An information handling system comprising:

a cloud client device comprising a memory, the cloud client device operable to;

receive an activation command;

prompt a user for a cloud client device password;

receive the cloud client device password as one or more first tones, wherein each character of the cloud client device password is represented by two or more first tones, and wherein at least one of the one or more first tones is not audible by the human ear;

confirm the one or more first tones based, at least in part, on a checksum;

translate the one or more first tones, wherein at least a first one of the one or more first tones falls within a first predetermined range of tones, and wherein at least a second one of the one or more first tones falls within a second predetermined range of tones;

determine whether the translated one or more first tones match a first password, wherein the first password is associated with the cloud client device;

allow access to the cloud client device based, at least in part, on the translated first tones matching the first password;

allow access to at least one of one or more cloud services and at least one of one or more cloud applications based, at least in part, on a profile associated with the user and a cloud client device profile associated with the cloud client device, wherein the cloud client device profile comprises at least one or more settings, and where the one or more settings comprise at least one of an associated user, security, authentication, quality of service, access, and encryption;

transmit a password for access to the selected network as a series of tones;

provide one or more updates on status of the access; and

construct dynamically a virtual set of sensors, wherein the virtual set of sensors are associated with one or more devices, and wherein the constructing comprises pairing the one or more devices by constructing a model of available devices.

9. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the cloud client device is further operable to:

prompt the user for a selection of a network from one or more available networks;

receive the selection of the network;

prompt the user for a network password;

receive the network password as one or more third tones;

translate the one or more third tones;

determine whether the translated one or more third tones match a second password, wherein the second password is associated with the selected network; and

allow access to the selected network based, at least in part, on the translated third tones matching the third password.

10. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the cloud client device is further operable to:

prompt the user for a selection of a network from one or more available networks;

receive the selection as one or more second tones;

translate the one or more second tones;

determine whether the translated second tones correspond to at least one of the one or more available networks; and

access the selected network based, at least in part, on the translated second tones corresponding to the at least one of the one or more available networks.

11. The information handling system of claim 9, wherein the client device password is encrypted.

12. The information handling system of claim 8, wherein the cloud client device is further operable to:

prompt the user for a first code;

receive the code as one or more fourth tones;

translate the one or more fourth tones;

determine whether the translated one or more fourth tones match a second code; and

access information, hardware, or software based, at least in part, on the translated one or more fourth tones matching the second code.

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein the information, software, or hardware comprises at least one of an application, a second cloud client device, a website, data associated with the second cloud client device, and one or more storage devices.

14. The information handling system of claim 11, wherein the one or more first tones are stored in a file.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable media embodying one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions when executed are operable to:

receive an activation command;

prompt a user for a cloud client device password;

receive the cloud client device password as one or more first tones, wherein each character of the cloud client device password is represented by two or more first tones, and wherein at least one of the one or more first tones is not audible by the human ear;

confirm the one or more first tones based, at least in part, on a checksum;

translate the one or more first tones, wherein at least a first one of the one or more first tones falls within a first predetermined range of tones, and wherein at least a second one of the one or more first tones falls within a second predetermined range of tones;

determine whether the translated one or more first tones match a first password, wherein the first password is associated with a cloud client device;

allow access to the cloud client device based, at least in part, on the translated first tones matching the first password;

allow access to at least one of one or more cloud services and at least one of one or more cloud applications based, at least in part, on a profile associated with the user and a cloud client device profile associated with the cloud client device, wherein the cloud client device profile comprises at least one or more settings, and where the one or more settings comprise at least one of an associated user, security, authentication, quality of service, access, and encryption;

transmit a password for access to the selected network as a series of tones;

provide one or more updates on status of the access; and

construct dynamically a virtual set of sensors, wherein the virtual set of sensors are associated with one or more devices, and wherein the constructing comprises pairing the one or more devices by constructing a model of available devices.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the client device password is encrypted.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions when executed are further operable to:

prompt the user for a selection of a network from one or more available networks;

receive the selection as one or more second tones;

translate the one or more second tones;

determine whether the translated second tones correspond to at least one of the one or more available networks; and

access the selected network based, at least in part, on the translated second tones corresponding to the at least one of the one or more available networks.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions when executed are further operable to:

prompt the user for a selection of a network from one or more available networks;

receive the selection of the network;

prompt the user for a network password;

receive the network password as one or more third tones;

translate the one or more third tones;

determine whether the translated one or more third tones match a second password, wherein the second password is associated with the selected network; and

allow access to the selected network based, at least in part, on the translated third tones matching the third password.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein the one or more instructions when executed are further operable to:

prompt the user for a first code;

receive the code as one or more fourth tones;

translate the one or more fourth tones;

determine whether the translated one or more fourth tones match a second code; and

access information, hardware, or software based, at least in part, on the translated one or more fourth tones matching the second code.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein the information, software, or hardware comprises at least one of an application, a second cloud client device, a website, data associated with the second cloud client device, and one or more storage devices.