System and method for authentication in distributed computing environment

• US 10,313,885 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Boyle, Michael, Barrow, Lynel, Adam, Brent, Sirotich, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Baotran N
• Application Number:
  US15/827,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20180084428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for managing profiles for use with touch systems. A user logs into a communal device using a pointer paired with a mobile device. The communal device is authenticated and retrieves the user'"'"'s profile. The user profile is used to setup a workspace on the communal device. The workspace is granted access to the user'"'"'s content on a content server. When the communal device has multiple users, each workspace may be shared or not depending on the user'"'"'s requirements. Each pointer is individually identified to a particular user and workspace.

Claims

1. A communal computing system comprising:

a processor;

a first communication channel;

a second communication channel;

a tangible computer-readable memory comprising instructions to configure the processor to;

receive identification information on contact of a pointer to the first communication channel;

the pointer previously authenticated with a mobile device;

authenticate the communal computing system with an authentication server over the second communication channel using at least a portion of the identification information; and

receive profile information over the second communication channel from a profile server after the authentication server notifies the profile server of a successful authentication.

2. The communal computing system according to claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions to configure the processor to:

generate a workspace on the communal computing system using at least a portion of the profile information.

3. The communal computing system according to claim 1, the memory further comprising instructions to configure the processor to register a pointer identifier with the workspace.

4. The communal computing system according to claim 1, the memory further comprising instructions to configure the processor to automatically log into at least one content server using a portion of the profile information and accessing user content from the at least one content server.

5. The communal computing system according to claim 1, wherein the identification information comprises biometric data from a biometric sensor located on the pointer.

6. The communal computing system according to claim 5, wherein the biometric data is processed to generate a biometric template.

7. The communal computing system according to claim 1, wherein the first communication channel is a wireless communication channel.

8. The communal computing system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless communication channel is a contact communication channel.

9. The communal computing system according to claim 1, wherein the second communication channel is a wired communication channel.

10. A method for authentication comprises:

receiving identification information on contact of a pointer to a mobile device to a first communication channel;

the pointer previously authenticated with the mobile device;

authenticating a communal computing system with an authentication server over a second communication channel using at least a portion of the identification information from a profile server; and

receiving profile information over the second communication channel from the profile server after the authentication server notifies the profile server of a successful authentication.

11. The method for authentication according to claim 10, further comprises generating a workspace on the communal computing system using at least a portion of the profile information.

12. The method for authentication according to claim 11, further comprises registering a pointer identifier with the workspace.

13. The method for authentication according to claim 10, further comprises automatically logging into at least one content server using a portion of the profile information and accessing user content from the at least one content server.

14. The method for authentication according to claim 10, wherein the identification information comprises biometric data from a biometric sensor located on the pointer.

15. The method for authentication according to claim 14, wherein the biometric data is processed to generate a biometric template.

16. The method for authentication according to claim 10, wherein the first communication channel is a wireless communication channel.

17. The method for authentication according to claim 16, wherein the wireless communication channel is a contact communication channel.

18. The method for authentication according to claim 10, wherein the second communication channel is a wired communication channel.