Method and apparatus for a proximity warning system

• US 20040236952A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ratliff, Emily Jane, Girouard, Janice Marie, Hamzy, Mark Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer instructions for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance. Movement of the person in the zone is detected. A message is broadcast to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the data processing systems initiate actions to protect data in the selected data processing systems.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance, the method comprising:

detecting movement of the person in the zone; and

broadcasting a message to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the data processing systems initiate actions to protect data in the selected data processing systems.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected data processing systems protect data by performing at least one displaying a screen saver, displaying a login screen, fading a screen to black, minimizing all windows on a screen, saving and closing selected documents on the screen, and displaying a warning message on the screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the person is one of a guest or an employee.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone is selected from one of a room, a building, or a portion of a room.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the person is detected by a badge on the person.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement of the person is detected by a security tag on the person.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected data processing systems parse a document containing security tags to identify actions used to warn of the presence.

8. A method in a data processing system for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance, the method comprising:

detecting movement of the person in the zone from a signal generated by device carried by the person;

identifying a security level using the signal;

determining whether the person has adequate security clearance based on the security level; and

responsive to the person having inadequate security clearance, broadcasting a message to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the message causes the selected data processing systems to initiate security actions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal includes an identification of the person and wherein the identification of the person is used to identify the security level.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the signal includes an identification of the security level.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected data processing systems initiate the security action by performing at least one displaying a screen saver, displaying a login screen, fading a screen to black, minimizing all windows on the screen, saving and closing selected documents on the screen, and displaying a warning message on the screen.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected data processing systems parse a document containing security tags to identify security actions.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the selected data processing systems execute a set of applications having different security levels and wherein security actions are initiated only for applications requiring a level of security greater than the security level.

14. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instruction;

a sensor connected to the bus system, wherein the sensor detects signals from security tags in a zone; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the instructions to detect movement of the person in the zone; and

broadcast a message to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the data processing systems initiate actions to protect data in the selected data processing systems.

15. A data processing system for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance, the data processing system comprising:

detecting means for detecting movement of the person in the zone; and

broadcasting means for broadcasting a message to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the data processing systems initiate actions to protect data in the selected data processing systems.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the selected data processing systems protect data by performing at least one displaying a screen saver, displaying a login screen, fading a screen to black, minimizing all windows on a screen, saving and closing selected documents on the screen, and displaying a warning message on the screen.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the person is one of a guest or an employee.

18. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the zone is selected from one of a room, a building, or a portion of a room.

19. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the person is detected by a badge on the person.

20. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the movement of the person is detected by a security tag on the person.

21. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the selected data processing systems parse a document containing security tags to identify actions used to warn of the presence.

22. A data processing system for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance, the data processing system comprising:

detecting movement of the person in the zone from a signal generated by device carried by the person;

identifying a security level using the signal;

determining whether the person has adequate security clearance based on the security level; and

responsive to the person having inadequate security clearance, broadcasting a message to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the message causes the selected data processing systems to initiate security actions.

23. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the signal includes an identification of the person and wherein the identification of the person is used to identify the security level.

24. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the signal includes an identification of the security level.

25. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the data processing systems initiate the security action by performing at least one displaying a screen saver, displaying a login screen, fading a screen to black, minimizing all windows on the screen, saving and closing selected documents on the screen, and displaying a warning message on the screen.

26. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the selected data processing systems parse a document containing security tags to identify security actions.

27. The data processing system of claim 22, wherein the selected data processing systems execute a set of applications having different security levels and wherein security actions are initiated only for applications requiring a level of security greater than the security level.

28. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for detecting movement of the person in the zone; and

second instructions for broadcasting a message to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the data processing systems initiate actions to protect data in the selected data processing systems.

29. A data processing system for warning of a presence of a person in a zone having an inadequate security clearance, the data processing system comprising:

first instructions for detecting movement of the person in the zone from a signal generated by device carried by the person;

second instructions for identifying a security level using the signal;

third instructions for determining whether the person has adequate security clearance based on the security level; and

fourth instructions, responsive to the person having inadequate security clearance, for broadcasting a message to selected data processing systems associated with the zone, wherein the message causes the selected data processing systems to initiate security actions.