Methods and apparatus for restricting access of a user using a cellular telephnoe

• US 20070015492A1
• Filed: 09/20/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bravo, Jose, Covalla, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/122 of the least frequently used [LFU] type, e.g. with individual count value
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/127 using additional replacement algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for preventing unauthorized access to a restricted item using a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with a user, for example, during a registration process. The user is initially identified, for example, by entering a password, and a one-time pseudo-random token is provided to the user using a first communication channel. The user is requested to dial a telephone number associated with an access control service using a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with the user and enter the assigned token. The user obtains access to the restricted item if the assigned token is entered from a cellular telephone having a serial number that has been previously associated with the particular user.

Claims

1. An access control method for restricting access of a user to a restricted item, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a token to said user using a first communication channel;

instructing said user to enter said provided token into a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with said user; and

providing access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a password from said user before providing said token.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said token is a pseudo-random number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said instructing step further comprises the step of instructing said user to dial an access control administrator to enter said token.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of providing said token to said access control administrator.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of providing a telephone number associated with said associated cellular telephone to said access control administrator.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of providing an amount for approval to said access control administrator.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said access control administrator compares said token received from said user to said provided token.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said access control administrator ensures that said token is received from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said instructing step further comprises the step of establishing a connection over a cellular network to said cellular telephone associated with said user and instructing said user to enter said token.

11. An access control method for restricting access of a user to a restricted item, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a token to an access control administrator;

providing said token to said user using a first communication channel;

instructing said user to dial a telephone number associated with said access control administrator using a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with said user to enter said provided token;

providing access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said access control administrator compares said entered token to said provided token.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing a cellular telephone number that has been previously associated with said user to said access control administrator and wherein said access control administrator determines a cellular telephone number associated with a serial number of a cellular telephone from which said token was received and compares said provided cellular telephone number with said determined cellular telephone number.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of receiving a password from said user before providing said token.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said token is a pseudo-random number.

16. An access control method for restricting access of a user to a restricted item, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a token to said user using a first communication channel;

establishing a connection over a cellular network to a cellular telephone associated with said user;

instructing said user to enter said provided token using said cellular connection; and

providing access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of receiving a password from said user before providing said token.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said token is a pseudo-random number.

19. An access control system for restricting access of a user to a restricted item, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-readable code; and

a processor operatively coupled to said memory, said processor configured to implement said computer-readable code, said computer-readable code configured to;

provide a token to said user using a first communication channel;

instruct said user to enter said provided token into a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with said user; and

provide access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

20. An access control system for restricting access of a user to a restricted item, comprising:

a memory that stores computer-readable code; and

a processor operatively coupled to said memory, said processor configured to implement said computer-readable code, said computer-readable code configured to;

provide a token to said user using a first communication channel;

establish a connection over a cellular network to a cellular telephone associated with said user;

instruct said user to enter said provided token using said cellular connection; and

provide access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

21. An access control system for restricting access of a user to a restricted item, comprising:

means for providing a token to said user using a first communication channel;

means for instructing said user to enter said provided token into a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with said. user; and

means for providing access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

22. An article of manufacture for implementing an access control method that restricts access of a user to a restricted item, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable code means embodied thereon, said computer readable program code means comprising;

a step to provide a token to said user using a first communication channel;

a step to instruct said user to enter said provided token into a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with said user; and

a step to provide access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

23. An article of manufacture for implementing an access control method that restricts access of a user to a restricted item, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable code means embodied thereon, said computer readable program code means comprising;

a step to provide a token to said user using a first communication channel;

a step to establish a connection over a cellular network to a cellular telephone associated with said user;

a step to instruct said user to enter said provided token using said cellular connection; and

a step to provide access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

24. An access control method for restricting access of a user to a restricted item, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a token to said user using a first communication channel;

receiving said provided token from said user by entering said provided token into a cellular telephone that has been previously associated with said user; and

providing access to said user if said entered token matches said provided token and is received via a wireless connection from a cellular telephone having a serial number previously associated with said user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of receiving a password from said user before providing said token.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said token is a pseudo-random number.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said receiving step further comprises the step of instructing said user to dial an access control administrator to enter said token.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of establishing a connection over a cellular network to said cellular telephone associated with said user and instructing said user to enter said token.