Visitor pass for devices or for networks

• US 20070096871A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Mason, David, Curcio, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/262,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20070096871A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a method for providing security to a device, includes: reading a visitor pass to determine if the visitor pass is valid; if the visitor pass is invalid, then preventing access to a device by use of the visitor pass; and if the visitor pass is valid, then permitting access to the device by use of the visitor pass. If the visitor pass is valid, then access may also be permitted to a designated network by use of the visitor pass.

Claims

1. A method for providing security to a device, the method comprising:

reading a visitor pass to determine if the visitor pass is valid;

if the visitor pass is invalid, then preventing access to a device by use of the visitor pass; and

if the visitor pass is valid, then permitting access to the device by use of the visitor pass.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the visitor pass is valid, then permitting access to a designated network by use of the visitor pass.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visitor pass comprises a readable medium.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a wireless device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

accessing a network by use of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing at least one of a visitor pass code, login name, password, computer ID, time limits, location limits, number of use limits in the visitor pass stored within a remote secured database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a visitor pass code in the visitor pass with a stored pass code in the device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a login name with a stored login name in the device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing a password with a stored password in the device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

permitting access to a facility by use of the visitor pass.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the visitor pass includes visitor pass code data that is valid for a limited time frame.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the visitor pass includes visitor pass code data that is valid based on a number of use of the visitor pass.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reactivating a visitor pass code data in the visitor pass, where the authentication data has been previously invalidated.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the visitor pass further comprises:

comparing an identifier in the visitor pass with a stored identifier in the device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a location of the visitor pass.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, by the visitor pass, with the device by wireless transmission.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a preference in the visitor pass; and

reading the stored preference, in order to configure the device or a network.

19. An apparatus for providing security to a device, the apparatus comprising:

a visitor pass configured to store a visitor pass code data that determines if the visitor pass is valid.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a visitor pass support module configured to read the visitor pass and to determine if the visitor pass is valid.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the visitor pass support module is configured to prevent access to the device by use of the visitor pass if the visitor pass is invalid, and to permit access to the device by use of the visitor pass if the visitor pass is valid.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the visitor pass support module is configured to permit access to a designated network by use of the visitor pass if the visitor pass is valid.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the visitor pass support module is configured to permit access to a designated network with limited access, and upon validation of the visitor pass, configured to increase the access rights and resources to a different level.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the visitor pass support module is configured to authenticate the visitor pass by comparing a login name with a stored login name in the device.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the visitor pass support module is configured to authenticate the visitor pass by comparing a password with a stored password in the device.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the visitor pass support module is configured to authenticate the visitor pass by comparing a visitor pass code in the visitor pass with a stored code in the device or a remote device.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the visitor pass comprises a readable medium.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the device comprises a computer.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the device comprises a wireless device.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the visitor pass permits access to a facility.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the visitor pass includes data that is valid for a limited time frame.

32. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the visitor pass includes authentication data that is valid based on a number of use of the visitor pass.

33. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the wherein the visitor pass support module is configured to authenticate the visitor pass by comparing an identifier in the visitor pass with a stored identifier in the device.

34. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the visitor pass is configured to store preferences and wherein the preferences are used in order to configure a device or a network.

35. An apparatus for providing security to a device, the apparatus comprising:

means for reading a visitor pass to determine if the visitor pass is valid;

means for preventing access to a device by use of the visitor pass, if the visitor pass is invalid; and

means for permitting access to the device by use of the visitor pass, if the visitor pass is valid.

36. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to;

determine if the visitor pass is valid after the visitor pass is read;

if the visitor pass is invalid, then prevent access to a device by use of the visitor pass; and

1 if the visitor pass is valid, then permit access to the device by use of the visitor pass.