System and method of wireless security authentication

• US 20080184355A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Walrath, Craig A., Doragh, Philip H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication

Abstract

A wireless security authentication system comprises a wireless element configured to determine validity of a user credential to enable use of a computing system, the wireless element powered by inductive coupling.

Claims

1. A wireless security authentication method, comprising:

determining validity of a user credential to enable use of a computing system, the security credential validated using an element powered by inductive coupling.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, supplying power to at least one element of the computing system for enabling use of the computing system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to determining that the user credential is not valid, preventing a power supply of the computing system from supplying power to at least one element of the computing system for enabling use of the computing system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, verifying that the user credential remains valid.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, triggering a security response if the user credential becomes invalid.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein triggering the security response comprises at least one of freezing a user session, logging out a user, powering-off the computing system, sounding an audible alarm, initiating a visual alarm, and sending an alert to a remote device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the user credential from a wireless security token.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising verifying that the wireless security token remains within wireless communication range of the computing system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to receiving a request to power-on the computing system to enable use of the computing system, energizing a wireless security token by inductively coupling to facilitate communication of the user credential.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining validity comprises processing the user credential is valid, enabling power to be supplied to facilitate loading of an operating system of the computing system. (IC)

11. The method of the claim 1 further comprising, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, enabling power to be supplied to facilitate loading of an operating system of the computing system.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, using the user credential as a decryption key.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, determining an access level of use of the computing system using the user credential.

14. A wireless security authentication system, comprising:

a wireless element configured to determine validity of a user credential to enable use of a computing system the wireless element powered by inductive coupling.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the wireless element is configured to receive the user credential from a wireless security token.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the wireless element is configured to receive the user credential from a wireless security token.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the wireless element is configured to verify that the wireless security token remains within wireless communication range of the computing system.

19. The system of claim 14 further comprising a secure power controller configured to supply power to at least one element of the computing system for enabling use of the computing system in response to determining that the user credential is valid.

20. The system of claim 14 further comprising a secure power controller configured to prevent power from being supplied to at least one element of the computing system for enabling use of the computing system in response to determining that the user credential is not valid.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the wireless element comprises a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit (IC).

22. The system of claim 14 further comprising a security module configured to, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, trigger a security response if the user credential becomes invalid.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the security response comprises at least one of freezing a user session, logging out a user, powering-off the computing system, sounding an audible alarm, initiating a visual alarm, and sending an alert to a remote device.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the wireless element is configured to, in response to determining that the user credential is valid, verify that the user credential remains valid.

15. The system of 14 wherein the wireless element is disposed in the computing system.

25. A wireless security authentication system, comprising:

means for determining validity of a user credential to enable use of a computing system means, the security credential validated using a means powered by inductive coupling.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising, if the user credential is not valid, means for preventing a power supply means of the computing system means from supplying power to at least one element of the computing system means for enabling use of the computing system means.

27. The system of claim 25 further comprising means for receiving the user credential from a wireless security token means.

28. The system of claim 25 further comprising, if the user credential is valid, means for verifying that the user credential remains valid.

29. The system of claim 25 further comprising, if the user credential is valid, means for triggering a security response if the user credential becomes invalid.

30. A wireless security authentication system, comprising:

a computing system having a processing element configured to, without drawing power from a power supply of the computing system, determine validity of a user credential to enable use of the computing system by a user.

31. A wireless security authentication system, comprising:

a computing system having a secure power controller configured to prevent power from being supplied to a central processing unit (CPU) of the computing system until verifying validity of a user credential to enable use of the computing system by a user.