MAN-MACHINE INTERFACE FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20080317302A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Privaris, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnson, Barry W., Abdallah, David S., Olvera, Kristen R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,525,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/22 Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1076 Revocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/72 in cryptographic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1365 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• 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: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861

Abstract

The invention disclosed herein describes a man-machine interface device for controlling access to electronic devices. The man-machine interface device comprises an electronic display unit including a transparent finger touch sensor region that is seated above the display apparatus, which is responsible for determining the presence and absence of a finger and for generating fingerprint images when a finger is detected. The man-machine interface device also includes a controller unit that is coupled to the display apparatus, the finger touch sensor region, and at least one electronic device. The method of the invention describes a process for authenticating individuals and verifying their security privileges to access sensitive data, based on a finger-touch selection of an icon presented on the display apparatus of the man-machine interface device.

Claims

1. A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to perform a process, the code comprising code to:

receive an icon selection input from the first user at a location of a touch screen, the location of the touch screen being associated with an icon, the icon being associated with a function;

determine a security privilege uniquely associated with the icon and a biometric template of the first user based collectively on the icon and the biometric template of the first user, the biometric template of the first user being associated with a biometric input of the first user;

permit access to the function associated with the icon when the security privilege uniquely associated with the icon and the biometric template of the first user permits access to that function;

receive an icon selection input from the second user at the location of the touch screen;

determine a security privilege uniquely associated with the icon and a biometric template of the second user based collectively on the icon and the biometric template of the second user, the biometric template of the second user being associated with a biometric input of the second user; and

inhibit access to the function associated with the icon when the security privilege uniquely associated with the icon and the biometric template of the second user does not permit access to that function.

2. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the biometric input of the first user is a first biometric input of the first user, the location is a first location, the icon is a first icon, the function is a first function, the icon selection input from the first user is a first icon selection input from the first user, the code further comprising code to:

receive a second icon selection input from the first user at a second location of the touch screen, the second location of the touch screen being associated with a second icon, the second icon being associated with a second function;

determine a security privilege uniquely associated with the second icon and the biometric template of the first user, the biometric template being associated with a second biometric input of the first user from a plurality of biometric templates, the security privilege uniquely associated with the second icon and the biometric template of the first user being from a plurality of security privileges; and

permit limited access to the second function when the security privilege uniquely associated with the second icon and the biometric template of the first user is configured to permit limited access to the second function.

3. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the biometric input of the second user is a first biometric input of the second user, the location is a first location, the icon is a first icon, the function is a first function, the icon selection input from the second user is a first icon selection input from the second user, the code further comprising code to:

receive a second icon selection input from the second user at a second location of the touch screen, the second location of the touch screen being associated with a second icon, the second icon being associated with a second function;

determine a security privilege uniquely associated with the second icon and the biometric template of the second user, the biometric template of the second user being associated with a second biometric input of the second user from a plurality of biometric templates, the security privilege uniquely associated with the second icon and the biometric template of the second user being from a plurality of security privileges; and

permit full access to the second function when the security privilege uniquely associated with the second icon and the biometric template of the second user is configured to permit full access to the second function.

4. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, the code further comprising code to:

permit access to the function associated with the icon when the function associated with the icon does not require user authentication.

5. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, the code further comprising code to:

determine, before the security privilege uniquely associated with the icon and the biometric template of the first user is determined, the icon based on the icon selection input from the first user.

6. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the security privilege uniquely associated with the icon and the biometric template of the first user is from a plurality of security privileges, each security privilege from the plurality of security privileges is based collectively on an icon associated with a function and a biometric template of a user.

7. The processor-readable medium of claim 1, the code further comprising code to:

inhibit, before access to the function is permitted for the first user, access to the function by the first user when the security privilege uniquely associated with the icon and the biometric template of the first user does not permit access to that function.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of biometric templates, each biometric template from the plurality of biometric templates being associated with a security privilege from a plurality of security privileges, each security privilege from the plurality of security privileges being associated with a function from a plurality of functions;

a touch screen configured to receive an icon selection input at a location within the touch screen, the touch screen configured to display a plurality of icons, each icon from the plurality of icons being associated with a function from the plurality of functions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being operatively coupled to the touch screen, the processor configured to permit access to a function associated with an icon from the plurality of icons when icon selection input is received at a location within the touch screen and when the security privilege for that icon and for a biometric template from the plurality of biometric templates associated with a biometric input permits access to that icon.

9. The processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to determine the security privilege for the icon and for the biometric template based collectively on the icon and the biometric template.

10. The processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to permit access to the function when the location within the touch screen is independent of any security privileges.

11. The processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the icon selection input is a first icon selection input, the biometric input is a biometric input of a first user,

the processor configured to inhibit access to the function associated with the icon when a second icon selection input is received at the location within the touch screen and when the security privilege for the icon and for a biometric template from the plurality of biometric templates associated with a biometric input of a second user does not permit access to the icon.

12. The processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the icon selection input is a first icon selection input, the icon is a first icon from the plurality of icons, the biometric input is a first biometric input, the location is a first location,

the processor is configured to permit limited access to the function associated with a second icon from the plurality of icons when a second icon selection input is received at a second location within the touch screen and when the security privilege for the second icon and for a biometric template from the plurality of biometric templates associated with a second biometric input permits limited access to the second icon.

13. A processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to perform a process, the code comprising code to:

receive an icon selection input from the user at a location of a touch screen, the location of the touch screen being associated with an icon, the icon being associated with a function;

determine a security privilege of the user for the function based collectively on the function and a biometric template associated with a biometric input of the user, the biometric template being from a plurality of biometric templates, the security privilege being from a plurality of security privileges; and

permit access to the function based on the security privilege of the user for the function.

14. The processor-readable medium of claim 13, the code further comprising code to:

determine, before the security privilege of the user for that function is determined, the icon based on the icon selection input.

15. The processor-readable medium of claim 13, the code further comprising code to:

determine, before the security privilege of the user for the function is determined, whether the biometric input of the user is authentic based on at least one biometric template from the plurality of biometric templates.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 13, the code further comprising code to:

inhibit access by the user to the function when the security privilege of the user for the function does not permit access to that function.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the security privilege of the user for the function is from a plurality of security privileges, each security privilege from the plurality of security privileges including a plurality of access rights for the user for that function.