SECURED ACCESS USING A POSITION-CODED SYSTEM

• US 20090308917A1
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• 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: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 118/15 Roller structure

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for controlling access to an access-protected unit. A location may be read from a base, such as form, using a digital pen. The system may then check if location is within a region belonging to an authorized user. If so, access may be granted to the authorized user to the access-protected unit or to specific programs or functions of the access-protected unit.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to an access-protected unit, the method comprising:

reading at least one absolute location from an encoded base;

checking if the location is within a region belonging to an authorized user; and

granting access by the authorized user to the access-protected unit if the location is within the region belonging to the authorized user, otherwise denying access; and

wherein reading said at least one absolute location from the encoded base includes recording a pattern from the base with an optically imaging pen, and converting the recorded pattern into a location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the region is coincident with the encoded base.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said encoded base identifies a region identity, said region identity being associated with the authorized user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said encoded base is a registration form printed on a substrate.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading reads a sequence of locations corresponding to a signature of the user and the method further comprises:

checking if the sequence of locations corresponds to a previously registered signature of the authorized user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said encoded base comprises at least one registration zone, said method comprising reading said at least one location from within said registration zone.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

reading an identification code from the pen;

checking if the identification code from the pen corresponds to at least one parameter relating to authorized user registration; and

granting access by the authorized user to the access-protected unit, only if the identification code from the pen corresponds to the at least one parameter.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reading further comprises:

optically reading the at least one location from the base, wherein the base is provided with a position-coding pattern for coding a plurality of locations.

14. The system according to claim 8 wherein the checking device comprises a server communicating with the sensing device.

9. A system for controlling a user'"'"'s access to an access-protected unit, comprising:

a sensing device for reading at least one absolute location; and

a checking device which determines whether the at least one location is associated with at least one region belonging to an authorized user for authorizing access to the goods or service, and providing an enabling signal when the checking device determines that access is authorized,

wherein the sensing device is further operable to read a sequence of locations which describe movement of the sensing device when a user is writing with the sensing device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the sensing device comprises an optical sensor and a processor.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a base provided with a position coding pattern, wherein said sensing device is configured to read the position coding pattern from the base and to convert the position coding pattern to the at least one location.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the checking device is operable to compare the sequence of locations with a previously registered signature of the authorized user and, on the basis of a favorable comparison, to provide the enabling signal.

13. The system according to claim 9 wherein the checking device is further operable to:

read an identification code from the sensing device;

check if the identification code from the sensing device corresponds to at least one parameter relating to authorized user registration; and

grant access by the user to the access-protected unit, only if the identification code from the user unit corresponds to the at least one parameter.

15. A checking device for checking a user'"'"'s access to an access-protected unit, the checking device comprising:

memory for storing information about at least one region; and

a processor operative to;

receive at least one absolute location;

determine whether the at least one location is associated with the stored information for authorizing access to the access-protected unit;

provide an enabling signal to the access-protected unit if the processor determines that access is authorized;

read an identification code from an electronic pen;

check if the identification code from the pen corresponds to at least one parameter relating to authorized user registration; and

grant access by the user to the access-protected unit if the identification code from the pen corresponds to the at least one parameter.

16. The checking device according to claim 15 wherein the processor is further operative to check if the location lies within the region.

17. A base for controlling access to an access-protected unit comprising:

a substrate;

a writing field associated with the substrate; and

a position coding pattern associated with the writing field, wherein the position coding pattern encodes at least one absolute location used to grant access authorization, whereby the position coding pattern is read during movement of a sensing device over the writing field, and wherein the sensing device is configured to convert the position coding pattern to the at least one location.

18. The base according to claim 17, wherein the sensing device is configured to read a sequence of locations describing movement of the sensing device, and further wherein the sequence of locations are compared to a previously registered signature of the authorized user for granting access authorization.