PORTABLE AUTHENTICATION DEVICE

• US 20100083360A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Lan, Blanchard, Harry E., Pulz, Gregory, Lewis, Steven H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• 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

Abstract

In one aspect, a disclosed portable authentication device (PAD) includes a processor, storage media, an interface for enabling communication with an external information handling system (IHS), e.g., a computer or a telephony device, and executable instructions embedded in the storage media, for automated authentication. The embedded instructions include instructions for enabling a user to store authentication information, e.g., use ID and password information, corresponding to an IHS destination, e.g., a telephone number of an interactive voice response system or an IP address of a web server. If the PAD recognizes the current destination, the PAD may respond to an assertion of a keypad control element by making authorization information corresponding to the current destination available to the user or providing the authorization information directly to the current destination. The PAD may include one or more telephony interface(s), e.g., RJ-11 jack(s) and one or more computer interfaces, e.g., USB connector(s).

Claims

1. A portable authentication device (PAD), comprising:

a processor and storage media accessible to the processor;

a first interface for enabling communication with an external information handling system (IHS); and

instructions, executable by the processor and embedded in the storage media, for automated authentication, the instructions comprising instructions for;

enabling a user to store authentication information corresponding to a destination of the IHS, the destination selected from the group of destinations consisting of a telephone number destination and a network address destination; and

responding to an assertion of a control element of the PAD by;

determining a current destination of the IHS; and

responsive to recognizing the current destination, presenting authorization information corresponding to the current destination to at least one of the current destination and the IHS.

2. The PAD of claim 1, wherein the first interface is a telephone interface, the IHS is a telephone, and the destination is a telephone number destination.

3. The PAD of claim 1, wherein the first interface is a computer interface, the IHS is a computer, and the destination is a network address of a networked server.

4. The PAD of claim 3, wherein the computer interface is a USB interface.

5. The PAD of claim 3, wherein the network address is an address of a Web server.

6. The PAD of claim 1, wherein the instructions further include instructions for confirming the user as an authorized user of the PAD.

7. The PAD of claim 6, wherein the instructions for confirming comprise instructions for comparing the user'"'"'s speech with speech represented by a speech file embedded in the storage media.

8. The PAD of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for performing a setup procedure wherein the setup procedure includes:

copying a Token file from the storage of the PAD to the IHS;

verifying the copying of the Token file; and

removing the Token file from the PAD.

9. The PAD of claim 8, wherein said responding to assertion of the control element includes determining the presence of the Token file in the IHS.

10. The PAD of claim 8, wherein the Token file is a globally unique file corresponding to the PAD.

11. A computer program product comprising instructions, stored on tangible computer readable media, for authenticating a user of an information handling system (IHS) to a remote system, the instructions comprising instructions for:

confirming the user as an authorized user of a portable authentication device (PAD), wherein the PAD is in communication with the IHS;

determining whether an address associated with the remote system is known to the PAD;

retrieving authentication information corresponding to the address responsive to determining that the address associated with the remote system is known to the PAD; and

facilitating automated presentation of the authentication information to the remote system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said confirming comprises confirming a sample of the user'"'"'s speech to speech represented by data in a speech file stored in the PAD.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said determining includes comparing the address of the remote system to addresses in a log file stored in the PAD.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the authentication information includes identity information and password information.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said remote system comprises an interactive voice response system (IVR) and wherein said facilitating comprises sending dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) information to the remote system.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said remote system comprises a Web server and wherein said facilitating comprises presenting the authorization information on a display of the IHS.

17. A method of authenticating a user to a remote system, comprising:

responsive to detecting an assertion of a control element of a portable authentication device (PAD) by the user;

verifying the user as an authorized user of the PAD;

comparing an electronic address associated with the remote system to a set of electronic addresses stored in the PAD; and

responsive to detecting a match between the electronic address of the remote system and an electronic address stored in the PAD;

retrieving authorization information corresponding to the electronic address of the remote system; and

making the retrieved authorization information available to a remote system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein verifying the user comprises comparing the speech of the user against a speech sample stored in the PAD.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the electronic address is selected from the group of electronic addresses consisting of a telephone number and universal resource indicator (URI).

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising verifying a communication connection between the PAD and an information handling system (IHS).

21. The method of claim 20, wherein verifying the communication connection includes verifying in the IHS a Token file wherein the Token file is a globally unique file corresponding to the PAD.

22. A portable authentication device (PAD), comprising:

a processor and storage accessible to the processor;

telephone interfaces for connecting the PAD in line with a telephone;

a computer interface for connecting the PAD to an external computer; and

a control element configured to invoke an automated authentication process, comprising;

responsive to determining that a remote system address provided by an information handling system (IHS) is known to the PAD;

retrieving authentication information corresponding to the remote system address; and

facilitating automated presentation of the authentication information to the IHS or to the remote system address.

23. The PAD of claim 22, wherein the telephone interfaces include first and second telephone jacks for connecting the PAD in line with a telephone.

24. The PAD of claim 23, wherein the remote system address is a telephone number.

25. The PAD of claim 22, wherein the computer interface is a USB interface.

26. The PAD of claim 25, wherein the remote system address is an address of a Web server.

27. The PAD of claim 22, wherein the automated authentication process further includes confirming the user as an authorized user of the PAD.

28. The PAD of claim 27, wherein said confirming includes comparing the user'"'"'s speech with speech represented by a speech file embedded in the PAD.