PROXIMITY-BASED SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC APPLICATION OR DATA ACCESS AND ITEM TRACKING

• US 20110221568A1
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Original Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Inventors: Giobbi, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.82
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• 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 63/0853 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
• 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: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method provide automatic access to applications or data. A portable physical device, referred to herein as a Personal Digital Key or “PDK”, stores one or more profiles in memory, including a biometric profile acquired in a secure trusted process and uniquely associated with a user that is authorized to use and associated with the PDK. The PDK wirelessly transmits identification information including a unique PDK identification number, the biometric profile and a profile over a secure wireless channel to a reader. A computing device is coupled to the reader. An auto login server is coupled to the reader and the computing device and launches one or more applications associated with a user name identified by the received profile.

Claims

1. A system with automatic access to information, comprising:

a personal digital key (PDK) including a profile uniquely associated with a user;

a reader configured to wirelessly communicate with the PDK, the reader receiving profile information from the PDK

a computing device coupled to the reader, the computing device configured to display data on a display device responsive to receiving the profile information from the reader; and

an auto login server coupled to the reader and to the computing device, the auto login server configured to receive the profile information from the reader and to launch one or more applications associated with a user name identified by the profile information, the one or more applications launched using the computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader comprises:

a biometric reader configured to obtain physical or behavioral characteristics identifying the user from the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the biometric reader is at least one of a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, an iris scanner, a face scanner, a palm scanner, a DNA analyzer, a signature analyzer or a voice analyzer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the PDK further comprises:

a biometric reader configured to obtain physical or behavioral characteristics identifying the user from the user.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the biometric reader is at least one of a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, an iris scanner, a face scanner, a palm scanner, a DNA analyzer, a signature analyzer or a voice analyzer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the auto login server further comprises an access module for comparing the received data with data stored in a credentials database.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the reader is further adapted to detect a PDK in response to the PDK entering a proximity zone of the reader, and request the PDK to transmit the profile.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the proximity zone of the reader is asymmetrical in a first direction.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the computing device is configured to lock the display device responsive to receiving a signal from the reader that the PDK is outside of a proximity zone of the reader.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the computing device receives one or more advertisements from a third party site and displays the advertisements using the display device when the display device is locked.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the third party site identifies the one or more advertisements based on data received from the computing device.

12. A method for automatic access to information, the method comprising:

receiving, using a reader, an identifier from a personal digital key (PDK), the identifier uniquely associated with the PDK;

responsive to authenticating the identifier, receiving profile information from the PDK, the profile information uniquely associated with a user;

authenticating the profile information;

responsive to authenticating the profile information, identifying a user name associated with the profile information received from the PDK; and

launching one or more applications associated with the user name associated with the profile information received from the PDK.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein authenticating the profile information comprises:

performing biometric authentication based on the received profile information from the PDK.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein performing biometric authentication based on the received profile information from the PDK comprises:

receiving biometric data from the user;

receiving stored biometric data from the PDK;

determining whether the received biometric data from the user matches the stored biometric data from the PDK.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the biometric data received form the user is received from at least one of a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, an iris scanner, a face scanner, a palm scanner, a DNA analyzer, a signature analyzer or a voice analyzer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving, using the reader, the identifier from the PDK comprises:

determining whether the PDK is within a proximity zone of the reader;

responsive to the PDK being within the proximity zone of the reader, receiving the identifier from the PDK.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving a second identifier from a second PDK;

receiving second profile information from the second PDK, the second profile information associated with a second user;

authenticating the second profile information;

responsive to authenticating the second profile information, identifying a second user name associated with the second profile information received from the second PDK;

responsive to authenticating the profile information and the second profile information, receiving a selection of the user name or the second user name; and

launching one or more applications associated with the selected user name or with the selected user name.