METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING A VIBRATION SIGNATURE AS AN AUTHENTICATION KEY

• US 20150089593A1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Randy S., Kelley, John F., Northway, Tedrick N., Walton, Kaleb D., Herman, Zachary S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• 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 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method and computer program product for using a vibration signature as an authentication key to authorize access of a user computer to a network. A vibration device generates a vibration signal of the vibration signature. In one embodiment, a router detects and validates the vibration signal, and then the router starts a session of connecting the user computer to the network. In another embodiment, the user computer decodes the vibration signal of the vibration signature to a security set identifier and a security key, and then sends to a router. In response to validating the security set identifier and the security key, the router starts a session of connecting the user computer to the network.

Claims

1. A method of using a vibration signature as an authentication key to authorize access of a user computer to a network, the method implemented by at least one computer program on a router, the method comprising:

invoking the router to listen to a vibration signal of the vibration signature from a device attached on the user computer, wherein the device generates the vibration signal of the vibration signature;

receiving the vibration signal of the vibration signature from the device;

validating the vibration signature; and

starting a session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the vibration signature is authorized.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the vibration signal of the vibration signature is continuously received by the router;

discontinuing the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the vibration signal of the vibration signature is not continuously received by the router; and

continuing the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the vibration signal of the vibration signature is continuously received by the router.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router is finished;

discontinuing the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the session is finished; and

continuing the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the session is not finished.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the router detects the vibration signal of the vibration signature by a vibration signal receiving device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the vibration signal receiving device is a microphone or an accelerometer.

6. A method of using a vibration signature as an authentication key to authorize access of a user computer to a network, the method implemented by at least one computer program on a router and at least one program on the user computer, the method comprising:

activating, by the at least one computer program on the router, a vibration device to emit a vibration signal of the vibration signature;

decoding, by the at least one program on the user computer, the vibration signal to a security set identifier and a security key, in response to receiving the vibration signal from the vibration device;

sending to the router, by the at least one program on the user computer, the security set identifier and the security key;

validating, by the at least one computer program on the router, the security set identifier and the security key; and

starting, by the at least one computer program on the router, a session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the security set identifier and the security key are authorized.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one computer program on the router, whether a security key change is needed; and

activating, by the at least one computer program on the router, the vibration device to emit a vibration signal of a new vibration signature.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the at least one computer program on the router, whether the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router is finished;

discontinuing, by the at least one computer program on the router, the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the session is finished; and

continuing, by the at least one computer program on the router, the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the session is not finished.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the user computer receives the vibration signal of the vibration signature by a vibration signal receiving device built in the user computer or attached on the user computer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the vibration signal receiving device is a microphone or an accelerometer.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the vibration device is a stand-alone device.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the vibration device is a built-in device on the router.

13. A computer program product for using vibration signature as an authentication key to authorize access of a user computer to a network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable to:

invoke a router to listen to a vibration signal of the vibration signature from a device attached on the user computer, wherein the device generates the vibration signal of the vibration signature;

receive the vibration signal of the vibration signature from the device;

validate the vibration signature; and

start a session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the vibration signature is authorized.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising the program code executable to:

determine whether the vibration signal of the vibration signature is continuously received by the router;

discontinue the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the vibration signal of the vibration signature is not continuously received by the router; and

continue the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the vibration signal of the vibration signature is continuously received by the router.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising the program code executable to:

determine whether the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router is finished;

discontinue the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the session is finished; and

continue the session of connecting the user computer to the network through the router, in response to determining that the session is not finished.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the router listens to the vibration signal of the vibration signature by a vibration signal receiving device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the vibration signal receiving device is a microphone or an accelerometer.