Context Analysis at an Information Handling System to Manage Authentication Cycles

• US 20150135298A1
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Robison, Charles D., Quinn, Liam B., Ancona, Rocco
• Granted Patent: US 9,400,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2139 Recurrent verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• 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: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Context captured with sensors of an information handling system is applied to selectively lock access to currently unlocked information, with conditions for locking access based upon the context. Nervous states enforce locking of selected information based upon the confidence of the security of the information under sensed external conditions. Increased sensitivity for locking access includes reduced timeouts to a lock command, increased response to sensed conditions, and more rapid response where unlocked access is to sensitive information.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a housing;

a processing components disposed in the housing and operable to cooperate to process information;

one or more input/output (I/O) devices interfaced with the processing components and operable to accept touch inputs;

one or more optical sensors operable to sense light;

one or more wireless communication devices operable to communicate with wireless signals; and

a nervous state engine operable to execute on one or more of the processing components, the nervous state engine transitioning between plural nervous states, each nervous state disenabling access to currently authorized secure information with predetermined conditions defined by each nervous state, the nervous state engine transitioning between nervous states based upon a context sensed by one or more of the I/O devices, optical sensors and wireless communication devices.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the plural nervous states comprise a user absent state having predetermined conditions of at least a lack of touch to the one or more I/O devices for a predetermined time, a lack of an image captured by the one or more optical sensors for a predetermined time and a lack of a wireless signal associated with the user, the nervous state engine disenabling all access to currently authorized secure information in response to the user absent state.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the plural nervous states comprise a user absent state having predetermined conditions of at least a lack of an image captured by the one or more optical sensors, the nervous state engine immediately disenabling all access to currently authorized secure information in response to an acceleration detected by the information handling system when in the user absent state.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the plural nervous states comprise a geographic state having predetermined conditions of at least a first wireless network detected followed by a second wireless network detected, the first wireless network included on a network list, the second wireless network absent from the network list, the nervous state engine immediately disenabling all network password accesses in response to detection of the second wireless network.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 wherein the geographic state further comprises a GPS position measured with a GPS receiver disposed in the housing, the predetermined conditions including the second wireless network being located outside a GPS boundary, the nervous state engine not disenabling all network password accesses if the second wireless network is within the GPS boundary.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the plural nervous states comprise a user absent state having predetermined conditions of at least failure to detect a touch input for a predetermined time and detection of a wireless personal area network associated with a predetermined user, the nervous state continuing to allow access to predetermined authorized information if a first input is detected and the personal area network is detected, and disenabling predetermined authorized information in response to the first input if the wireless personal area network not detected.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the first input is detection of an acceleration by an accelerometer disposed in the housing.

8. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a movie player operable to present a movie, the nervous state engine continuing to allow presenting of the movie after disenabling access to currently authorized secure information.

9. A method for monitoring access at an information handling system, the method comprising:

authorizing access to information through the information handling system;

monitoring the information handling system to deauthorize at least a portion of the access through the information handling system in the event of a first one or more predetermined conditions;

detecting with a sensor integrated in the information handling system at least a first sensed condition; and

in response to the detecting, altering the monitoring to deauthorize at least a portion of the access through the information handling system in the event of a second one or more predetermined conditions.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

monitoring further comprises deauthorizing at least a portion of the access after a predetermined time elapses at a timer;

the sensor comprises a camera that captures images proximate the information handling system;

the sensed condition comprises the image lacking an end user;

and the second one or more predetermined conditions comprises reducing the predetermined time by a predetermined amount.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the monitoring further comprises deauthorizing access to all password protected information.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein multimedia information currently presented at the information handling system continues being presented after the predetermined time.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the at least a portion of the access deauthorized in the event of the first one or more predetermined conditions comprises access to network-based information; and

the at least a portion of the access deauthorized in the event of the second one or more predetermined conditions comprises access to locally-stored information.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the sensor comprises a position sensor, the first one or more predetermined conditions comprise a first position and the second one or more predetermined conditions comprise a second position.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the sensor comprises an RF sensor that senses a wireless interface.

16. A system for monitoring access to an information handling system, the system comprising:

plural sensors, each sensor operable to sense one or more predetermined conditions at the information handling system; and

a nervous state engine operable to execute on one or more of processing components disposed in the information handling system, the nervous state engine transitioning between plural nervous states, each nervous state disenabling access to at least a portion of currently authorized information upon detection of predetermined conditions defined by each nervous state, the nervous state engine transitioning between nervous states based upon a context sensed by one or more of the plural sensors.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the nervous state engine transitions between first and second nervous states based upon an image sensed by a camera sensor integrated in the information handling system and disenables access in only one of the first and second nervous states based upon an acceleration detected by an accelerometer sensor integrated in the information handling system.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the nervous state engine transitions between nervous states based upon an RF signal sensed by a wireless interface device integrated in the information handling system and disenables access in a first nervous state but not a second nervous state based upon an acceleration detected by an accelerometer sensor integrated in the information handling system.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the RF signal comprises a Bluetooth signal from a predetermined device, the nervous state engine disenabling access if the acceleration is detected and the RF signal from the predetermined device is not detected.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the RF signal comprises a wireless local area network, the nervous state engine disenabling access if the acceleration is detected unless the wireless local area network is on a safe list of wireless local area networks stored on the information handling system.