SECURE ACCESS USING LOCATION-BASED ENCRYPTED AUTHORIZATION

• US 20150163226A1
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kufluk, Bernard Z., Warman, Adrian R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0872 using geo-location information, e.g. location data, time, relative position or proximity to other entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A computer sends a request to an authorization source to access a resource and includes its own location information. The computer receives a reply that includes the unencrypted location information of the computer and the resource encrypted such that a decryption key of the computer decrypts the encrypted resource. The entire reply is encrypted such that a decryption key of a third-party computer can decrypt the reply. The computer sends the encrypted reply to the third-party computer, and the reply is decrypted and returned to the computer if a distance between the computer and the third-party computer fulfills a proximity condition, as determined by the location of the computers.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing access to a resource, the method comprising:

a first computer, sending to a second computer, a request to access a resource, wherein the request includes location information of the first computer;

the first computer receiving a reply from the second computer, the reply including unencrypted location information of the first computer and the resource that is encrypted, such that a decryption key of the first computer decrypts the encrypted resource, and wherein the reply is encrypted such that a decryption key of a third computer decrypts the reply;

the first computer sending the reply to the third computer, wherein the third computer includes location information of the third computer and is configured to decrypt the reply, revealing the location information of the first computer and the encrypted resource; and

the first computer receiving the encrypted resource from the third computer, in response to the third computer determining a distance between the first computer and the third computer fulfills a proximity condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the decryption key of the first computer is a private key of the first computer, an encryption key of the resource is a public key of the first computer, the decryption key of the third computer is a private key of the third computer, and an encryption key of the reply is a public key of the third computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the decryption key of the resource is based on the location of the first computer, and the decryption key of the reply is based on the location of the third computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein fulfilling the proximity condition includes compliance to a predetermined parameter of distance between the second computer and the third computer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined parameter of distance between the second computer and the third computer is greater than a specified minimum distance, less than a specified maximum distance, or considered to be a same location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource further comprises one or a combination of:

digitized media, operation of a computer-readable program, operation of a device, operation of a switch, operation of a lock.

7. A computer program product for authorizing access to a resource, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer processor, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to send a request to access a resource to a second computer, wherein the request includes location information of a first computer;

program instructions to receive a reply from the second computer, the reply including unencrypted location information of the first computer and the resource that is encrypted such that a decryption key of the first computer decrypts the encrypted resource, and wherein the reply is encrypted such that a decryption key of a third computer decrypts the reply;

program instructions to send the reply to the third computer, wherein the third computer includes location information of the third computer and is configured to decrypt the reply, revealing the location information of the first computer and the encrypted resource; and

program instructions to receive the encrypted resource from the third computer, in response to the third computer determining a distance between the first computer and the third computer fulfills a proximity condition.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the decryption key of the first computer is a private key of the first computer, an encryption key of the resource is a public key of the first computer, the decryption key of the third computer is a private key of the third computer, and an encryption key of the reply is a public key of the third computer.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the decryption key of the resource is based on the location of the first computer, and the decryption key of the reply is based on the location of the third computer.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein fulfilling the proximity condition includes compliance to a predetermined parameter of distance between the second computer and the third computer.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the predetermined parameter of distance between the second computer and the third computer is greater than a specified minimum distance, less than a specified maximum distance, or considered to be a same location.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the resource further comprises one or a combination of:

digitized media, operation of a computer-readable program, operation of a device, operation of a switch, operation of a lock.

13. A computer system for authorizing access to a resource, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media;

program instructions stored on the computer-readable non-transitory storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to send a request to access a resource to a second computer, wherein the request includes location information of a first computer;

program instructions to receive a reply from the second computer, the reply including unencrypted location information of the first computer and the resource that is encrypted such that a decryption key of the first computer decrypts the encrypted resource, and wherein the reply is encrypted such that a decryption key of a third computer decrypts the reply;

program instructions to send the reply to the third computer, wherein the third computer includes location information of the third computer and is configured to decrypt the reply, revealing the location information of the first computer and the encrypted resource; and

program instructions to receive the encrypted resource from the third computer, in response to the third computer determining a distance between the first computer and the third computer fulfills a proximity condition.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the decryption key of the first computer is a private key of the first computer, an encryption key of the resource is a public key of the first computer, the decryption key of the third computer is a private key of the third computer, and an encryption key of the reply is a public key of the third computer.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the decryption key of the resource is based on the location of the first computer, and the decryption key of the reply is based on the location of the third computer.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein fulfilling the proximity condition includes compliance to a predetermined parameter of distance between the second computer and the third computer.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined parameter of distance between the second computer and the third computer is greater than a specified minimum distance, less than a specified maximum distance, or considered to be a same location.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the resource further comprises one or combination of:

digitized media, operation of a computer-readable program, operation of a device, operation of a switch, operation of a lock.