System and Method for Authentication in Distributed Computing Environments

• US 20160057124A1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: BOYLE, Michael, BARROW, Lynel, ADAM, Brent, SIROTICH, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,872,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for managing profiles for use with touch systems. A user logs into a communal device using a pointer paired with a mobile device. The communal device is authenticated and retrieves the user'"'"'s profile. The user profile is used to setup a workspace on the communal device. The workspace is granted access to the user'"'"'s content on a content server. When the communal device has multiple users, each workspace may be shared or not depending on the user'"'"'s requirements. Each pointer is individually identified to a particular user and workspace.

Claims

1. A method for authentication comprising:

comparing identification information transmitted from a pointer to a computing device to predetermined identification information stored on a database;

on a match, transmitting login information to the pointer;

authenticating a communal device with an authentication server using the login information;

said login information having been transmitted to the communal device by contacting the pointer to the communal device.

3. The method of authentication according to claim 1 further comprising the step of the authentication server notifying a profile server on successful authentication of the communal device.

4. The method of authentication according to claim 3 further comprising the step of transmitting profile information from the profile server to the authenticated communal device.

5. The method of authentication according to claim 4 further comprising the step of generating a workspace on the communal device from at least a portion of the profile information.

6. The method of authentication according to claim 5 further comprising the step of registering a pointer identifier with the workspace.

7. The method of authentication according to claim 4 further comprising the step of automatically logging in the communal device to at least one content server using a portion of the profile information;

and accessing user content from the at least one content server.

8. The method of authentication according to claim 1 wherein the step to generate the identification information comprise:

generating biometric data from a biometric sensor located on the pointer.

9. The method of authentication according to claim 8 further comprising the step of processing the biometric data to generate a biometric template.

2. (canceled)

10. A communal computing system comprising:

a processor;

a first communication channel;

a second communication channel;

a memory unit comprising instructions to configure the processor to;

receive login information on contact of a pointer to the first communication channel;

the pointer previously authenticated with a mobile device;

authenticate the communal computing system with an authentication server over the second communication channel using at least a portion of the login information; and

receive profile information over the second communication channel after the authentication server notifies a profile server of a successful authentication.

11. The communal computing system according to claim 10 wherein the memory unit further comprises instructions to configure the processor to:

generate a workspace on the communal computing system using at least a portion of the profile information.

12. The communal computing system according to claim 11, the memory unit further comprising instructions to configure the processor to register a pointer identifier with the workspace.

13. The communal computing system according to claim 10, the memory unit further comprising instructions to configure the processor to automatically log in the communal computing system to at least one content server using a portion of the profile information and accessing user content from the at least one content server.

14. The communal computing system according to claim 10 wherein the first communication channel is a wireless communication channel.

15. The communal computing system according to claim 14 wherein the wireless communication channel is a contact communication channel.

16. The communal computing system according to claim 10 wherein the second communication channel is a wired communication channel.

17. A method for authentication comprising the steps of:

generating biometric data from a biometric sensor located on a pointer;

processing the biometric data using a processor to generate a biometric template;

matching the biometric template to a database of predetermined biometric templates;

on a match, transmitting login information over a first communication channel from a mobile device to the pointer;

contacting the pointer to a communal device and transmitting the login information over the first communication channel to the communal device;

authenticating the communal device with an authentication server over a second communication channel using at least a portion of the login information;

the authentication server notifying a profile server on successful authentication; and

transmitting profile information over the second communication channel from the profile server to the communal device.

18. The method for authentication according to claim 17 wherein the processor is located in the pointer, the mobile device, the communal device, or the authentication server.

19. The method of authentication according to claim 17 further comprising the step of transmitting the biometric template over the first communication channel to the mobile device.

20. The method of authentication according to claim 17 wherein the step of matching is performed using a mobile device processor.

21. The method for authentication according to claim 17 further comprising the step of generating a workspace on the communal device at least a portion of the profile information.

22. The method of authentication according to claim 21 further comprising the step of registering a pointer identifier with the workspace.

23. The method of authentication according to claim 17 comprising the step of:

automatically logging in the communal device to at least one content server using a portion of the profile information.

24. The method of authentication according to claim 23 comprising the step of:

accessing, by the communal device, user content from the at least one content server.

25. The method of authentication according to claim 17 wherein the first communication channel is a wireless communication channel.

26. The method of authentication according to claim 25 wherein the wireless communication channel is a contact communication channel.

27. The method of authentication according to claim 17 wherein the second communication channel is a wired communication channel.

28. A method for authentication comprising:

receiving login information on contact of a pointer to a mobile device;

the pointer previously authenticated with the mobile device;

authenticating a communal computing system with an authentication server at least a portion of the login information; and

receiving profile information based on the portion of the login information from a profile server.

29. The method for authentication according to claim 28 generating a workspace on the communal computing system using at least a portion of the profile information.

30. The method for authentication according to claim 29, registering a pointer identifier with the workspace.

31. The method for authentication according to claim 28, automatically logging in the communal computing system to at least one content server using a portion of the profile information and accessing user content from the at least one content server.