METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURE ACCESS TO A MOBILE EDGE COMPUTING GATEWAY DEVICE BASED ON A SUBSCRIBER LOCATION FINGERPRINT

• US 20180367314A1
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Egner, Will A., Quinn, Liam B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,439,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3239 involving non-keyed hash functions, e.g. modification detection codes [MDCs], MD5, SHA or RIPEMD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method for secure access to a mobile edge computing gateway device based on a subscriber location fingerprint may comprise receiving a request to access the mobile edge computing gateway, a first user credential, and an encrypted token from a requesting user, associating the first user credential with a block chain location fingerprint for the subscribing user, including a plurality of time-stamped records of a plurality of estimated or measured location state variables of the subscribing user and an associated confidence interval representing an accuracy of those variables, decrypting the location fingerprint, receiving a requesting user location measurement, predicting a current location for the subscribing user and an associated current confidence interval based on recent location state variables in the location fingerprint, and allowing the requesting user access to the mobile edge computing gateway when the received requesting user location measurement falls within the value of the current confidence interval.

Claims

1. An information handling system of a mobile edge computing gateway operating a location fingerprint security system comprising:

a memory for storing a plurality of blocks within a block chain of a location fingerprint for a subscribing user, each block including a time-stamped record of a plurality of estimated or measured location state variables of the subscribing user and an associated confidence interval representing an accuracy of the estimated or measured location state variables; and

a processor executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to;

receive a request to access the mobile edge computing gateway, a first user credential, and an encrypted token from a requesting user;

associate the first user credential with a block chain location fingerprint for the subscribing user, and decrypt the location fingerprint;

receive a requesting user location measurement;

predict a current location for the subscribing user and an associated current confidence interval based on the estimated or measured location state variables in the location fingerprint associated with the most recent time stamp; and

allow the requesting user access to the mobile edge computing gateway when the received requesting user location measurement falls within the value of the current confidence interval.

2. The information handling system operating a location fingerprint security system of claim 1 further comprising:

the processor executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to;

transmit a challenge request to the requesting user for a second user credential if the received requesting user location measurement falls outside the value of the current confidence interval; and

allow access to the mobile edge computing gateway upon receipt of the second user credential affirmatively identifying the requesting user as the subscribing user.

3. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 2 further comprising:

the processor executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to disallow access by the requesting user and future requesting users upon receipt of a second user credential failing to identify the requesting user as the subscribing user.

4. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 2 further comprising:

the processor executing code instructions to;

receive a second user credential affirmatively identifying the requesting user as the subscribing user; and

generate an updated block, stamped with the time of receipt of the request to access the mobile edge computing gateway, including the current estimated subscribing user location and current confidence interval, and adding the updated block to the subscribing user'"'"'s block chain.

5. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 1, wherein the requesting user location measurement is determined via a global positioning satellite location circuit within a mobile user information handling system in use by the requesting user.

6. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 1 further comprising:

the location fingerprint security system predicting the current location of the subscribing user by applying a Kalman filter to at least one recently time-stamped location fingerprint in the subscribing user'"'"'s block chain having a confidence interval above a threshold level.

7. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 1, wherein each block chain location fingerprint data is made available via an encryption key and a secure address location separately provided.

8. A method of securing access to a mobile edge computing gateway based on a location fingerprint comprising:

receiving a request to access the mobile edge computing gateway, a first user credential, and an encrypted token from a requesting user;

associating the first user credential with a block chain location fingerprint for the subscribing user, the block chain including a plurality of blocks, each block including a time-stamped record of a plurality of estimated or measured location state variables of the subscribing user and an associated confidence interval representing an accuracy of the estimated or measured location state variables, and decrypt the location fingerprint;

receiving a requesting user location measurement;

predicting a current location for the subscribing user and an associated current confidence interval based on the estimated or measured location state variables in the location fingerprint associated with the most recent time stamp; and

allowing the requesting user access to the mobile edge computing gateway when the received requesting user location measurement falls within the value of the current confidence interval.

9. The method of securing access to a mobile edge computing gateway based on a location fingerprint of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a challenge request to the requesting user for a second user credential if the received requesting user location measurement falls outside the value of the current confidence interval; and

allowing access to the mobile edge computing gateway upon receipt of the second user credential affirmatively identifying the requesting user as the subscribing user.

10. The method of securing access to a mobile edge computing gateway based on a location fingerprint of claim 9, further comprising:

disallowing access by the requesting user and future requesting users upon receipt of a second user credential failing to identify the requesting user as the subscribing user.

11. The method of securing access to a mobile edge computing gateway based on a location fingerprint of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a second user credential affirmatively identifying the requesting user as the subscribing user; and

generating an updated block, stamped with the time of receipt of the request to access the mobile edge computing gateway, including the current estimated subscribing user location and current confidence interval, and adding the updated block to the subscribing user'"'"'s block chain.

12. The method of securing access to a mobile edge computing gateway based on a location fingerprint of claim 8, wherein the requesting user location measurement is determined via a global positioning satellite location circuit within a mobile user information handling system in use by the requesting user.

13. The method of securing access to a mobile edge computing gateway based on a location fingerprint of claim 8 further comprising:

predicting the current location of the subscribing user by applying a Kalman filter to at least one recently time-stamped location fingerprint in the subscribing user'"'"'s block chain having a confidence interval above a threshold level.

14. The method of securing access to a mobile edge computing gateway based on a location fingerprint of claim 8 wherein each block chain location fingerprint data is made available via an encryption key and a secure address location separately provided.

15. An information handling system of a mobile edge computing gateway and an authentication server operating a location fingerprint security system comprising:

a memory of the authentication server for storing a plurality of blocks within a block chain of a location fingerprint for a subscribing user, each block including a time-stamped record of a plurality of estimated or measured location state variables of the subscribing user and an associated confidence interval representing an accuracy of the estimated or measured location state variables; and

a processor of the authentication server executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to;

receive a request to access the mobile edge computing gateway, a first user credential, and an encrypted token from a requesting user via the mobile edge computing gateway;

associate the first user credential with a block chain location fingerprint for the subscribing user, and decrypt the location fingerprint;

predict a current location for the subscribing user and an associated current confidence interval;

determine whether the mobile edge computing gateway services the geographic area including the predicted current location; and

a processor of the mobile edge computing gateway executing code instructions if the authentication server determines the mobile edge computing gateway services the geographic area including the predicted current location to;

receive a requesting user location measurement; and

allow the requesting user access to the mobile edge computing gateway when the received requesting user location measurement falls within the value of the current confidence interval.

16. The information handling system operating a location fingerprint security system of claim 15 further comprising:

the processor of the authentication server executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to;

transmit a challenge request to the requesting user for a second user credential if the authentication server determines the mobile edge computing gateway does not service the geographic area including the predicted current location; and

the processor of the mobile edge computing gateway executing code instructions to;

upon receipt of the second user credential affirmatively identifying the requesting user as the subscribing user, request and receive a requesting user location measurement; and

allow access to a second mobile edge computing gateway servicing the area including the predicted current location when the received requesting user location measurement falls within the value of the current confidence interval.

17. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 16 further comprising:

the processor of the authentication server executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to disallow access by the requesting user and future requesting users upon receipt of a second user credential failing to identify the requesting user as the subscribing user.

18. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 15 further comprising:

the processor of the mobile edge computing gateway to transmit the received requesting user location measurement to the authentication server; and

the processor of the authentication server executing code instructions to;

determine the received requesting user location measurement falls within the value of the current confidence interval; and

generate an updated block, stamped with the time of receipt of the request to access the mobile edge computing gateway, including the current estimated subscribing user location and current confidence interval, and adding the updated block to the subscribing user'"'"'s block chain.

19. The information handling system operating a location fingerprint security system of claim 16 further comprising:

the processor of the authentication server executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to;

transmit a challenge request to the requesting user via the mobile edge computing gateway for a third user credential if the received requesting user location measurement falls outside the value of the current confidence interval; and

allow access to the mobile edge computing gateway upon receipt of the third user credential affirmatively identifying the requesting user as the subscribing user.

20. The information handling system operating the location fingerprint security system of claim 19 further comprising:

the processor executing machine readable executable code instructions of the location fingerprint security system to disallow access by the requesting user and future requesting users upon receipt of a third user credential failing to identify the requesting user as the subscribing user.