Method for allowing a user access to an electronic device having improved security

• US 6,456,958 B1
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ensure Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ensure Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Xydis, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L.
• Application Number:
  US09/727,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 702/57, 702/78, 702/79, 702/122, 702/124, 702/142, 702/143, 702/149-151, 702/157, 702/158, 702/159, 702/176-178, 702/188, 702/189, 702/193, 340/5.61, 340/572.1, 340/825.49
• US Class Current: 702/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A security apparatus and a method for determining the distance between a computer (72) and a token (70) carried by a user (52) for allowing the user (52) to access the computer (72). The computer (72) is connected to a first transceiver (16) having at least one antenna for emitting and detecting a radio frequency (RF) signal, and to a microphone (76) for detecting an audio signal (24). The computer (72) is also connected to a counter (26) for measuring a time interval (28) between a transmitted RF signal (20) and audio signal (24) from the token (70). The token (70) is connected to a second transceiver (30) having at least one antenna for emitting and detecting a RF signal (20) and a loudspeaker (74) for emitting an audio signal (24). The method is characterized by comparing the measured time interval (28) to a predetermined time range (38) and enabling the computer (72) in response to the time interval (28) being within the predetermined time range (38) such that the user (52) may have access to the enabled computer (72) and disabling the computer (72) in response to the time interval (28) being outside the predetermined time range (38).

Claims

1. A method for allowing a user access to one of a first and a second electronic devices having improved security to prevent information theft, said method comprising the steps of;

emitting a radio frequency (RF) signal and an audio signal (24) simultaneously from the second electronic device (14),

detecting the RF signal (20) with the first electronic device (12),

detecting the audio signal (24) with the first electronic device (12), and

measuring a time interval (28) between the detection of the RF signal (20) and detection of the audio signal (24) by the second electronic device (14),

comparing the measured time interval (28) to a predetermined time range (38),

enabling one of the first and the second electronic devices in response to the time interval (28) being within the predetermined time range (38) such that access to the enabled electronic device is provided to the user (52) in the proximity of the electronic device, and

disabling one of the first and the second electronic devices in response to the time interval (28) being outside the predetermined time range (38) such that access to the disabled electronic device is denied when the user (52) is not in the proximity of the electronic device.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 including calculating a distance between the first electronic device (12) and the second electronic device (14) utilizing the time interval (28), comparing the distance to a predetermined radius (64), and enabling one of the first and the second electronic devices in response to one of the devices being within the predetermined radius (64) and disabling one of the first and the second electronic devices in response to the devices being outside the predetermined radius (64).

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the step of emitting the RF signal (20) and the audio signal (24) simultaneously from the second electronic device (14) is further defined by emitting the RF signal (20) at a first velocity and emitting the audio signal (24) at a second velocity simultaneously from the first electronic device (12).

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the step of emitting the audio signal (24) at the second velocity is further defined by emitting the audio signal (24) at the speed of sound.

5. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the step of calculating the distance between the first electronic device (12) and the second electronic device (14) is further defined by calculating the distance by using the measured time interval (28) and the second velocity.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of emitting the audio signal (24) is further defined as periodic ally emitting the audio signal (24) for verifying the continued presence of the user (52) within the predetermined time range (38).

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 including measuring the strength of the RF signal (20) and comparing the strength of the RF signal (20) to a predetermined threshold (54) for initiating the measurement of the time interval (28).

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the step of measuring the strength of the RF signal (20) further includes verifying the presence of the user (52) within the predetermined time interval (28) by comparing the strength of the RF signal (20) to the predetermined threshold (54).

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the step of emitting the audio signal (24) is further defined as emitting the audio signal (24) for verifying the continued presence of the user (52) within the predetermined time range (38) in response the RF signal (20) falling below the predetermined threshold (54).

10. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the steps of emitting and detecting of the RF signal (20) is further defined by emitting and detecting a user code and comparing the user code to an authorized user database having authorized user codes and allowing the user (52) to access the previously enabled electronic device in response to the user code matching an authorized user code.

11. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of emitting the RF signal (20) is further defined by sequentially emitting the RF signal (20) from a first emitting antenna (42) and a second emitting antenna (44).

12. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting the RF signal (20) includes detecting the RF signal (20) with a first detecting antenna and a second detecting antenna.

13. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the emitting of the RF signal (20) and the audio signal (24) includes emitting the RF signal (20) and the audio signal (24) from a computer (12).

14. A method as set forth in claim 13 wherein the detecting of the RF signal (20) and audio signal (24) includes detecting the signals with a token (70) carried by the user (52).

15. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the emitting of the RF signal (20) and audio signal (24) includes emitting the signals from a token (70) carried by the user (52).

16. A method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the detecting of the RF signal (20) and audio signal (24) includes detecting the signals with a computer (72).