System and method for providing positional authentication for client-server systems

• US 6,898,628 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Mark-David J., LeGrand, Robert H. III, Bade, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/815,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/228, 709/229, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• 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 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention is embodied in a system and method for providing positional authentication for client-server systems, such as extranets. In general, an authentication system of the present invention controls and authenticates access rights to a host server from a client machine that desires access to the host server via a network connection, such as an extranet connection. Specifically, the present invention includes a client machine coupled to a host server, via any suitable connection, such as an extranet, and a wireless positioning system, such as a global positioning satellite (GPS). The client machine can be any suitable client computer machine, such as a desktop computer, portable notebook computer or the like. The client machine includes a positioning receiver and a positional relation module. The host server includes an authentication module with predefined access parameters for standard and positional authentication. A portion of the predefined access parameters is used to associate specific locations of the client machine with access rights for positional authentication.

Claims

1. A method for automatically controlling access of an Internet site from a remote client to a host server that has predefined access parameters, comprising:

determining an actual location of the remote client defined by a post office address; and

using the actual location of the remote client to automatically control and regulate different levels of access to the host server based on the predefined access parameters and if the post office address of the remote client matches a post office address on file at the host server associated with the particular Internet site that the remote client is attempting to access.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling access to certain levels of data on the host sever based on the remote client'"'"'s actual location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the actual location of the remote client is determined by a global positioning satellite system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using triangulation to determine the actual location of the remote client.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising using three dimensional triangulation to provide latitudinal, longitudinal and elevational data to the remote client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the host server and the remote client operate in a networking environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the networking environment is an extranet using a virtual private network with the Internet as the network communication channel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein using the actual location of the remote client to automatically control access includes automatically preventing unauthorized access of data on the host server based on locations where access is not likely to occur by the remote client.

9. A tracking system for automatically controlling access from a remote client to an Internet site of a host server that has predefined access parameters, comprising:

a positioning device that determines an actual location of the remote client defined by a post office address; and

a control module that uses the location of the remote client to automatically control and regulate different levels of access to the host server based on the predefined access parameters and if the post office address or the remote client matches a post office address on file at the host server associated with the particular Internet site that the remote client is attempting to access.

10. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the control module controls access to certain operational interfaces of the host server based on its actual location.

11. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the actual location of the remote client is determined by a global positioning satellite system.

12. The tracking system of claim 9, further comprising controlling access to certain predefined types of data on the host sever based on the remote client'"'"'s actual location.

13. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the control module automatically prevents unauthorized access of predefined data on the host server based on locations where access is not likely to occur by the remote client.

14. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the positioning device receives data from a transmitter system that uses triangulation to determine the actual location of the remote client.

15. The tracking system of claim 14, wherein the transmitter system uses three dimensional triangulation to provide latitudinal, longitudinal and elevational data to the remote client.

16. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein the remote client is a personal computer connected to an extranet via the Internet and a virtual private network.

17. The tracking system of claim 9, wherein when plural remote clients attempt access to the host server from respective various locations, access to the host server by each remote client is automatically at least one of provided, denied or qualified, depending on the predefined access parameters and the location of each remote client at the time access is requested.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a process between a remote client and a host server having predefined access parameters, comprising:

determining an actual location of the remote client defined by a post office address; and

using the actual location of the remote client to automatically control access to an Internet site via the host server based on the predefined access parameters and if the post office address of the remote client matches a post office address on file at the host server associated with the particular Internet site that the remote client is attempting to access.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein using the actual location of the remote client to automatically control access includes controlling access to certain predefined operational interfaces and types of predefined data on the host server based on its actual location.

20. The process of claim 18, further comprising, preventing unauthorized access to the host server by the remote client based on locations where access is not likely to occur by the remote client.