Systems and methods for lightweight authentication

• US 8,135,956 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Balfanz, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US11/637,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20080141361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries

Abstract

Techniques are provided for the lightweight authentication of a user to an application, a computer or other device. An interaction element such as a stylus, a pen or marker is uniquely identified. The interactive element is associated with a user. The interaction element provides a means for interacting with the application. The proximity of the identification element within the interaction element during data entry operations to the authentication sensor signals the controlled application that the user has been authenticated.

Claims

1. A system for lightweight authentication comprising:

a processor;

an interaction mechanism that interacts with an interaction device which is embedded with an identification element, wherein the interaction device is at least one of a stylus, a pen, a pencil, and a pointing device, and wherein the identification element identifies the interaction device and facilitates associating a medical practitioner with the interaction device;

a sensor that receives a communication from the identification element when the interaction device is in proximity;

an authentication mechanism that authenticates the medical practitioner to a controlled system or application based on the proximity of the interaction device; and

a controlling mechanism that grants a same access to a data item to at least two authenticated medical practitioners with different authorization levels, wherein the access to the data item requires additional contextual information from at least one of the authenticated medical practitioners with a lower authorization level based on the medical practitioner'"'"'s identity associated with the interaction device.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the controlled system or application is at least one of:

a software application and a hardware device.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the controlled system or application is at least one of:

a business application and a medical application.

4. The system of claim 1, in which the access to sub-portions of the controlled system or application is based on a user authority associated with a user.

5. The system of claim 4, in which the user authority is comprised of access levels.

6. The system of claim 5, in which the access levels are associated with controls which are at least one of:

read, write, delete, append, create and view.

7. The system of claim 1, in which the interaction device is associated with an identification element and the user is associated with a unique identification element.

8. The system of claim 1, in which an interaction device is associated with an identification element and the user is authenticated to the controlled system or application based on the identification element.

9. The system of claim 8, in which the controlled system or application determines a response based on the identification element sensed by the sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, in which the sensor creates an authentication field.

11. The system of claim 9, in which the sensor is based on at least one of:

radio frequency identifiers, near field communication, Bluetooth communication, WiFi communication and infra-red communication.

12. A computer-implemented method for lightweight authentication, the method comprising:

associating an interaction device with an identification element, wherein the interaction device is at least one of a stylus, a pen, a pencil, and a pointing device, and wherein the identification element identifies the interaction device and facilitates associating a medical practitioner with the interaction device;

receiving a communication at a sensor from the identification element when the interaction device is in proximity;

authenticating the medical practitioner to a controlled system or application based on the proximity of the interaction device; and

granting a same access to a data item to at least two authenticated medical practitioners with different authorization levels, wherein the access to the data item requires additional contextual information from at least one of the authenticated medical practitioners with a lower authorization level based on the medical practitioner'"'"'s identity associated with the interaction device.

13. The method of claim 12, in which the controlled system or application is at least one of:

a software application and a hardware device.

14. The method of claim 12, in which the controlled system or application is at least one of:

a business application and a medical application.

15. The method of claim 12, in which the access to sub-portions of the controlled system or application is based on a user authority associated with a user.

16. The method of claim 15, in which the user authority is comprised of access levels.

17. The method of claim 16, in which the access levels are associated with controls which are at least one of:

read, write, delete, append, create and view.

18. The method of claim 12, in which the interaction device is associated with an identification element and the user is associated with a unique identification element.

19. The method of claim 12, in which an interaction device is associated with an identification element and the user is authenticated to the controlled system or application based on the identification element.

20. The method of claim 19, in which the controlled system or application determines a response based on the identification element sensed by the sensor.

21. The method of claim 20, in which the sensor creates an authentication field.

22. The method of claim 20, in which the sensor is based on at least one of:

radio frequency identifiers, near field communication, Bluetooth communication, WiFi communication and infra-red communication.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable program code embodied on the computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable program code useable to program a computer for lightweight authentication, comprising:

associating an interaction device with an identification element, wherein the interaction device is at least one of a stylus, a pen, a pencil, and a pointing device, and wherein the identification element identifies the interaction device and facilitates associating a medical practitioner with the interaction device;

receiving a communication at a sensor from the identification element when the interaction device is in proximity;

authenticating the medical practitioner to a controlled system or application based on the proximity of the interaction device; and

granting a same access to a data item to at least two authenticated medical practitioners with different authorization levels, wherein the access to the data item requires additional contextual information from at least one of the authenticated medical practitioners with a lower authorization level based on the medical practitioner'"'"'s identity associated with the interaction device.