Temporal proximity to verify physical proximity
First Claim
1. A security apparatus system comprising:
- a verifier apparatus configured to determine an authorization to process protected material to facilitate an assessment of physical proximity of a source of a response based on an assessment of response times associated with one or more responses received from an unknown second source to one or more requests issued from a first source to the unknown second source;
a timer apparatus, operably coupled to the verifier apparatus, configured to measure response times between a request for content from a first source and a response from the unknown second source;
a memory to store the response times for limiting subsequent access of unauthorized users or notifying an external source of the unauthorized users;
wherein each of the one or more requests issued from the first source comprise a request for access to randomly selected source information from the unknown second source;
wherein the assessment of the response times forms an assessment of whether the one or more responses were communicated locally to the verifier apparatus or via a network connection; and
wherein the assessment of the one or more responses performed by the verifier apparatus comprises;
continuously requesting randomly selected source information from the unknown second source unit until a statistically observable difference from an expected response time of a local source is detected; and
wherein the one or more responses are stored for limiting subsequent access of the unauthorized users or notifying an external source of the unauthorized users.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A security system assesses the response time to requests for information to determine whether the responding system is in physical proximity to the requesting system. Generally, physical proximity corresponds to temporal proximity. If the response time indicates a substantial or abnormal lag between request and response, the system assumes that the lag is caused by the request and response having to travel a substantial or abnormal physical distance, or caused by the request being processed to generate a response, rather than being answered by an existing response in the physical possession of a user. If a substantial or abnormal lag is detected, the system is configured to limit subsequent access to protected material by the current user, and/or to notify security personnel of the abnormal response lag.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A security apparatus system comprising:
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a verifier apparatus configured to determine an authorization to process protected material to facilitate an assessment of physical proximity of a source of a response based on an assessment of response times associated with one or more responses received from an unknown second source to one or more requests issued from a first source to the unknown second source; a timer apparatus, operably coupled to the verifier apparatus, configured to measure response times between a request for content from a first source and a response from the unknown second source; a memory to store the response times for limiting subsequent access of unauthorized users or notifying an external source of the unauthorized users; wherein each of the one or more requests issued from the first source comprise a request for access to randomly selected source information from the unknown second source; wherein the assessment of the response times forms an assessment of whether the one or more responses were communicated locally to the verifier apparatus or via a network connection; and wherein the assessment of the one or more responses performed by the verifier apparatus comprises;
continuously requesting randomly selected source information from the unknown second source unit until a statistically observable difference from an expected response time of a local source is detected; andwherein the one or more responses are stored for limiting subsequent access of the unauthorized users or notifying an external source of the unauthorized users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of verifying the authenticity of requested data, the method comprising:
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transmitting one or more requests for randomly selected source content from a first source to an unknown second source; recording, at the first source, response times associated with one or more responses received from the unknown second source to one or more requests issued from the first source to the unknown second source; storing the assessment of the response times at the first source for limiting subsequent access of unauthorized users or notifying an external source of unauthorized users; verifying by the first source, physical proximity of the unknown second source to determine whether the one or more responses were communicated locally to the first source based on an assessment of the response times associated with the one or more responses received from the unknown second source to determine an authorization to process protected material; authorizing receipt of content from the unknown second source in the case where the physical proximity of the unknown second source is determined to be local to the first source; denying receipt of content from the unknown second source when the physical proximity of the unknown second source is determined not to be local to the first source; wherein the assessment of the one or more responses comprises;
continuously requesting said randomly selected content from the unknown second source until a statistically observable difference from an expected response time of a local source is detected. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification