Portable authentication device

• US 8,689,308 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Lan, Blanchard, Harry E., Lewis, Steven H., Pulz, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US12/242,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

In one aspect, a disclosed portable authentication device (PAD) includes a processor, storage media, an interface for enabling communication with an external information handling system (IHS), e.g., a computer or a telephony device, and executable instructions embedded in the storage media, for automated authentication. The embedded instructions include instructions for enabling a user to store authentication information, e.g., use ID and password information, corresponding to an IHS destination, e.g., a telephone number of an interactive voice response system or an IP address of a web server. If the PAD recognizes the current destination, the PAD may respond to an assertion of a keypad control element by making authorization information corresponding to the current destination available to the user or providing the authorization information directly to the current destination. The PAD may include one or more telephony interface(s), e.g., RJ-11 jack(s) and one or more computer interfaces, e.g., USB connector(s).

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor-executable instructions for authenticating a user of a user device to a remote system, the program instructions, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

verifying the user as an authorized user of a portable authentication device connected to the user device wherein the user device is selected from a telephony device and a computer;

detecting a dialed telephone number generated by the telephony device connected to a telephony interface of the portable authentication device;

detecting a requested universal resource indicator generated by the computer connected to a computer interface, distinct from the telephony interface, of the portable authentication device;

comparing a currently detected destination with previously detected destinations stored in a log file, wherein the currently detected destination is selected from the dialed telephone number and the requested universal resource indicator;

in response to determining no match between the currently detected destination and the previously detected destinations;

storing the currently detected destination in the log file;

recording authentication data provided by the user device to the currently detected destination;

storing the authentication data to the non-transitory computer readable medium;

in response to determining the match between the currently detected destination and the previously detected destinations;

retrieving the authentication data associated with the currently detected destination; and

providing the authentication data to the remote system.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the confirming includes comparing a speech sample of the user to speech represented by data in a speech file stored in the portable authentication device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the determining includes comparing the destination to previously visited destinations in a log file stored in the portable authentication device.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the authentication data includes user identification information and password information.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote system comprises an interactive voice response system and wherein providing the authentication data includes sending dual tone multi frequency information to the remote system.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote system comprises a web server and wherein the providing the authentication data includes presenting the authorization information on a display of the user device.

7. A method of authenticating a user to a remote system, the method comprising:

verifying the user as an authorized user of a portable authentication device connected to a user device, wherein the user device is selected from a telephony device and a computer;

detecting a dialed telephone number generated by the telephony device connected to a telephony interface of the portable authentication device;

detecting a requested universal resource indicator generated by the computer connected to a computer interface, distinct from the telephony interface, of the portable authentication device;

comparing a currently detected destination with previously detected destinations stored in a log file, wherein the currently detected destination is selected from the dialed telephone number and the requested universal resource indicator;

in response to determining no match between the currently detected destination and the previously detected destinations;

storing the currently detected destination in the log file;

recording authentication data provided by the user device to the currently detected destination; and

in response to determining the match between the currently detected destination and the previously detected destinations;

retrieving the authentication data associated with the currently detected destination; and

providing the authentication data to the remote system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein verifying the user includes comparing the user speaking a predetermined phrase against a speech sample stored in the portable authentication device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the destination is selected from a telephone number of an interactive voice response system and a universal resource indicator of a web server.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising prior to the verifying of the user, monitoring for a connection between the portable authentication device and the user device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising responding to detecting a connection between the portable authentication device and the user device, verifying that a token file corresponding to the portable authentication device is stored in the user device.