System and method for controlling user access to an electronic device

• US 8,839,416 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: McKeeth, James
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFFMAN, BRANDON S
• Application Number:
  US13/735,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating a user to access a computer system. The method comprises communicating security information to the computer system, and providing the computer system with an implicit input. The method further comprises determining whether the security information and implicit input match corresponding information associated with the user. The method further comprises granting the user access to the computer system in the event of a satisfactory match. When authenticating the user, the method and system consider the possibility of the user being legitimate but subject to duress or force by a computer hacker.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a touch screen;

an audio sensor; and

a processing circuit to grant access to the system based on a comparison of touch screen input signals created by a user entering, by drawing, a geometric pattern in a specified direction to a predefined geometric pattern stored in memory in combination with either a password provided by the user via the touch screen or audio information from the audio sensor;

wherein the user entered geometric pattern and at least one of the password and the audio information must be input within a predefined time period of each other.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user entered geometric pattern is a line, a circle, or a rectangle.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user entered geometric pattern is unique to the user.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit is configured to receive the user entered geometric pattern as a first user-interactive step after the system is deactivated and reactivated.

5. A method of granting access to a system comprising:

receiving a geometric pattern entered by a user on a touch screen of the system to gain access to the system, the geometric pattern being entered by the user by drawing the geometric pattern in a specified direction; and

determining with computer hardware if the user entered geometric pattern approximates a stored geometric pattern in combination with analyzing a user entered password and if the user entered geometric pattern and the user entered password were input within a predefined time period of each other to grant access to the system.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the user entered geometric pattern is a line, a circle, or a rectangle.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the user entered password is at least one of a password provided by the user via the touch screen and audio information from the audio sensor.

8. A method of granting access to a system comprising:

identifying audio input provided by a user using computer hardware;

receiving a geometric pattern entered by the user on a touch screen of the system to gain access to the system, the geometric pattern being entered by the user by drawing the geometric pattern in a specified direction;

determining with the computer hardware if the user entered geometric pattern approximates a stored geometric pattern;

granting limited access to the system when one of the user entered geometric pattern approximates the stored geometric pattern and the audio input is identified; and

granting access to the system when the user entered geometric pattern approximates the stored geometric pattern and the audio input is identified.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the user entered geometric pattern is a line, a circle, or a rectangle.

10. A system comprising:

a touch screen sensitive to a user'"'"'s touch;

an audio sensor configured to receive user entered audio information;

memory configured to store at least one user-accessible file;

a timer configured to measure a time duration between the user entering the touch screen geometric pattern and the user entering the audio information; and

a processing circuit configured to compare touch screen input data to data representing a predefined touch screen geometric pattern, the touch screen input data determined from the user'"'"'s touch and representing a touch screen geometric pattern entered by a user by drawing the geometric pattern in a specified direction;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to grant the user access to the at least one user-accessible file based on the audio information and if the user entered touch screen geometric pattern matches the predefined touch screen geometric pattern when the time duration is within a predefined time period.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the predefined touch screen geometric pattern is a line, a circle, or a rectangle.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the audio sensor comprises a microphone.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the audio information comprises voice information.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein a processing circuit is further configured to compare data representing the user entered audio information to data representing predefined audio information.

15. A system comprising:

a touch screen;

an audio sensor; and

a processing circuit to grant access to the system based on a comparison of touch screen input signals created by a user entering, by drawing, a geometric pattern in a specified direction to a predefined geometric pattern stored in memory in combination with either a password provided by the user via the touch screen or audio information from the audio sensor when the user entered geometric pattern and either the user provided password or the audio information occur within a predetermined time interval.

16. A method of granting access to a system comprising:

receiving a geometric pattern entered by a user on a touch screen of the system to gain access to the system, the geometric pattern being entered by the user by drawing the geometric pattern in a specified direction;

determining with computer hardware if the user entered geometric pattern approximates a stored geometric pattern;

granting limited access to the system when the user entered geometric pattern approximates the stored geometric pattern;

during a predefined duration of time following the granting of limited access, receiving password input provided by the user; and

granting unlimited access to the system based upon the user provided password.