Access authorization servers, methods and computer program products employing wireless terminal location

• US 9,262,877 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US14/306,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 713/186
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

An access authorization server includes an access authorization processor configured to receive information concerning an access attempt at a subscribed location, to obtain location information from a wireless network provider for a wireless terminal associated with the subscribed location, to correlate a location of the wireless terminal with the subscribed location, to generate authorization information for the access attempt in response to a result of the correlation of the location of the wireless terminal and the subscribed location, and to transmit the authorization information to a security processor at the subscribed location or to the wireless terminal. Corresponding method and computer program embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A tangible computer server, for authorizing access for a user, comprising:

an access authorization processor; and

a computer-readable storage device comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the access authorization processor, cause the access authorization processor to perform operations comprising;

obtaining location information indicating a location of a wireless terminal associated with a subscriber account being associated with a subscribed location;

correlating the location of the wireless terminal and the subscribed location;

initiating a biometric evaluation between the user and a security processor associated with the subscribed location to determine whether to grant the user access to the subscriber location;

when the biometric evaluation obtains a satisfactory result;

generating authorization information that includes a single use access code, wherein the single use access code is usable to authorize a single access for the user to the subscribed location;

transmitting the authorization information to the security processor and the wireless terminal; and

granting the user single access to the subscribed location if;

(a) the wireless terminal is determined to be located within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

(b) the single use access code entered at the subscribed location by the user matches the single use access code transmitted to the security processor; and

denying the user access at the subscribed location when the biometric evaluation obtains an unsatisfactory result.

2. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation is performed automatically in response to determining, in the correlating operation, that the wireless terminal is within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

3. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation is performed automatically in response to determining, in the correlating operation, that the wireless terminal is not within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

4. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the operations further comprise receiving a communication concerning an access attempt from the subscribed location; and

the obtaining operation is performed in response to receiving the communication.

5. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the authorization information is transmitted by way of a communication; and

the operations further comprise;

sending the single use access code to the security processor for allowing the security processor to confirm accuracy of the communication based on the single use access code received by the security processor.

6. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation comprises initiating the evaluation between the user and the security processor by way of the wireless terminal.

7. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation between the security processor and the user comprises prompting, by way of the wireless terminal, for a user-voice input to be analyzed by the security processor.

8. The tangible computer server of claim 7, wherein prompting for the voice input comprises prompting, by way of the wireless terminal, for a select comparison phrase to be analyzed by the security processor.

9. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving biometric data of the biometric evaluation from the wireless terminal by way of the security processor.

10. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the biometric evaluation comprises assessing at least one type of user biometric data selected from a group consisting of:

physical features discernible by a camera device; and

retinal features discernible by a retinal-scanning device.

11. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the access authorized, or denied, is to a secured physical area; and

the security processor is associated with the secured physical area.

12. The tangible computer server of claim 11, wherein

the operations further comprise sending, in response to the satisfactory result from the biometric evaluation, the single use access code to the wireless terminal for use in gaining the access via the security server.

13. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the location information is first location information, the wireless terminal is a first wireless terminal of multiple wireless terminals, and the operation of correlating the second location and the subscribed location is performed in a first correlation operation; and

the operations further comprise;

obtaining second location information indicating a second location for a second wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals associated with the subscriber account being associated with the subscribed location; and

correlating, in a second correlation operation, the second location to the subscribed location.

14. The tangible computer server of claim 13, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation is performed automatically in response to determining, in the first correlating operation and the second correlating operation, that the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal are within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

15. The tangible computer server of claim 13, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation is performed automatically in response to determining, in the first correlating operation and the second correlating operation, that at least one of the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal is not within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

16. The tangible computer server of claim 13, wherein:

the first correlation act and second correlation act comprise determining whether the first and second wireless terminals, respectively, is within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

the predetermined proximity is variable and based on user preference.

17. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by an access authorization processor, cause the access authorization processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining location information indicating a location of a wireless terminal associated with a subscriber account being associated with a subscribed location;

correlating the location of the wireless terminal and the subscribed location;

initiating a biometric evaluation between the user and a security processor associated with the subscribed location to determine whether to grant the user access to the subscriber location;

when the biometric evaluation obtains a satisfactory result;

generating authorization information that includes a single use access code, wherein the single use access code is usable to authorize a single access for the user to the subscribed location;

transmitting the authorization information to the security processor and the wireless terminal; and

granting the user single access to the subscribed location if;

(a) the wireless terminal is determined to be located within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

(b) the single use access code entered at the subscribed location by the user matches the single use access code transmitted to the security processor; and

denying the user access at the subscribed location when the biometric evaluation obtains an unsatisfactory result.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation is performed automatically in response to determining, in the correlating operation, that the wireless terminal is within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation is performed automatically in response to determining, in the correlating operation, that the wireless terminal is not within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

20. A method, for authorizing access for a user, comprising:

obtaining, by a tangible computing system having a processor, location information indicating a location of a wireless terminal associated with a subscriber account being associated with a subscribed location;

correlating the location of the wireless terminal and the subscribed location;

initiating, by the system, a biometric evaluation between the user and a security processor associated with the subscribed location to determine whether to grant the user access to the subscriber location;

when the biometric evaluation obtains a satisfactory result;

generating, by the system, authorization information that includes a single use access code, wherein the single use access code is usable to authorize a single access for the user to the subscribed location;

transmitting the authorization information to the security processor and the wireless terminal; and

granting the user single access to the subscribed location if;

(a) the wireless terminal is determined to be located within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

(b) the single use access code entered at the subscribed location by the user matches the single use access code transmitted to the security processor; and

denying the user access at the subscribed location when the biometric evaluation obtains an unsatisfactory result.