Security access device and method

• US 9,454,657 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Yeap, Tet Hin, Dafu, Lou, O'Brien, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paliwal, Yogesh
• Application Number:
  US11/002,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20060123463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,316 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/9, 726/10, 726/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A security system and method is provided. An embodiment includes a security access device that includes a first transmitter for transmitting authentication to a computer and a second transmitter for transmitting verification information to a computer. The first transmitter is typically active and consumes power from the access device, while the second transmitter is typically passive, and consumes less or nil power from the access device. When the security access device is initially brought proximal to the computer and activated, the authentication information is sent to the computer and the user is logged in. Periodically, the computer will query the passive transmitter for verification information, to ensure that the security access device is still proximal to the computer.

Claims

1. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium storing at least one data file for an access control device for a user, said at least one data file including authentication information for said user comprising a digital certificate respective to said user that includes an identifier for said user and a public key;

said authentication information further comprising a user private key complementary to said public key;

said authentication information being for an initial transmission from said access control device to a remote apparatus in order to cause said remote apparatus to permit access for said user to said remote apparatus and such that said remote apparatus can utilize said keys to establish a secure session for said user with a network entity connected to said remote apparatus;

said identifier also being for at least one additional transmission from said access control device by a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit to said remote apparatus in order to cause said remote apparatus to maintain access for said user to said remote apparatus, the RFID circuit energized by a radio frequency (RF) signal from the remote apparatus.

2. An access control device including a microcomputer and a storage device for storing at least one data file including authentication information for a user;

said authentication information comprising a digital certificate respective to said user that includes an identifier for said user and a public key;

said authentication information further comprising a user private key complementary to said public key;

said authentication information being for an initial transmission from said access control device to a remote apparatus in order to cause said remote apparatus to permit access for said user to said apparatus and such that said remote apparatus can utilize said keys to establish a secure session for said user with a network entity connected to said remote apparatus;

said identifier also being for at least one additional transmission from said access control device by a radio frequency identification (RFID) circuit to said remote apparatus in order to cause said remote apparatus to maintain access for said user to said remote apparatus, the RFID circuit energized by a radio frequency (RF) signal from the remote apparatus.