Proximity-based system for automatic application or data access and item tracking

• US 10,171,460 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Original Assignee: Proxense, LLC
• Inventors: Giobbi, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bousono, Orlando
• Application Number:
  US15/719,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20180019998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method provide automatic access to applications or data. A portable physical device, referred to herein as a Personal Digital Key or “PDK”, stores one or more profiles in memory, including a biometric profile acquired in a secure trusted process and uniquely associated with a user that is authorized to use and associated with the PDK. The PDK wirelessly transmits identification information including a unique PDK identification number, the biometric profile and a profile over a secure wireless channel to a reader. A computing device is coupled to the reader. An auto login server is coupled to the reader and the computing device and launches one or more applications associated with a user name identified by the received profile.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to;

determine one or more prerequisites for accessing a computing device that is physically shared by a plurality of users, the one or more prerequisites including an authentication and selection of a user name;

subsequent to authentication of a first user, identify a first user name associated with the first user;

subsequent to authentication of a second user, identify a second user name associated with the second user;

receive the first user name as a selected user name from a group including the first user name and the second user name; and

subsequent to receiving the selected user name, launch one or more applications based on the selected user name, wherein the authentication and selection of the user name satisfy the prerequisites for accessing the computing device that is physically shared.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication of the first user and the first user name are based on a first profile stored on a first personal digital key (PDK) physically located within a wireless proximity zone associated with the computing device and the authentication of the second user and the second user name are based on a second profile stored on a second PDK physically located within the wireless proximity zone associated with the computing device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed, by the one or more processors, further cause the system to request the first profile subsequent to detection of the first PDK entering the wireless proximity zone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication includes obtaining, from a user, a physical or behavioral characteristic identifying the user using a biometric reader included in a PDK or associated with the computing device and authenticating the user based on the physical or behavioral characteristic.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the biometric reader is at least one of a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, an iris scanner, a face scanner, a palm scanner, a DNA analyzer, a signature analyzer or a voice analyzer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more applications for launch includes determining a default scenario defining the one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications launched are launched automatically subsequent to completion of the one or more prerequisites and without additional user action.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more applications for launch includes determining a default scenario defining the one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications launched are launched automatically subsequent to completion of the one or more prerequisites and without additional user action, and wherein a user manually closing an application defined by the default scenario causes that application to no longer automatically launch as part of the default scenario.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein determining the one or more applications for launch includes determining a default scenario defining the one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications launched are launched automatically subsequent to completion of the one or more prerequisites and without additional user action, and wherein a user manually closing an application defined by the default scenario causes that application to no longer automatically launch unless a PDK associated with the selected user name and that default scenario exits and re-enters the wireless proximity zone.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed, by the one or more processors, further cause the system to automatically navigate to one or more of a specific user interface of a launched application and a specific location within a user interface of the launched application based on a location preference, the launched application being one of the one or more applications launched based on a profile stored on one of the first PDK, the second PDK and a third PDK that is physically located within the wireless proximity zone associated with the computing device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the specific location within a user interface of the launched application based on a location preference is a text entry region.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more applications is an application whose execution is limited to one or more permitted users.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless proximity zone is asymmetric in a first direction.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed, by the one or more processors, further cause the system to lock a display device of the physically shared computing device responsive to receiving a signal that the first PDK associated with the selected user name is outside of the wireless proximity zone associated with the computing device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, by the one or more processors, further cause the system to display one or more advertisements received from a third party site, the one or more advertisements displayed using the display device when the display device is locked.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the third party site identifies the one or more advertisements based on data received from the computing device.

16. A method comprising:

determining one or more prerequisites for accessing a computing device that is physically shared by a plurality of users, the prerequisites including an authentication and selection of a user name;

subsequent to authentication of a first user, identifying a first user name associated with the first user;

subsequent to authentication of a second user, identifying a second user name associated with the second user;

receiving the first user name as a selected user name from a group including the first user name and the second user name; and

subsequent to receiving the selected user name and subsequent to authentication of the first user, launching one or more applications based on the selected user name, wherein the authentication and selection of the user name satisfy the prerequisites for accessing the computing device that is physically shared.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the authentication of the first user and the first user name are based on a first profile stored on a first personal digital key (PDK) physically located within a wireless proximity zone associated with the computing device and the authentication of the second user and the second user name are based on a second profile stored on a second PDK physically located within the wireless proximity zone associated with the computing device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the authentication includes using data received from at least one of a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, an iris scanner, a face scanner, a palm scanner, a DNA analyzer, a signature analyzer or a voice analyzer.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the authentication includes obtaining, from a user, a physical or behavioral characteristic identifying the user using a biometric reader included in a PDK or associated with the computing device and authenticating the user based on the physical or behavioral characteristic.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the one or more applications for launch includes determining a default scenario defining the one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications launched are launched automatically subsequent to completion of the one or more prerequisites and without additional user action.