Method and apparatus for providing proximity based authentication, security, and notification in a wireless system

• US 20050221798A1
• Filed: 03/30/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sengupta, Uttam K., Deshpande, Nikhil M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,378,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• 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 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Techniques and structures are disclosed for providing proximity based authentication, security, and/or user notification in a wireless system.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless device, comprising:

receiving a wireless signal from a wireless body appliance being worn by a user that indicates that said user has been authenticated;

determining whether said user is within a predetermined distance of the wireless device; and

when said user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device, automatically logging said user in to said wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless body appliance authenticates said user using biometric authentication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said wireless body appliance is a piece of jewelry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining whether said user is within a predetermined distance of the wireless device includes determining whether a power level being received from said wireless body appliance is above a threshold level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

when said user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device, automatically unlocking said wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

when said user is not within a predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device, automatically locking said wireless device.

7. A wireless body appliance comprising:

at least one biometric sensor to measure biometric information from a user wearing said wireless body appliance;

a biometric authentication unit to determine whether said user is an authorized user associated with said body appliance, based on said biometric information; and

a wireless transmitter to transmit a signal indicating that said user has been authenticated when said biometric authentication unit determines that said user is an authorized user.

8. The wireless body appliance of claim 7, wherein:

said body appliance is a piece of jewelry.

9. The wireless body appliance of claim 7, wherein:

said body appliance includes one of the following;

a ring, a locket, a brooch, a bracelet, a necklace, a watch, and a wearable telephone.

10. The wireless body appliance of claim 7, wherein:

said at least one biometric sensor includes at least one of the following;

a fingerprint sensor, a retinal scanner, a voice sensor, a body chemistry sensor, a skin temperature sensor, a skin texture sensor, a hand geometry sensor, a heartbeat sensor, a camera.

11. The wireless body appliance of claim 7, wherein:

said wireless transmitter is configured in accordance with a Bluetooth protocol.

12. The wireless body appliance of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one notification structure for use in notifying said user of the occurrence of an event.

13. The wireless body appliance of claim 12, wherein:

said at least one notification structure includes multiple different notification structures, wherein the particular notification structure that is used to notify a user depends on a current location of the user.

14. The wireless body appliance of claim 12, wherein:

said at least one notification structure includes at least one of;

a vibrating element, an audible tone generator, an illumination device, a heating element, and a cooling element.

15. A wireless device comprising:

a user interface;

a controller to control operation of said wireless device, said controller being in communication with said user interface to accept input from a user and to deliver output to said user; and

a wireless transceiver to support wireless communication with at least one other wireless entity;

wherein said controller is programmed to;

receive an indication that a user has been authenticated by a wireless body appliance being worn by said user, determine whether said authenticated user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device, and automatically log in said authenticated user to said wireless device when said authenticated user is determined to be within a predetermined distance of said wireless device.

16. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein:

said user interface includes at least one of the following;

a display, a keypad, a keyboard, a touch screen, a stylus, a mouse, scroll buttons, a track ball, a joystick, and control buttons.

17. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein:

said controller determines whether said user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device by determining whether a power level being received from said wireless body appliance is above a threshold level.

18. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein:

said wireless transceiver is configured in accordance with a Bluetooth protocol.

19. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein:

said controller is programmed to automatically unlock said wireless device when said user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device.

20. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein:

said controller is programmed to automatically lock said wireless device when said user is not within a predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device.

21. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein:

said controller is programmed to send a wireless notification signal to said wireless body appliance when a predetermined event occurs, wherein said wireless body appliance notifies said user in response to said wireless notification signal.

22. A method for use in a wireless network in which a wireless device communicates with a wireless body appliance being worn by a user, comprising:

identifying one or more events for which the user is to be notified via the wireless body appliance; and

when an identified event occurs, transmitting a wireless notification signal to the wireless body appliance to notify the user of the occurrence.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said one or more events includes at least one of the following;

receiving a telephone call within the wireless device, receiving an email message within the wireless device, receiving an instant message within the wireless device, receiving a facsimile message within the wireless device, receiving a telephone call from a particular source within the wireless device, receiving an email message from a particular source within the wireless device, receiving an instant message from a particular source within the wireless device, receiving a facsimile message from a particular source within the wireless device, a scheduled task reminder occurring, a scheduled calendar reminder occurring, a change in a calendar, a change in a to do list, a change in a task list, and a stock price reaching a specified value.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said one or more events are user specified.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

identifying types of notification to be given by the wireless body appliance in different types of locations.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

transmitting a wireless notification signal includes;

determining a present location of the wireless device;

determining whether one or more types of notification have been identified for said present location; and

configuring said wireless notification signal to provide the identified types of notification within the wireless body appliance when one or more types of notification have been identified for said present location.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein:

identifying types of notification includes identifying at least one of the following types of notification for a first type of location;

vibration, audible signal, illumination, increased temperature, and decreased temperature.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein:

said wireless body appliance is a piece of jewelry.

29. An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, operate to:

receive a wireless signal from a wireless body appliance being worn by a user that indicates that said user has been authenticated;

determine whether said user is within a predetermined distance of the wireless device; and

when said user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device, automatically log said user in to said wireless device.

30. The article of claim 29, wherein said storage medium further includes instructions that, when executed by the computing platform, operate to:

when said user is within said predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device, automatically unlock said wireless device.

31. The article of claim 29, wherein said storage medium further includes instructions that, when executed by the computing platform, operate to:

when said user is not within a predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device, automatically lock said wireless device.

32. A wireless device comprising:

at least one dipole antenna;

a user interface;

a controller to control operation of said wireless device, said controller being in communication with said user interface to accept input from a user and to deliver output to said user; and

a wireless transceiver, coupled to said at lest one dipole antenna, to support wireless communication with at least one other wireless entity;

wherein said controller is programmed to;

receive an indication that a user has been authenticated by a wireless body appliance being worn by said user, determine whether said authenticated user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device, and automatically log in said authenticated user to said wireless device when said authenticated user is determined to be within a predetermined distance of said wireless device.

33. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein:

said wireless transceiver is configured in accordance with a Bluetooth protocol.

34. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein:

said controller is programmed to automatically unlock said wireless device when said user is within a predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device.

35. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein:

said controller is programmed to automatically lock said wireless device when said user is not within a predetermined distance of said wireless device and said user is logged in to said wireless device.

36. The wireless device of claim 32, wherein:

said controller is programmed to send a wireless notification signal to said wireless body appliance when a predetermined event occurs, wherein said wireless body appliance notifies said user in response to said wireless notification signal.