Setting up a security access system

• US 20060107040A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biogy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Biogy, Inc.
• Inventors: Fiske, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,770,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB

Abstract

In an embodiment, a secure module is provided that provides access keys to an unsecured system. In an embodiment, the secure module may generate passcodes and supply the passcodes to the unsecured system. In an embodiment, the access keys are sent to the unsecured system after the receiving the passcode from the unsecured system. In an embodiment, after authenticating the passcode, the secure module does not store the passcode in its memory. In an embodiment, the unsecured module requires the access key to execute a set of instructions or another entity. In an embodiment, the unsecured system does not store access keys. In an embodiment, the unsecured system erases the acccess key once the unsecured system no longer requires the access key. In an embodiment, the unsecured system receives a new passcode to replace the stored passcode after using the stored passcode. Each of these embodiments may be used separately.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

sending an access key from a module to a system to enable the system to generate a passcode;

wherein a passcode is not stored on the module after the sending of the passcode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an access key on the module.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring user data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

extracting user information from the user data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the user information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

applying a one-way method to the user information, therein generating the access key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one-way method includes at least a hash function.

8. A machine-implemented method comprising:

acquiring user data;

extracting user information from the user data;

storing the user information;

applying a one-way method to the user information, therein generating an encryption key;

sending the encryption key to a system to enable the system to generate a passcode based on the encryption key; and

storing the encryption key on a module;

wherein the passcode is not stored on the module.

9. A machine-implemented method comprising:

installing one or more instructions that require an access key on a system;

wherein the system does not store the access key.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

generating a passcode at the system based on the access key.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing the passcode on the system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more instructions are one or more encryption instructions.