System for generating requests to a passcode protected entity

• US 20060230284A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biogy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Biogy, Inc.
• Inventors: Fiske, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1083 Counting of PIN attempts

Abstract

Protecting the security of an entity by using passcodes is disclosed. A passcode device generates a passcode. In an embodiment, the passcode is generated in response to receipt of user information. The passcode is received by another system, which authenticates the passcode by at least generating a passcode from a passcode generator, and comparing the generated passcode with the received passcode. The passcode is temporary. At a later use a different passcode is generated from a different passcode generator.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

circuitry that in response to receiving user information generates a passcode from a passcode generator;

wherein

the passcode generator is a value derived from earlier acquired user information associated with a user from which the user information is expected to have been received, and

the passcode generator is a value from which deriving the earlier received user information is expected to be intractable.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an acquisition mechanism with which the user information is acquired.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the acquisition mechanism is capable of acquiring biometric data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the acquisition mechanism acquires information related to a user that is unlikely to be found by trial and error.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the acquisition mechanism is a mechanism for acquiring fingerprints.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising an output interface configured for outputting the passcode generated.

7. The system of claims 6, wherein the output interface is a display that is configured for displaying the passcode.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein

the output interface communicates with another system, and

the output interface is configured such that the other system receives the passcode as a result of communicating via the output interface with the circuitry.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the output interface includes a transmitter for communicating wirelessly with another system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system has a size and shape such that the system fits into a hand of, and can be carried by, a human being.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is a processor.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes onboard memory.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the passcode generator is stored in the onboard memory until the passcode is generated.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein

the passcode generator is a current passcode generator, which is temporary, and

the circuitry is configured such that after the passcode is generated, the circuitry generates a new passcode generator, and

stores the new passcode generator in the onboard memory as the current passcode generator.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry includes at least an embedded program for generating the passcode.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry

generates a registration code from the user data;

and

generates the passcode generator from the registration code;

wherein

the passcode generator is a value from which deriving the registration code is expected to be intractable.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to output the registration code.

18. A system comprising:

an acquisition mechanism for acquiring biometric data;

an output unit;

passcode circuitry including at least an onboard memory; and

the passcode circuitry running embedded software, which configures the passcode circuitry for

extracting information characterizing the biometric data,

generating a registration code from the information,

outputting the registration code via the output unit,

generating a current passcode generator from the registration code, and

storing the current passcode generator in the onboard memory.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the software configures the passcode circuitry for:

in response to acquiring a new set of biometric data, authenticating the new set of biometric data,

if the authenticating determines that the new set of biometric data matches the information,

generating a passcode from the current passcode generator,

generating a new passcode generator from the current passcode generator,

replacing a value of the current passcode generator with a value of the new passcode generator, and

storing the current passcode generator in the onboard memory wherein the current passcode generator includes at least the value of the new passcode generator.

20. A system comprising:

an acquisition mechanism for acquiring biometric data;

an output unit;

passcode circuitry including at least an onboard memory; and

the passcode circuitry running embedded software configures the passcode circuitry for implementing a method including at least

in response to acquiring a new set of biometric data, authenticating the new set of biometric data,

if the new set of biometric data matches information extracted from previously acquired biometric data,

generating a passcode from a current passcode generator,

generating a new passcode generator from the current passcode generator,

replacing a value of the current passcode generator with a value of the new passcode generator, and

storing the current passcode generator in the onboard memory wherein the current passcode generator includes at least the value of the new passcode generator.