Secure Access to Restricted Resource

• US 20110070864A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abella, Alicia, Karam, Gerald Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed which relate to restricting access to a secure resource by requiring a multimodal input sequence as a passkey to access the secure resource. Certain techniques allow a user to provide simultaneous input through a plurality of input sensors on a handheld device to create a multimodal input sequence, which is used as a unique passkey required to access secure resources. Combinations of input sensors are used to complete the multimodal input sequence. Among the available input sensors are an accelerometer, a touch screen, a camera, a proximity sensor, a position sensor, etc. The secure resource can be data or materials.

Claims

1. A handheld device for restricting access to a secure resource, comprising:

a plurality of input sensors, each generating an input signal, and the plurality generating a multimodal input sequence;

a processor in communication with the plurality of input sensors;

a memory in communication with the processor;

a passkey, the passkey having a defined multimodal input sequence, stored on the memory;

a secure data resource stored on the memory; and

a security logic on the memory for comparing a multimodal input sequence with the passkey;

wherein access to the secure resource is restricted unless the multimodal input sequence matches the passkey.

2. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the input sensors comprise any combination of one or more of the following:

a touchscreen, a keypad, a microphone, a light sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, and a location sensor.

3. The handheld device of claim 1, wherein the security logic determines that the attempted multimodal input sequence matches the passkey within a tolerance threshold.

4. The handheld device of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver.

5. The handheld device of claim 4, wherein the transceiver comprises one of a cellular radio frequency (RF), a WiFi, and a BLUETOOTH transceiver.

6. The handheld device of claim 4, wherein the device communicates with a server connected to a physical barrier.

7. The handheld device of claim 6, wherein the physical barrier is opened once the security logic determines a match between the multimodal input sequence and the passkey.

8. A security system comprising:

a handheld device including a plurality of input sensors, each of the plurality of input sensors generating an input signal, and the plurality generating a multimodal input sequence;

a server in communication with the handheld device;

a memory on the server;

a passkey, the passkey having a defined multimodal input sequence, stored on the memory;

a security logic on the memory for comparing a multimodal input sequence with the passkey;

a physical barrier in communication with the server; and

a secure resource surrounded by the barrier;

wherein the server restricts access to the secure resource unless the multimodal input sequence matches the passkey.

9. The security system of claim 8, wherein the input sensors comprise any combination of the following:

a touchscreen, a keypad, a microphone, a light sensor, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, and a location sensor.

10. The security system of claim 8, further comprising a device transceiver coupled to the handheld device in communication with a server transceiver coupled to the server.

11. The security system of claim 8, wherein the security logic determines that the multimodal input sequence matches the passkey within a tolerance threshold.

12. A method for restricting access to a secure resource, the method comprising:

recording an attempted multimodal input sequence on a handheld device having a plurality of input sensors by simultaneously manipulating the plurality of input sensors;

comparing the attempted multimodal input sequence to a corresponding passkey, the passkey having a defined multimodal input sequence; and

granting access to the secure resource if the attempted multimodal input sequence matches the corresponding passkey.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of comparing the attempted multimodal input sequence to the corresponding passkey is performed to within a tolerance threshold.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request to define a passkey;

recording a first temporary multimodal input sequence;

requesting a second temporary multimodal input sequence;

recording the second temporary multimodal input sequence;

determining that the first temporary multimodal input sequence matches the second temporary multimodal input sequence; and

storing the temporary multimodal input sequence as a passkey.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising associating the passkey with a secure resource.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the secure resource is secured by a physical barrier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the granting access includes one of unlocking and opening the physical barrier.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the handheld device further comprises a transceiver.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the secure resource is data.

20. The method of claim 19, and wherein the granting access includes enabling access to the secure resource.