SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USING RFID TAG PROXIMITY TO GRANT SECURITY ACCESS TO A COMPUTER

• US 20160171203A1
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Dean, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,727,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A system and method of granting and removing a user'"'"'s security access to applications on a computer using proximity of authorized RFID tags is disclosed. A user having an authorized RFID tag that is located near the computer will be granted access to pre-authorized applications.

Claims

1. A system for granting security access to one or more software applications on a computer, comprising:

an RFID reader configured to;

scan an RFID tag that is within a proximity range of the computer, and

read identification data associated with the RFID tag;

a database storing security access information; and

a processor that;

compares the identification data associated with the RFID tag to the security access information stored in the database in response to the RFID tag being detected to be within the proximity range;

grants access to only selected software applications on the computer if the comparison of the identification data associated with the RFID tag and the security access information associated with the identification data is favorable;

denies access to predetermined software applications if the comparison of the identification data associated with the RFID tag and the security access information associated with the identification data is not favorable;

after the granting of access, determining if the RFID tag is still in the proximity range, and if the RFID tag is determined to still be within the proximity range, continuing to grant access to the selected software applications, but if the RFID tag is determined to no longer be within the proximity range, denying access to the selected software applications.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader comprises at least two antennas having a known separation to receive a signal from the RFID tag and a processor to determine a lag time between detecting the signal at each antenna and the signal strengths at each antenna to determine a location of the RFID tag.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader or processor uses global positioning system data corresponding to the RFID tag to determine a location of the RFID tag.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the RFID reader or processor is further configured to decrypt encrypted identification data.

5. A method of granting security access to one or more software applications on a computer, comprising:

receiving a first identification data associated with a first RFID tag, wherein the first RFID tag is within a proximity range of an RFID reader or the computer;

comparing the first identification data associated with a first RFID tag to security access information associated with the RFID tag stored in a database;

granting access to a first user to only pre-selected applications on the computer if the first identification data is found based on the comparison of the first identification data to the security access information stored in the database and associated with the RFID tag;

denying access to predetermined software applications if the first identification data is not found based on the comparison of the first identification data to the security access information stored in the database;

reading a second identification data associated with the second RFID tag in response to a second RFID tag being within the proximity range of the computer;

comparing the second identification data to security access information stored in the database; and

removing the first user'"'"'s access to one or more selected applications on the computer if the second identification data is not found based on the comparison of the second identification data to the database, and otherwise continue permitting access to the first user,

after the granting of access to the first user, determining if the RFID tag is still in the proximity range, and if the RFID tag is determined to still be within the proximity range, continuing to grant access to the first user to the selected applications, but if the RFID tag is determined to not be within the proximity range, denying access to the first user to the selected applications.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising decrypting the first identification data associated with the first RFID tag, wherein the first identification data is encrypted.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein scanning for the first RFID tag occurs upon prompting by the first user.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein granting access to selected applications occurs subject to one or more other computer security systems.

9. A method of granting security access to one or more applications on a computer, comprising:

when a first RFID tag is within a proximity range of the RFID reader, receiving, from an RFID reader, first identification data associated with the first RFID tag;

determining if there is security access information in a database that is associated with the first identification data of the RFID tag;

granting access to only selected applications or data on the computer based on security permissions associated defined by the security access information associated with the RFID tag in the database;

denying access to predetermined software applications based on the security permissions associated defined by the security access information associated with the RFID tag in the database; and

after the granting of access, determining if the RFID tag is still in the proximity range, and if the RFID tag is determined to still be within the proximity range, continuing to grant access to the selected applications, but if the RFID tag is determined to no longer be within the proximity range, denying access to the selected applications.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a proximity of the first RFID tag from the computer, wherein determining a proximity of the first RFID tag from the computer comprises using a received signal strength from the first RFID tag.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a proximity of the first RFID tag from the computer, wherein determining a proximity of the first RFID tag from the computer comprises using at least two antennas having a known separation to receive a signal from the RFID tag and using a signal strength at each antenna and a lag time between detecting the signal at each antenna to determine a location of the RFID tag.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a proximity of the first RFID tag from the computer, wherein determining a proximity of the first RFID tag from the computer comprises using a global positioning system to determine a location of the RFID tag.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

searching for a second RFID tag;

determining a proximity of the second RFID tag from the computer;

reading a second identification data associated with the second RFID tag if the proximity from the computer is within a predetermined distance, and otherwise ignoring the second RFID tag;

comparing the second identification data to the database of security access information; and

removing the first user'"'"'s access to one or more selected applications on the computer if the second identification data is not found based upon information in the database for the one or more selected applications, and otherwise continue permitting access to the first user.

14. An RFID tag comprising:

antenna receive an inquiry from an RFID reader when the RFID tag is with a proximity range of the RFID reader;

memory; and

identification data associated with a user ID, the identification data stored in the memory;

wherein upon receiving the inquiry from the RFID reader, a determination is made as to whether the identification data of the RFID tag matched in security access information in a database,

wherein access or denied is granted to only selected applications or data on the computer based on security permissions associated defined by the security access information associated with the RFID tag in the database, and

wherein, after the granting of access, a determination is made as to whether the RFID tag is still in the proximity range, and if the RFID tag is determined to still be within the proximity range, continuing to grant access to the selected applications, but if the RFID tag is determined to no longer be within the proximity range, denying access to the selected applications.