Apparatus and method for providing an authentication system based on biometrics

• US 6,268,788 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Imprivata Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Litronix Incorporated
• Inventors: Gray, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beaulieu, Yonel
• Application Number:
  US09/153,668
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2, 340/5.6, 340/5.8, 340/5.54, 340/5.74, 340/5.1, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 235/375, 713/182, 713/183, 713/184, 713/185, 713/186, 713/189
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling access to at least one program on a computer by verifying data entered through a scanner with data stored on a token such as a card, while isolating the entered data from the computer. The apparatus includes a scanner, a memory and a processor coupled to the scanner and memory. When activated, the scanner scans a field which the processor compares with a field stored in the memory. The processor is operable in a first mode wherein access to the computer via a keyboard is inhibited when the scanned field does not match the stored field. The processor is operable in a second mode, wherein the keyboard is coupled to the computer so that the at least one program on the computer is accessible via the keyboard when the scanned field matches the stored field. Various embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A security verification apparatus for controlling access to at least one program on a computer from a keyboard, comprising:

a scanner that scans a field;

a memory;

a processor coupled to said scanner and memory, said processor comparing the scanned field with a field stored in said memory;

said processor being operable in a first mode wherein access to the computer via the keyboard is inhibited when the scanned field does not match the stored field, said processor being operable in a second mode, wherein the keyboard is coupled to the computer so that the at least one program on the computer is accessible via said keyboard when the scanned field matches the stored field.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor, the scanner and the memory are located in the keyboard.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a scanner interface circuit that is coupled to said scanner, said scanner interface circuit being coupled to an auxiliary device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor operates in a third mode in which said processor is coupled to the computer and wherein access to the processor from the keyboard is inhibited.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the scanned field is a biometric, and the stored field is a metric.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light emitting diode which indicates the operation of said processor in the first mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a card reader/writer for reading data from and writing data to the card.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a port that receives data from the keyboard, said processor reads the data from the card and compares the data from the keyboard with the data from the card, said processor being operable in the first mode if the entered data does not match the stored data, said processor being operable in a second mode, wherein the keyboard is coupled to the computer so that the at least one program on the computer is accessible via said keyboard when the data from the keyboard matches the data from the card.

9. A method for controlling access to at least one program running on a computer via a keyboard, comprising:

(a) providing a verification device having a scanner;

(b) scanning a field;

(c) comparing the scanned field with a stored field;

(d) providing access through a keyboard to at least one program on the computer if said scanned field matches said stored field;

otherwise denying access through the keyboard to the at least one program on the computer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to (b):

(e) providing a connector having a first port, a second port and a third port; and

(f) connecting the first port to the computer, the second port to a keyboard and the third port to the verification device, so that the keyboard and the computer are coupled to the verification device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

(g) receiving data from the keyboard;

(h) reading data from the card;

(i) comparing the data from the keyboard to the data from the card;

(j) granting access to the at least one program on the computer if the scanned field matches the stored field and if the data from the keyboard matches the data from the card; and

(k) otherwise denying access to the at least one program on the computer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein in (b), the field is a biometric and in (c), the field is a metric.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein (g) comprises:

(g.1) providing a signal indicating that said verification device is ready to receive data from the keyboard; and

(g.2) receiving the data from the keyboard.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein (j) comprises the block of:

granting access to the at least one program on the computer if the data from the keyboard matches the data from the card by coupling the computer to the keyboard.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein (k) comprises the block of:

denying access to the at least one program on the computer if the data from the keyboard does not match the data from the card by ensuring that the keyboard is de-coupled from the computer.

16. A system for verifying access authorization to at least one program on a computer, comprising:

a keyboard;

a card that contains verification data;

a verification device having a scanner that scans a field, said verification device compares the scanned field to a field stored on the card, said verification device being operable in a first mode wherein access to the at least one program on the computer via the keyboard is inhibited, said verification device being operable in a second mode, wherein the keyboard is coupled to the computer so that the computer is accessible via said keyboard when the scanned field matches the stored field.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the verification device operates in the first mode when the scanned data does not match the stored data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the verification device operates in the first mode in response to a first command from the computer.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the verification device operates in the second mode in response to a second command from the computer.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said verification device operates in a third mode in which said verification device is coupled to the computer and wherein access to the verification unit from the keyboard is inhibited.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein said verification device is located in said keyboard.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the scanned field is a biometric and the stored field is a metric.