Keyboard motion detector

• US 6,282,655 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul Given
• Original Assignee: Paul Given
• Inventors: Given, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Norman M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US09/414,732
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 340/541, 340/540, 348/143, 348/155, 348/156, 348/634, 382/107
• US Class Current: 726/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The invention is a computer interface utilizing a sensor for sensing that a user is in the immediate vicinity of the computer. The interface consists of a motion sensor, computer software for enabling the computer security in the absence or presence of a user, a keyboard interface connected to the motion sensor and a keyboard connected to the keyboard interface.

Claims

1. A computer interface for use with a computer including security software normally operational to secure the computer when no user input to the computer occurs for a period of time, said computer interface comprising:

sensing means for sensing presence or absence of a user in the immediate vicinity of the computer and for providing proximity signals pertaining to the presence or absence of the user;

keyboard interface means connected with said sensing means and the computer for processing said sensing means proximity signals and selectively providing an artificial keystroke signal, said keyboard interface means including a controller receiving said proximity signals from said sensing means and generating said artificial keystroke signal, a user data input sensor connected with said controller, and switching means connected with said controller for directing user data input signals to the computer or said artificial keystroke signal from said controller to the computer; and

keyboard means connected with said user data input sensor and said switching means of said keyboard interface means for accommodating data input signals to the computer by the user;

whereby normal operation of the security software is accommodated when both a lack of data input signals by the user at said keyboard means is sensed by said user data input sensor and absence of the user in the vicinity of the computer is sensed by said sensing means, but whereby prevention of enablement of normal operation of the security software is effected in the sensed absence of data input signals by the user at said keyboard means if presence of the user in the vicinity of the computer is sensed thus eliciting periodic controller generation of said artificial keystroke signal and direction thereof to the computer by said switching means.

2. A computer interface in accordance with claim 1 wherein said sensing means consists of a proximity detector.

3. A computer interface in accordance with claim 2 wherein said proximity detector is an infrared motion detector.

4. A computer interface in accordance with claim 2 wherein said sensing means consists of a thermal detector.

5. A computer interface in accordance with claim 1 wherein a settable delay timer mounted in said computer interface controls delay time of said user data input sensor.

6. A computer interface in accordance with claim 1 wherein said keyboard interface means includes alerting means associated with said controller for sounding a soft sonic alert before enablement of normal operation of the computer'"'"'s security software.

7. An interface for selective prevention of enablement of a computer'"'"'s security software routine normally operational when no user input to the computer occurs for a period of time, said computer associated with a user manipulated signal input device, said interface comprising:

a presence detector;

a signal input sensor connectable with the signal input device;

and control means associated with said presence detector and said signal input sensor and connectable with the computer, said control means for receiving output from said presence detector indicative of presence or absence of a user of the computer and output from said signal input sensor indicative of the occurrence or nonoccurrence of user input to the computer at the signal input device, and responsive thereto generating a substitute signal to the computer indicative of user input when nonoccurrence of user input to the computer is indicated but presence of the user of the computer is indicated, thereby preventing enablement of the security software routine.

8. The interface of claim 7 further comprising switching means associated with said control means for accommodating receipt of said substitute signal by the computer where indicated, receipt at the computer of user input from the signal input device, or normal operation of the security software routine when both nonoccurrence of user input to the computer at the signal input device and absence of the user are indicated.

9. The interface of claim 7 further comprising a time delay at one of said signal input sensor or said control means for selection of a delay period after cessation of user input to the computer at the signal input device before nonoccurrence of user input to the computer.

10. The interface of claim 7 further comprising alerting means responsive to said control means for signaling that both nonoccurrence of user input to the computer at the signal input device and absence of the user have been indicated.

11. A method for selective prevention of enablement of a computer'"'"'s security software routine normally operational when no user input to the computer occurs for a period of time, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing presence of a user in a selected vicinity of the computer;

sensing signal input to the computer by the user;

accommodating normal operation of the security software routine when both a lack of signal input to the computer by the user and absence of the user in said selected vicinity of the computer are sensed; and

generating a substitute signal to the computer indicative of signal input to the computer by the user when a lack of signal input to the computer by the user is sensed but presence of the user in said selected vicinity of the computer is sensed, thereby preventing enablement of the security software routine.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of delaying for a selected time period accommodation of normal operation of the security software routine when both a lack of signal input to the computer by the user and absence of the user in said selected vicinity of the computer are sensed.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of delaying accommodation of normal operation of the security software routine includes user selectability of a said time period.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of indicating that both a lack of signal input to the computer by the user and absence of the user in said selected vicinity of the computer have been sensed before occurrence of normal operation of the security routine.