Security method and system using touch screen

• US 8,289,131 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Eun-sung, Jung, Soo-Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorsey, Renee
• Application Number:
  US12/181,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/5.51
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36542 Cryptography, encrypt, access, authorize with key, code, password
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof

Abstract

A security method and system using a touch screen that allows manipulation input using only an input tool which is not part of a user'"'"'s body, i.e., finger manipulation, when a secure function such as secure printing is set instead of a normal function when the touch screen is manipulated, so as to prevent leakage of secure information due to fingerprint marks and smudges caused by finger manipulation. The security method includes checking whether or not a password is input, and inputting to the touch screen a password using an input tool which is not part of a user body.

Claims

1. A security method using a touch screen of an apparatus in a security system, the method comprising:

checking whether or not a password is input; and

inputting to the touch screen the password using an input tool which is not part of a user'"'"'s body, in order to perform a security job, wherein, when the input tool used to input the password to the touch screen is part of the user'"'"'s body, the input of the password is ignored, and when the input tool used to input the password to the touch screen is not part of the user'"'"'s body, it is determined whether the input password coincides with a preset password.

2. The security method of claim 1, wherein the password is input when logging in and logging out.

3. The security method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a warning signal when a finger is used as the user'"'"'s body to input the password to the touch screen.

4. The security method of claim 1, wherein, when a finger is used as the user'"'"'s body to input the password to the touch screen, an operation of logging in or logging out from a security function is not performed.

5. The security method of claim 1, wherein, when a finger is used as the user'"'"'s body to input the password to the touch screen, performance of the security job is blocked.

6. The security method of claim 1, wherein the input tool comprises a fingerprint recognition unit to input a fingerprint of a user.

7. The security method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the password input in inputting with a password stored in the apparatus; and

performing a security job when the input password is the same as the password stored in the office machine.

25. The security method of claim 6, further comprising:

comparing the fingerprint of the user with previously stored fingerprints; and

verifying that the user is authorized to perform the security job based on the comparison of the fingerprint of the user with the previously stored fingerprints.

26. The security method of claim 25, further comprising:

comparing the password that has been input with previously stored passwords, wherein the security job is performed when (i) the password that has been input matches one of the previously stored passwords, and (ii) the user is verified as an authorized user by the comparison of the fingerprint of the user with the previously stored fingerprints.

27. The security method of claim 1, further comprising:

flowing a predetermined current through the touch panel; and

checking whether the input tool used to input the password to the touch screen has absorbed the predetermined current, wherein the input tool used to input the password to the touch screen is determined to be part of the user'"'"'s body when the predetermined current has been absorbed by the input tool.

8. A security system using a touch screen of an apparatus, comprising:

a secure function touch panel unit to receive only an input by an input tool other than body contact when a secure function is set to perform a security job; and

a secure function touch panel processor to control the secure function touch panel unit, and to check whether or not information input to the secure function touch panel unit is input by the input tool,

wherein, when a password is input to the secure function touch panel unit by using a user'"'"'s body, the secure function touch panel processor ignores the input of the password, and when the password is input to the secure function touch panel by using the input tool which is not part of the user'"'"'s body, the secure function touch panel processor determines whether the input password coincides with a preset password.

9. The security system of claim 8, wherein the input by the input tool is performed when logging in or logging out from the security function.

10. The security system of claim 8, further comprising:

a normal function touch panel unit to receive an input by a body portion including a finger to perform a normal job other than the security job; and

a normal function touch panel processor to control the normal function touch panel unit.

11. The security system of claim 10, wherein the secure function touch panel unit and the normal function touch panel unit are displayed on a same screen.

12. The security system of claim 8, further comprising:

a warning unit to generate a warn signal when the secure function touch panel unit receives an input by an object which is not the input tool.

13. The security system of claim 8, wherein, when the secure function touch panel unit receives an input by an object which is not the input tool, logging in or logging out is not performed.

14. The security system of claim 8, wherein, when the secure function touch panel unit receives an input by an object which is not the input tool, performing the security job is blocked.

15. The security system of claim 8, wherein the input tool which provides an input to the secure function touch panel processor includes a fingerprint recognition unit to input a fingerprint of a user.

16. The security system of claim 8, further comprising:

a fingerprint registration unit to register a fingerprint of a user in advance in order to check whether or not the fingerprint input by the fingerprint recognition unit of the input tool is a fingerprint of an authenticated user;

a fingerprint database to store the fingerprint registered by the fingerprint registration unit; and

a controller to compare the fingerprint input by the input tool in order to perform the security job, with the fingerprint registered in the fingerprint database, and to determine whether or not the input fingerprint is the fingerprint of the authorized user.

17. The security system of claim 8, wherein the secure function touch panel processor flows a predetermined current to the secure function touch panel unit such that when an object which is not the input tool contacts the secure function touch panel unit, the object absorbs the current, thereby indicating that the information input to the secure function touch panel unit has not been input by the input tool.

18. A touch screen of an apparatus, comprising:

a secure function touch panel unit to receive only an input by an input tool which is not part of a user'"'"'s body when a secure function such as a security job is performed; and

a secure function touch panel processor to control the secure function touch panel unit and to check whether or not information input to the secure function touch panel unit is input by the input tool,

wherein, when a password is input to the secure function touch panel unit by using a user'"'"'s body, the secure function touch panel processor ignores the input of the password, and when the password is input to the secure function touch panel by using the input tool which is not part of the user'"'"'s body, the secure function touch panel processor determines whether the input password coincides with a preset password.

19. The touch screen of claim 18, further comprising a normal function touch panel unit, wherein the secure function touch panel unit and the normal function touch panel unit are formed in one panel.

20. The touch screen of claim 18, further comprising a normal function touch panel unit, wherein the secure function touch panel unit and the normal function touch panel unit are independently formed in different panels.

21. The touch screen of claim 18, further comprising:

a normal touch panel to receive an input by a body portion or an input by the input tool in order to perform a normal job which is not the security job.

22. The touch screen of claim 21, wherein the secure function touch panel unit and the normal function touch panel unit are formed in one panel.

23. The touch screen of claim 21, wherein the secure function touch panel unit and the normal function touch panel unit are independently formed in different panels.

24. The touch screen of claim 21, further comprising:

a normal function touch panel processor to independently control the normal function touch panel unit.

28. The touch screen of claim 18, wherein the secure function touch panel processor flows a predetermined current to the secure function touch panel unit such that when an object which is not the input tool contacts the secure function touch panel unit, the object absorbs the current, thereby indicating that the information input to the secure function touch panel unit has not been input by the input tool.