Access authorization servers, methods and computer program products employing wireless terminal location

• US 8,756,659 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US11/737,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20080261560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,616 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

An access authorization server includes an access authorization processor configured to receive information concerning an access attempt at a subscribed location, to obtain location information from a wireless network provider for a wireless terminal associated with the subscribed location, to correlate a location of the wireless terminal with the subscribed location, to generate authorization information for the access attempt in response to a result of the correlation of the location of the wireless terminal and the subscribed location, and to transmit the authorization information to a security processor at the subscribed location or to the wireless terminal. Corresponding method and computer program embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A tangible computer server, for authorizing access for a user, comprising:

an access authorization processor; and

a computer-readable storage device comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the access authorization processor, cause the access authorization processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving information concerning an access attempt from a subscribed location;

obtaining first location information corresponding to a first wireless terminal of multiple wireless terminals associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account being associated with the subscribed location, and the first location information indicating a first location for the first wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals;

correlating the first location to the subscribed location in a first correlation act;

obtaining second location information corresponding to a second wireless terminal of multiple wireless terminals associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account being associated with the subscribed location, and the second location information indicating a second location for the second wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals;

correlating the second location to the subscribed location in a second correlation act;

if both of the first correlation act and the second correlation act results in satisfactory results;

generating authorization information corresponding to the access attempt; and

transmitting the authorization information to a security processor associated with the subscribed location; and

initiating, if at least one of the first correlation act and the second correlation act results in an unsatisfactory result, obtaining additional authentication information concerning the access attempt.

2. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the first correlation act results in the unsatisfactory result if a first determination is made that the first wireless terminal associated with the subscriber account is not within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

the second correlation act results in the unsatisfactory result if a second determination is made that the second wireless terminal associated with the subscriber account is not within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

3. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the correlation acts both result in satisfactory results if both of the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal are within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

4. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the operations further comprise sending a temporary access code to the particular wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals, for allowing presentation of the temporary access code to the security processor in a communication; and

the operation of transmitting the authorization information to the security processor associated with the subscribed location comprises sending the temporary access code to the security processor, for allowing the security processor to confirm accuracy of the communication based on the temporary access code received by the security processor.

5. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the first wireless terminal, of the multiple wireless terminals, is near the subscribed location; and

initiating, in response to determining that the first wireless terminal is near the subscribed location, prompting of the first wireless terminal for first authentication information.

6. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the first wireless terminal, of the multiple wireless terminals, is near the subscribed location; and

initiating, in response to determining that the first wireless terminal is near the subscribed location, a biometric evaluation between the security processor and the user by way of the first wireless terminal.

7. The tangible computer server of claim 6, wherein the operation of initiating the biometric evaluation between the security processor and the user comprises prompting, by way of the first wireless terminal, for a user-voice input to be analyzed by the security processor in connection with providing access for the user.

8. The tangible computer server of claim 7, wherein prompting for the voice input comprises prompting, by way of the first wireless terminal, for a select comparison phrase to be analyzed by the security processor in connection with providing access for the user.

9. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second correlation acts comprise determining whether the first and second wireless terminals, respectively, is within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

the predetermined proximity is variable and based on user preference.

10. The tangible computer server of claim 1, wherein:

the tangible computer server is configured to authorize access, for the user, to a secured physical area;

the security processor is associated with the secured physical area;

the operation of receiving information concerning an access attempt comprises receiving information regarding an attempt by the user to access the secured physical location; and

the operation of transmitting the authorization information to a security processor associated with the subscribed location comprises transmitting authorization information to the security processor for granting access by the user to the secured physical location.

11. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the access authorization processor, cause the access authorization processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information concerning an access attempt from a subscribed location;

obtaining first location information corresponding to a first wireless terminal of multiple wireless terminals associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account being associated with the subscribed location, and the first location information indicating a first location for the first wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals;

correlating the first location to the subscribed location in a first correlation act;

obtaining second location information corresponding to a second wireless terminal of multiple wireless terminals associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account being associated with the subscribed location, and the second location information indicating a second location for the second wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals;

correlating the second location to the subscribed location in a second correlation act;

if both of the first correlation act and the second correlation act results in satisfactory results;

generating authorization information corresponding to the access attempt; and

transmitting the authorization information to a security processor associated with the subscribed location; and

initiating, if at least one of the first correlation act and the second correlation act results in an unsatisfactory result, obtaining additional authentication information concerning the access attempt.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein:

the first correlation act results in the unsatisfactory result if a first determination is made that the first wireless terminal associated with the subscriber account is not within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

the second correlation act results in the unsatisfactory result if a second determination is made that the second wireless terminal associated with the subscriber account is not within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the correlation acts both result in satisfactory results if both of the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal are within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein:

the operations further comprise sending a temporary access code to the particular wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals, for allowing presentation of the temporary access code to the security processor in a communication; and

the operation of transmitting the authorization information to the security processor associated with the subscribed location comprises sending the temporary access code to the security processor, for allowing the security processor to confirm accuracy of the communication based on the temporary access code received by the security processor.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the first wireless terminal, of the multiple wireless terminals, is near the subscribed location; and

initiating, in response to determining that the first wireless terminal is near the subscribed location, prompting of the first wireless terminal for first authentication information.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the first wireless terminal, of the multiple wireless terminals, is near the subscribed location; and

initiating, in response to determining that the first wireless terminal is near the subscribed location, a biometric evaluation between the security processor and a user by way of the first wireless terminal.

17. A method, for authorizing access for a user, comprising:

receiving, by a tangible system using a processor, information concerning an access attempt from a subscribed location;

obtaining, by the tangible system, first location information corresponding to a first wireless terminal of multiple wireless terminals associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account being associated with the subscribed location, and the first location information indicating a first location for the first wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals;

correlating, by the tangible system, the first location to the subscribed location in a first correlation act;

obtaining, by the tangible system, second location information corresponding to a second wireless terminal of multiple wireless terminals associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account being associated with the subscribed location, and the second location information indicating a second location for the second wireless terminal of the multiple wireless terminals;

correlating, by the tangible system, the second location to the subscribed location in a second correlation act;

if both of the first correlation act and the second correlation act results in satisfactory results;

generating, by the tangible system, authorization information corresponding to the access attempt; and

transmitting, by the tangible system, the authorization information to a security processor associated with the subscribed location; and

initiating, by the tangible system, if at least one of the first correlation act and the second correlation act results in an unsatisfactory result, obtaining additional authentication information concerning the access attempt.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the first correlation act results in the unsatisfactory result if a first determination is made that the first wireless terminal associated with the subscriber account is not within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location; and

the second correlation act results in the unsatisfactory result if a second determination is made that the second wireless terminal associated with the subscriber account is not within the predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the correlation acts both result in satisfactory results if both of the first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal are within a predetermined proximity of the subscribed location.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the first wireless terminal, of the multiple wireless terminals, is near the subscribed location; and

initiating, in response to determining that the first wireless terminal is near the subscribed location, a biometric evaluation between the security processor and a user by way of the first wireless terminal.