Key pair generation based on environmental factors
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsDavid Garfield Thaler, III, Joerg-Thomas Pfenning, Gerardo Diaz-Cuellar
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Abstract
A computing device, such as a personal computing device (e.g., laptop, smartphone, etc.) or server, is configured to utilize environmental factors in generating public/private key pairs to access restricted data or operations. The environmental factors can include location, time, barometric pressure, acceleration, temperature, humidity, and the like. An initial key pair may be used to encrypt data and enable other conventional security features. A key pair can be subsequently generated based on the same environmental factors as with the initial key pair generation and used to access the data or operations which have been restricted using the initial key pair.
Claims20
A hardware-based non-transitory computer-readable memory device storing instructions, which, when executed by a processor in a computing device, cause the computing device to:
- lock an operation of the computing device using a key, the key being initially generated based on an environmental factor of a set of environmental factors, the environmental factor associated with a permissible parameter that is used as a basis to grant or deny performance of the computing device operation;
- retrieve real-time data for the environmental factor associated with the locked computing device operation;
- determine that the real-time data comports with the permissible parameter;
- grant performance by enabling the computing device to subsequently regenerate the key using the real-time data to unlock the computing device operation;
- and
- perform the computing device operation.
A method performed by a computing device for performing a restricted computing device operation, comprising:
- obtaining a set of environmental factors which defines parameters for permissions that are associated with the restricted computing device operation;
- associating an authorization token with the restricted computing device operation, the authorization token encrypted with an encryption key that is initially generated based on the parameters;
- waiting until an occurrence of a triggering event, the triggering event including attempting performance of a restricted computing device operation;
- obtaining real-time data for parameters in a set of environmental factors;
- generating a decryption key based on the real-time data subsequently to the occurrence of the triggering event;
- decrypting an authorization token associated with the restricted computing device operation using the decryption key;
- and
- performing the restricted computing device operation in response to the decrypting.
A computing device, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a hardware-based non-transitory memory device storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:
- establish a plurality of geofences around a respective plurality of different locations in which operations on the computing device are performable;
- set permissions for computing device operations in each of the geofenced locations by encrypting an authorization token using an initial public/private key pair that is generated based on location data associated with each geofence;
- responsive to occurrence of a triggering event, generate a new public/private key pair using a current location of the computing device;
- and
- deny performance of a computing device operation at the current location responsively to unsuccessful decryption of the authorization token by the new public/private key pair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.