Conditional supplemental password

A password protected machine comprising:

• a user input module structured and/or programmed to allow entry of passwords by a user;
• an access controlled module structured and/or programmed to be accessed by the user only upon receipt of an assigned and activated password from the user;
• a password database structured and/or programmed to store a plurality of passwords associated with the user and respective activation status of the plurality of passwords;
• a password control module structured and/or programmed to:
• (i) assign and store a primary password for the user in the password database, (ii) assign and store a secondary password for the user in the password database, (iii) on an ongoing basis, set the activation status of the primary password, and (iv) on an ongoing basis, set the activation status of the secondary password;
• and
• an access control module structured and/or programmed to control the password control module to activate the secondary password in response to pre-expiration deactivation of the primary password.

A machine readable medium for use with a password protected machine that includes a user input module structured and/or programmed to allow entry of passwords by a user, an access controlled module structured and/or programmed to be accessed by the user only upon receipt of an assigned and activated password from the user, and a password database structured and/or programmed to store a plurality of passwords associated with the user and respective activation status of the plurality of passwords, the machine readable medium being programmed with the following code:

• password control software programmed to:
• (i) assign and store a primary password for the user in the password database, (ii) assign and store a secondary password for the user in the password database, (iii) on an ongoing basis, set the activation status of the primary password, and (iv) on an ongoing basis, set the activation status of the secondary password;
• and
• access control software programmed to control the password control software to activate the secondary password in response to pre-expiration deactivation of the primary password.

A method of password protecting access control, the method comprising the following steps:

• (a) assigning a primary alternative password to a user, with the primary password, when activated, being usable to gain access comprising access to at least a first access controlled module;
• (b) prior to, subsequent to and/or contemporaneous with step (a), assigning to the user a secondary alternative password, with the secondary alternative password, when activated, being usable to gain access comprising access to at least the first access controlled module;
• (c) subsequent to and/or contemporaneous with steps (a) and (b), receiving an entered password from the user;
• (d) subsequent to step (c), determining that the entered password sufficiently matches the secondary alternative password;
• and
• (e) subsequent to step (d), deactivating the primary alternative password in response to a determination that the secondary alternative password has been received at step (d).

A password protected machine comprising:

• a user input module structured and/or programmed to allow entry of passwords by a user;
• an access controlled module structured and/or programmed to be accessed by the user only upon receipt of an assigned and activated password from the user;
• a password database structured and/or programmed to store a plurality of passwords associated with the user and respective activation status of the plurality of passwords;
• a password control module structured and/or programmed to:
• (i) assign and store a primary alternative password for the user in the password database, (ii) assign and store a secondary alternative password for the user in the password database, (iii) on an ongoing basis, set the activation status of the primary alternative password, and (iv) on an ongoing basis, set the activation status of the secondary alternative password;
• and
• an access control module structured and/or programmed to:
• (i) allow a user to access the access controlled module when the primary alternative password is received through the user input module and has activated status;
• (ii) allow a user to access the access controlled module when the secondary alternative password is received through the user input module and has activated status;
• and (iii) deactivate the primary password when the secondary alternative password is received through the user input module and has activated status.