System and method for controlling user access to an electronic device
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorJames McKeeth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for authenticating a user to access a computer system. The method comprises communicating security information to the computer system, and providing the computer system with an implicit input. The method further comprises determining whether the security information and implicit input match corresponding information associated with the user. The method further comprises granting the user access to the computer system in the event of a satisfactory match. When authenticating the user, the method and system consider the possibility of the user being legitimate but subject to duress or force by a computer hacker.
Claims20
A system to grant access to an apparatus, the system comprising:
- a fingerprint scanner;
- a touch screen;
- and
- a processing circuit configured to compare a fingerprint when sensed by the fingerprint scanner with a stored fingerprint, the processing circuit further configured to compare a user-entered geometric pattern when drawn by a user in a specified direction on the touch screen to a predefined geometric pattern stored in memory in combination with a user-provided password, the processing circuit further configured to determine whether a time interval between the user-entered geometric pattern and the user-provided password occur within a predetermined time period.
A method to grant access to an apparatus, the method comprising:
- when a fingerprint of a user is sensed by a fingerprint scanner, comparing fingerprint signals representative of the fingerprint sensed by the fingerprint scanner with a stored fingerprint;
- and
- when the user draws a geometric pattern in a specified direction on a touch screen and the user enters a password, comparing touch screen input signals representative of the user-drawn geometric pattern to a predefined geometric pattern stored in memory, comparing the user-entered password with a predefined password stored in memory, and comparing a time elapsed between the user drawing the geometric pattern and entering the password with a predetermined period of time.
A method to access an apparatus having a fingerprint scanner and a touch screen, the method comprising:
- sensing a fingerprint of a user with the fingerprint scanner, comparing fingerprint signals representative of the fingerprint sensed by the fingerprint scanner with data stored in the apparatus representing a known fingerprint;
- and
- sensing a geometric pattern drawn by the user in a specified direction on the touch screen and receiving a user-entered password, comparing touch screen input signals representative of the user-drawn geometric pattern to a predefined geometric pattern stored in the apparatus, comparing the user-entered password with a predefined password stored in the apparatus, and allowing access to the apparatus at least in part on confirming that a time elapsed between the sensed geometric pattern and the received password occurred within a predetermined period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.