US 8,225,380 B2 · Methods to authenticate access and alarm as to proximity to location

Abstract

Methods for authenticating access and proving positional awareness using mobile phones. Embodiments for authenticating access include receiving identification indicia from a person seeking access, sending a message to a person having authority for access, and receiving either a second message indicating that the person has taken an affirmative action to indicate authorization, or a password that was provided in the first message. Access may be computer access or physical access, as examples. Methods of providing positional awareness include obtaining or storing location coordinates, monitoring the location of a mobile phone, and providing an alarm, for example, through a second mobile phone. In a number of embodiments, location coordinates are automatically obtained from Internet websites. In some embodiments, parents can monitor the location of their children to make sure they do not get too close to a reported residence of a registered sex offender, for instance.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of authenticating access, the method comprising in any order at least the acts of:

receiving from a person seeking access, identification indicia and a present password for the person seeking the access;
comparing the present password to a previous password stored in memory;
proceeding to provide the access only if the resent password matches the previous password stored in memory;
identifying a person having authority for the access;
sending a first automated message through a mobile phone network to a mobile phone of the person having authority for the access, the first automated message is encrypted and containing:
an identification of the access requested and a request for an affirmative action to indicate authorization of the access;
and
a password;
receiving the password in the first automated message at the mobile phone of the person having authority for the access;
and
receiving from the mobile phone of the person having authority for the access, a second message that is encrypted and containing the password and indicating that the person having authority for the access has taken the affirmative action to indicate authorization of the access.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods to authenticate access and alarm as to proximity to location

Life of this patent

Methods to authenticate access and alarm as to proximity to location

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17