User authentication device having multiple isolated host interfaces
OwnerAviv Soffer, Oleg Vaisbandinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Devices and methods provide for enabling a user to use a single user authentication device such as smart-card reader, such that the user is capable of securely interfacing with two or more isolated computers and enabling the user to authenticate and remain authenticated at multiple computers at the same time. Once the user removes the smart-card from the smart-card reader, the authentication session on all coupled computers is terminated at once. The user authentication device comprises: an authentication module connected via a channel selection switch to one of a plurality of channels, each interfacing with a respective coupled computer.
Claims18
A user authentication device for authenticating a user in front of a plurality of isolated coupled computers using a single smart-card, the device comprising:
- at least a first computer channel having:
- a first computer interface configured to interact with a respective coupled first computer;
- a first smart-card reader function configured to be coupled to said respective coupled first computer via said first computer interface, wherein said first smart-card reader function has a first card-presence input;
- and
- first smart-card interface line coupled to said first smart-card reader function;
- and
- at least a second computer channel having:
- a second computer interface configured to interact with a respective coupled second computer;
- a second smart-card reader function coupled to said respective coupled second computer via said second computer interface, wherein said second smart-card reader function has a second card-presence input;
- and
- a second smart-card interface line coupled to said second smart-card reader function;
- the device further comprising:
- a smart-card connector configured to receive a user authentication smart-card;
- a channel select switch having common ports coupled to said smart-card connector and at least a first and a second switchable ports, wherein said at least a first and a second switchable ports are each coupled to the corresponding one of said first and said second smart-card interface lines;
- a card presence switch, mechanically coupled to said smart-card connector and electrically coupled to said at least first and said second card-presence inputs of said at least first and second smart-card reader functions respectively;
- and
- an enclosure enclosing at least said at least first and second smart-card reader functions, said at least first and second smart-card interface lines, and said channel select switch,
- wherein said at least first and second smart card reader functions are configured to concurrently authenticate, each in front of the corresponding one of said at least first and second coupled computers,
- wherein said at least first and second smartcard reader functions remain concurrently authenticated during selection of any of said at least a first and a second switchable ports by the channel select switch, and
- wherein said first coupled computer and said second coupled computers remain isolated from each other while coupled to the user authentication device.
A user authentication apparatus for authenticating a user in front of a plurality of coupled computers, comprising:
- a host emulator configured to emulate a computer host to a coupled user authentication device module;
- at least two computer channels, each of said at least two computer channels each having:
- a computer interface configured to interact with a respective coupled computer of the plurality of coupled computers;
- a device emulator configured to emulate a user authentication device, and configured to be coupled to said respective coupled computer via said computer interface;
- and
- input/output interface lines coupled to said device emulator, wherein said input/output interface lines are configured to interact with said host emulator;
- and
- a channel select switch having switchable ports coupled to each of said input/output interface lines, and having common ports coupled to said host emulator;
- and
- an enclosure enclosing at least:
- said host emulator, said channel select switch, said input/output interface lines, and said device emulators,
- wherein said at least first and second smart card reader functions are configured to concurrently authenticate, each in front of the corresponding one of said at least first and second coupled computers,
- wherein said at least first and second smartcard reader functions remain concurrently authenticated during selection of any of said switchable ports by the channel select switch, and
- wherein said first coupled computer and said second coupled computers remain isolated from each other while coupled to the user authentication device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.