Continuous authentication in a security environment
A computer implemented method for authentication using a stylus. The stylus generates a stylus token using a key stored in the stylus and a current timestamp, wherein the stylus token is valid for a selected period of time. The stylus transmits the stylus token to a computer system. The stylus repeats generating the stylus token using the key stored in the stylus and the current timestamp and transmitting the stylus token to the computer system in response to the stylus token expiring after the selected period of time.
1 . A computer implemented method for authentication using a stylus, the computer implemented method comprising:
generating, by the stylus, a stylus token using a key stored in the stylus and a current timestamp, wherein the stylus token is valid for a first selected period of time;
transmitting, by the stylus, the stylus token to a computer system;
repeating generating, by the stylus, the stylus token using the key stored in the stylus and the current timestamp and transmitting, by the stylus, the stylus token to the computer system in response to the stylus token expiring after the first selected period of time;
generating, by the stylus, a stylus capacitance of the stylus using the key stored in the stylus and the current timestamp, wherein the stylus capacitance is valid for a second selected period of time that is a longer period of time than the first selected period of time corresponding to how long the stylus token is valid;
transmitting, by the stylus, the stylus capacitance of the stylus to the computer system in response to the stylus touching a capacitive sensing device that is separate from and in communication with the computer system; and
repeating, by the stylus, generating the stylus capacitance of the stylus using the key stored in the stylus and the current timestamp and transmitting, by the stylus, the stylus capacitance of the stylus to the computer system in response to an expiration of the second selected period of time that is the longer period of time than the first selected period of time corresponding to how long the stylus token is valid.
2 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the stylus token is transmitted by the stylus to the computer system using a near field communications protocol.
3 . The computer implemented method of claim 2 , wherein a communication of the stylus with the computer system is one way from the stylus to the computer system.
4 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the stylus includes a controller that controls a point of load voltage regulator in communication with a variable capacitor diode of a variable capacitance unit to transmit the stylus capacitance, and wherein the controller modulates the point of load voltage regulator to generate a voltage bias to cause the variable capacitor diode to generate the stylus capacitance that is transmitted to the capacitive sensing device that is separate from and in communication with the computer system using at least one of an electrical signal, a wireless signal, and an optical signal.
5 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining, by the stylus, a stylus location for the stylus using a global positioning system sensor in the stylus; and
transmitting, by the stylus, the stylus location to the computer system.
6 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating, by the computer system, a device token using a user key for a user and the current timestamp;
comparing, by the computer system, the stylus token with the device token in response to receiving the stylus token from the stylus; and
authorizing, by the computer system, the user to access the computer system in response to a match between the stylus token and the device token.
7 . The computer implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:
blocking, by the computer system, the user to access the computer system in response to an absence of the match between the stylus token and the device token.
8 . The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating, by the computer system, a device capacitance of the computer system using a user key for a user and the current timestamp;
comparing, by the computer system, the stylus capacitance of the stylus with the device capacitance of the computer system in response to receiving the stylus capacitance from the stylus; and
authorizing, by the computer system, the user to access the computer system in response to a match between the stylus capacitance of the stylus and the device capacitance of the computer system.
9 . The computer implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:
blocking, by the computer system, the user to access the computer system in response to an absence of the match between the stylus capacitance of the stylus and the device capacitance of the computer system.
10 . The computer implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:
receiving, by the computer system, a set of locations based on time of day from the stylus to form a pattern of movement of a user based on the time of day;
comparing, by the computer system, the pattern of movement of the user based on the time of day received from the stylus with historical patterns of movement of the user in a database; and
authorizing, by the computer system, the user to access the computer system in response to a match between the pattern of movement of the user based on the time of day with one of the historical patterns of movement of the user.
11 . An authentication system comprising:
a stylus that operates to:
generate a stylus token using a key stored in a memory in the stylus and a current timestamp, wherein the stylus token is valid for a first selected period of time;
transmit the stylus token to a computer system;
repeat generating, by the stylus, the stylus token using the key stored in the memory in the stylus and the current timestamp and transmitting, by the stylus, the stylus token to the computer system in response to the stylus token expiring after the first selected period of time;
generate a stylus capacitance of the stylus using the key stored in the stylus and the current timestamp, wherein the stylus capacitance is valid for a second selected period of time that is a longer period of time than the first selected period of time corresponding to how long the stylus token is valid;
transmit the stylus capacitance of the stylus to the computer system in response to the stylus touching a capacitive sensing device that is separate from and in communication with the computer system; and
repeat generating, by the stylus, the stylus capacitance of the stylus using the key stored in the stylus and the current timestamp and transmitting, by the stylus, the stylus capacitance of the stylus to the computer system in response to an expiration of the second selected period of time that is the longer period of time than the first selected period of time corresponding to how long the stylus token is valid.
12 . The authentication system of claim 11 , wherein stylus that operates to:
determine a stylus location for the stylus using a global positioning system sensor in the stylus; and
transmit the stylus location to the computer system.
13 . The authentication system of claim 11 further comprising:
a number of processor units, wherein the number of processor units executes program instructions to:
generate a device token using a user key for a user and the current timestamp;
compare the stylus token with the device token in response to receiving the stylus token from the stylus; and
authorize the user to access the computer system in response to a match between the stylus token and the device token.
14 . The authentication system of claim 13 , wherein the number of processor units executes program instructions to:
block the user to access the computer system in response to an absence of the match between the stylus token and the device token.
15 . The authentication system of claim 13 , wherein the number of processor units executes program instructions to:
generate a device capacitance of the computer system using a user key for a user and the current timestamp;
compare the stylus capacitance of the stylus with the device capacitance of the computer system in response to receiving the stylus capacitance from the stylus; and
authorize the user to access the computer system in response to a match between the stylus capacitance of the stylus and the device capacitance of the computer system.
16 . The authentication system of claim 15 , wherein the number of processor units executes program instructions to:
block the user to access the computer system in response to an absence of the match between the stylus capacitance of the stylus and the device capacitance of the computer system.
17 . The authentication system of claim 13 , wherein the number of processor units executes program instructions to:
receive a set of stylus locations based on time of day from the stylus to form a pattern of movement of a user based on the time of day;
compare the pattern of movement of the user based on the time of day received from the stylus with historical patterns of movement of the user in a database; and
authorize the user to access the computer system in response to a match between the pattern of movement of the user based on the time of day with one of the historical patterns of movement of the user.
18 . A stylus comprising:
an elongate body;
a memory in the elongate body, wherein a key is stored in the memory;
a near field communications transmitter in the elongate body, wherein the near field communications transmitter transmits radio frequency signals;
a variable capacitance unit in the elongate body, wherein the variable capacitance unit transmits a stylus capacitance of the stylus to a computer system in response to the stylus touching a capacitive sensing device that is separate from and in communication with the computer system; and
a controller in the elongate body, wherein the controller operates to:
generate a stylus token using the key stored in the memory in the elongate body and a current timestamp, wherein the stylus token is valid for a first selected period of time;
control the near field communications transmitter to transmit the stylus token to the computer system using the radio frequency signals;
generate the stylus capacitance of the stylus using the key stored in the memory in the elongate body and the current timestamp;
control the variable capacitance unit to transmit the stylus capacitance of the stylus to the computer system in response to the stylus touching the capacitive sensing device that is separate from and in communication with the computer system, wherein the stylus capacitance is valid for a second selected period of time that is a longer period of time than the first selected period of time corresponding to how long the stylus token is valid;
repeat generating the stylus token using the key stored in the memory in the elongate body and the current timestamp and controlling the near field communications transmitter to transmit the stylus token to the computer system using the radio frequency signals in response to the stylus token expiring after the first selected period of time; and
repeat generating the stylus capacitance of the stylus using the key stored in the memory in the elongate body and the current timestamp and controlling the variable capacitance unit to transmit the stylus capacitance of the stylus to the computer system in response to an expiration of second selected period of time that is the longer period of time than the first selected period of time corresponding to how long the stylus token is valid.