This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application filed on Feb. 3, 2014 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office and assigned Serial number 10-2014-0011909, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for controlling access to a given area in the electronic device.
An electronic device equipped with a storage unit, a processor, and an operating system (OS), such as a smartphone and/or tablet computer, may execute a variety of applications. In particular, such a portable electronic device may be used to perform online business transactions and financial transactions.
Security is a common issue in performing security critical functions, such as online business transactions and financial transactions. For security reasons, for example, a normal area and a secure area may be configured in an electronic device. The OS of the electronic device may regulate transfer of data between the different areas. For example, the OS may block unauthenticated access to the secure area from the normal area and allow authenticated access to the secure area. When multiple OSs are installed in the electronic device, the OSs may manage these areas individually. Such a device operation may raise a level of security in the secure area.
In general, accounts and passwords may be applied to authentication for access. Security cards, certificates, Internet Personal Identification Numbers (I-PIN), and one-time passwords (OTPs) may be used for authentication in addition to accounts and passwords.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.
Authentication schemes may have the following problems or shortcomings.
For schemes using accounts and passwords, accounts and passwords are exposed to a risk of hacking and/or loss. Actual security problems arise occasionally at portal and/or online service sites, which may provoke a stream of complaints from user groups.
For schemes using accounts, passwords, and security cards, a level of exposure to a security risk may be low unless a security card is lost or stolen. However, users performing many online business and/or financial transactions may have to carry their security cards, which are exposed to the risk of loss.
Schemes using certificates attempt to raise the level of security by means of digital authentication keys. However, certificates may have expiration dates. Also, users have to carry digital authentication keys, which are exposed to the risk of loss, and issuance of a digital authentication key may incur an expense.
Schemes using Internet Personal Identification Numbers (I-PINs) attempt to overcome shortcomings of certificates such as inconvenience due to possession and a risk of loss by authenticating identities through a server using encrypted passwords. Many institutions employ I-PINs for identity authentication because of ease of issuance. However, I-PINs are not used widely in online financial and commercial transactions owing to, for example, insecure identity authentication at the time of issuance.
Schemes based on One-Time Passwords (OTPs) are widely used as media of security class 1 in various fields, such as financing, portal services and online gaming. There are various versions such as mobile-OTP and ubiquitous OTP according to implementations. As the name suggests, an OTP is generated and used for one instance. OTP schemes may be time-synchronized and/or time/event-synchronized. In a time-synchronized scheme, the same OTP may be used unlimitedly for login for the valid period. In a time/event-synchronized scheme, the same OTP may be used for multiple occurrences of the same event for the valid period. All authentication techniques including OTP-based schemes may be vulnerable to hacking through phishing. In particular, entering information on the web may increase a risk of hacking.
Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method for protecting a designated area by controlling access to the designated area and an electronic device implementing the method.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating an electronic device is provided. The method includes determining validity of a first key, generating, when the first key is valid, a second key, and granting access to a designated area of the electronic device by use of the second key.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device, a memory unit including a normal area and a designated area, a control unit configured to control the communication unit and to access the memory unit, and an authentication unit configured to perform a process of determining validity of a first key, the first key being at least one of received through the communication unit and stored in the memory unit, to generate a second key when the first key is valid, and to permit the control unit to access the designated area by use of the second key.
In a feature of the present disclosure, the method and electronic device can provide a high level of security and convenience of usage by receiving a security key issued by a server and granting access to a designated area, e.g. a secure area, on the basis of the security key.
Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.
The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.
The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.
In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device may be a device capable of communication. For example, the electronic device may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book reader, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a netbook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a motion picture experts group (MPEG) audio-layer 3 (MP3) player, a mobile medical instrument, an electronic bracelet, an electronic necklace, an electronic appcessory, a camera, a wearable device, an electronic clock, a wrist watch, a home appliance, e.g., a refrigerator, an air conditioner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washing machine, and an air cleaner, an intelligent robot, a television (TV), a digital video disc (DVD), an audio system, a medical instrument, e.g., a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) scanner, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, computed tomography (CT) scanner, a tomograph, and an ultrasonic diagnostic equipment, a navigation aid, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver, an event data recorder (EDR), a flight data recorder (FDR), a set-top box, a streaming box, e.g., Samsung HomeSync, Apple TV, and Google TV, an electronic dictionary, a car infotainment device, a marine electronic device, e.g., a marine navigation system and a gyrocompass, avionics instrument, a security equipment, an electronic clothing, an electronic key, a camcorder, a game console, a head-mounted display, a flat panel display device, an electronic frame, an electronic album, part of a furniture or building supporting communication, an electronic board, an electronic signature receiver, or a projector, or a combination thereof. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the electronic device according to the present disclosure is not limited thereto.
Referring to
The bus 110 may be a circuit interconnecting the above components for intercommunication therebetween, e.g. for exchange of control messages.
The processor unit 120 may receive instructions from other components, e.g. the memory unit 130, the user input unit 140, the display unit 150, and the communication unit 160, through the bus 110, decode the instructions, and perform operations and/or data processing according to the decoded instructions.
The memory unit 130 may store instructions and data received from and/or generated by the processor unit 120 and/or other components, e.g. the user input unit 140, the display unit 150, and the communication unit 160. The memory unit 130 may contain programming modules, such as a kernel 131, a middleware 132, an application programming interface (API) 133, and an application 134. Each programming module may be composed of software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof.
The kernel 131 may control and/or manage system resources, e.g. the bus 110, the processor unit 120, the memory unit 130, used to execute procedures and/or functions implemented by other programming modules, e.g. the middleware 132, the API 133, and the application 134. The kernel 131 may provide an interface that enables the middleware 132, the API 133, and the application 134 to access and/or control individual components of the electronic device 100.
The middleware 132 relays data between the API 133 and/or the application 134 and the kernel 131 for communication. As part of handling processing requests from the applications 134, the middleware 132 may load balance system resources of the electronic device 100, e.g. the bus 110, the processor unit 120, and the memory unit 130, by, for example, assigning priorities to the applications 134 making processing requests.
The API 133 provides interfaces and/or functions that may be invoked by the applications 134 to use services provided by the middleware 132 and/or the kernel 131. Here, the services may be related to management and/or control of files, windows, images, characters and the like.
The user input unit 140 may receive commands and/or data from the user and forward the same to the processor unit 120 and/or the memory unit 130 through the bus 110. The display unit 150 may display pictures, images and/or data to the user.
The communication unit 160 may connect the electronic device 100 to an external electronic device 102 for communication. The communication unit 160 may connect the electronic device 100 to a server 164. The communication unit 160 may connect the electronic device 100 to an external electronic device 104 via a network 162. The communication unit 110 may support communication through local area communication, e.g. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and/or Near Field Communication (NFC), or through the network 162, e.g. Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a telecommunication network, a cellular network, a satellite network, and/or a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) network. The electronic devices 102 and 104 may be devices of the same type as the electronic device 100 or a device of a different type from the electronic device 100.
Referring to
The processor unit 210 may include at least one application processor (AP) 211 and at least one communication processor (CP) 213. The processor unit 210 may correspond to the processor unit 120 shown in
The AP 211 may execute the operating system or the application programs to control hardware and software components, process various data including multimedia, and perform various operations. The AP 211 may be implemented as a system on chip (SoC). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the processor unit 210 may further include a graphics processing unit (GPU) (not shown).
The CP 213 may perform data link management and protocol conversion for communication between the electronic device 100 and external electronic devices through networks. The CP 213 may be implemented in, for example, a SoC. The CP 213 may perform a part of multimedia control. For example, the CP 213 may perform device identification and authentication in a communication network using a subscriber identity module such as the SIM card 214. The CP 213 may provide the user with services related to voice calls, video calls, text messages and/or packet data.
The CP 213 may control data transmission and reception of the communication unit 230. Although the CP 213, the power management module 295, the memory unit 220, and the AP 211 are depicted as separate entities in
The AP 211 and/or the CP 213 may load instructions and/or data received from a nonvolatile memory and/or another component in a volatile memory for execution. The AP 211 and/or CP 213 may store data received from and/or created by another component in the nonvolatile memory.
The SIM card 214 is a card for subscriber identification, and may be inserted in a slot formed at a portion of the electronic device. The SIM card 214 may contain unique identification information, such as an integrated circuit card identifier (ICCID) and/or subscriber information, such as an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI).
The memory unit 220 may include an internal memory 222 and an external memory 224. The memory unit 220 may correspond to the memory unit 130 shown in
The communication unit 230 may include a wireless communication module 231 and a radio frequency (RF) module 234. The communication unit 230 may correspond to the communication unit 160 shown in
The RF module 234 may use RF signals for data transmission and reception and/or call processing. The RF module 234 may include a transceiver, a power amplifier, a frequency filter, and a low noise amplifier (not shown). The RF module 234 may further include a component, such as a conductor and/or a wire to send and receive electromagnetic waves in free space.
The sensor unit 240 may include at least one of a gesture sensor 240A, a gyro sensor 240B, an atmospheric pressure sensor 240C, a magnetic sensor 240D, an acceleration sensor 240E, a grip sensor 240F, a proximity sensor 240G, a red, green, blue (RGB) sensor 240H, a biometric sensor 240I, a temperature/humidity sensor 240J, an illumination sensor 240K, and an ultraviolet (UV) sensor 240M. The sensor unit 240 may measure physical quantities and/or sense the operating status of the electronic device 100 and convert the measured and/or sensed information into an electrical signal. The sensor unit 240 may include an E-nose sensor, electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, and a fingerprint sensor (not shown) in addition to or in place of the above sensors. The sensor unit 240 may further include a control circuit to control one or more of the above sensors.
The user input unit 250 may include a touch panel 252, a pen sensor 254, keys 256, and an ultrasonic input part 258. The user input unit 250 may correspond to the user input unit 140 shown in
The pen sensor 254 may be a digital element that is configured to operate in a manner identical and/or similar to sensing user touch input and/or to operate using a separate recognition sheet. The keys 256 may include keypad and/or touch keys. The ultrasonic input part 258 may use a microphone 288 to detect a signal generated by a pen generating an ultrasonic signal, and may operate wirelessly. According to an embodiment, the hardware 200 may receive a user input from an external device, e.g. a network device, a computer, and/or the server 164, connected through the communication unit 230.
The display unit 260 may include a display panel 262 and a holographic panel 264. The display unit 260 may correspond to the display unit 150 shown in
The interface module 270 may include a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) 272, a universal serial bus (USB) interface 274, a projector interface 276, and a D-subminiature (D-sub) interface 278. The interface module 270 may include a SD/multi-media card (MMC) interface (not shown), and an infrared data association (IrDA) interface (not shown) in addition to or in place of the above interfaces.
The audio codec 280 may convert sound waves into electrical signals and vice versa. The audio codec 280 may transform sound data input from and/or output to, for example, a speaker 282, a receiver 284, an earphone 286 and the microphone 288.
The camera module 291 may capture still images and/or moving images. The camera module 291 may include at least one image sensor, such as a front lens and/or rear lens, an image signal processor (ISP), and a light-emitting diode (LED) flash (not shown).
The power management module 295 may manage power of the hardware 200. The power management module 295 may include a power management IC (PMIC), a charger IC, and a battery fuel gauge (not shown).
The PMIC may be embedded in an IC and/or SoC semiconductor. Wired charging and/or wireless charging may be utilized. The charger IC may charge a battery while protecting from overvoltage and/or overcurrent from a charger. The charger IC may be driven using wired and/or wireless charging technology. Magnetic resonance, magnetic induction and/or electromagnetic waves may be used for wireless charging. When wireless charging is used, ancillary circuits for charging, such as a coil loop, a resonator and/or a rectifier, may be added.
The battery fuel gauge may measure the remaining power, voltage during charging, current and/or temperature of the battery 296. The battery 296 generates electricity to supply power, and may be a rechargeable battery.
The indicator 297 may indicate states of the hardware 200 and/or a part thereof, e.g. the AP 211 related to, for example, booting, messages, and charging. The motor 298 may convert an electrical signal into mechanical vibration. The MCU 299 may control the sensor unit 240.
Although not shown, the hardware 200 may include a processor, e.g. a GPU, for supporting mobile TV. Such a processor may process media data conforming to a specification such as Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) and/or Media Forward Link Only (MediaFLO). Each component of the hardware described above may be composed of one or more elements, and component names may be varied according to a type of an electronic device. The hardware described in the present disclosure may further include a unit comparable to the above-described units, and one unit of the hardware may be removed or replaced with another unit. Some of the components of the hardware may be combined into one entity while maintaining a same functionality.
In the description, the word “module” may refer to a software component, a hardware component, a firmware component and/or a combination thereof. “Module” may be used interchangeably with “unit”, “logic”, “logical block”, “component”, “circuit” and/or the like. A module may be a smallest element and/or a part thereof acting as a single entity. A module may be a smallest element and/or a part thereof supporting one or more functions. A module may be implemented mechanically and/or electronically. For example, a module having a specific function may be implemented using at least one of an Application-Specific IC (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and a Programmable-Logic Device (PLD).
A software structure 300 may reside in the memory unit 130 of the electronic device 100 shown in
The kernel 310, which may correspond to the kernel 131 in
The middleware 330 may include a plurality of modules developed to provide common functions used by the applications 370. The middleware 330 may provide functions through the APIs 360 so that the applications 370 may efficiently utilize limited system resources internal to the electronic device 100. For example, as shown in
The runtime library 335 may include library modules that are usable by compilers to add new functions via programming languages during application execution. The runtime library 335 may provide functions related to, for example, input/output, memory management, and arithmetic computation.
The application manager 341 may manage lifecycles of the applications 370. The window manager 342 may manage Graphical User Interface (GUI) resources for screen display. The multimedia manager 343 may identify a format of a media file for playback and perform encoding and decoding of the media file using a codec matching the identified format. The resource manager 344 may manage resources, such as source codes, memory space and storage space, used to execute the applications 370.
The power manager 345 may operate in cooperation with a basic input/output system (BIOS) to manage a power source, such as the battery 296 and provide information on operating power. The database manager 346 may permit one of the applications 370 to create, search and update a database. The package manager 347 may manage installation and update of applications distributed in a package file format.
The connectivity manager 348 may manage wireless links based on, for example, Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth. The notification manager 349 may notify the user of events such as message reception, appointment arrival and proximity in a non-disruptive manner. The location manager 350 may manage location information of the electronic device. The graphics manager 351 may manage graphical effects for the user and manage related user interfaces. The security manager 352 may provide various security functions used for system security and/or user authentication. When the electronic device 100 supports telephony functionality, the middleware 330 may further include a telephony manager (not shown) to manage voice and/or video call functions.
In the middleware 132, existing modules may be combined in various ways to form new modules providing new functions. To provide differentiated functions, modules of the middleware 132 may be reconfigured according to types of operating systems. In a dynamic manner, an existing component of the middleware 132 may be removed and/or a new component may be added to the middleware 132. Hence, according to various embodiments, an existing component may be omitted, a new component may be added, or an existing component may be replaced by a similar component with a different name.
The APIs 360, which may correspond to the API 133 in
The applications 370, which may correspond to at least one of the application 134 in
At least a part of the software structure 300 may be implemented as a computer program, which may be stored in various computer readable storage media. Instructions of the computer program may be executed by one or more processors. For example, the memory unit 220 may be a computer readable storage medium. At least a part of the software structure 300 may be executed by the processor unit 210. At least a part of the software structure 300 may include at least one of a module, a program, a routine, an instruction set and a process supporting one or more functions.
Component names of the software structure 300 may be varied according to types of operating systems. An existing component of the software structure 300 may be removed and/or a new component may be added to the software structure 300. Operations supported by components of the software structure 300 may be carried out in sequence, in parallel, by repetition, and/or heuristically. In a dynamic manner, one operation may be skipped and/or a new operation may be added.
Referring to
The communication unit 410 may connect the electronic device 400 to an external electronic device, e.g. the server 164, for communication. The communication unit 410 may correspond to the communication unit 160 of
The control unit 420 may receive instructions from other components, e.g. the communication unit 410, the storage unit 430, the authentication unit 440, the normal area 450, the secure area 460, may decode the instructions, and may perform operations and/or data processing according to the decoded instructions. The control unit 420 may include various processors, e.g. an AP, a CP, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), and a GPU), and may correspond to the processor unit 120 of
The storage unit 430 may store instructions and data received from and/or generated by the control unit 420 and/or other components. The storage unit 430 may include an internal memory and an external memory, and may correspond to the memory unit 130 of
The authentication unit 440 may verify access from other components, e.g. the communication unit 410, the control unit 420, the storage unit 430, the normal area 450, to the secure area 460. For example, when authentication information is received through the communication unit 410 from an external device, such as the server 164, the authentication unit 440 may generate a linker 441 and send the linker 441 to the control unit 420. The authentication unit 440 may generate authentication information, and may generate the linker 441 if the generated authentication information matches the received authentication information. Here, the linker 441 may refer to a key for accessing a particular data item and/or module in the secure area 460 and may contain, for example, address information. The level and/or right for performing and/or executing linker generation may correspond to a hardware level, e.g. a TrustZone Integrity Measurement Architecture (TIMA) level. The linker 441, which links the control unit 420 with the secure area 460, may be indicated by an interface and/or a path. The control unit 420 may use the linker 441 to locate, read, and/or update, e.g. delete and/or modify, desired data stored in the secure area 460. The control unit 420 may use the linker 441 to locate, read, and/or update a desired software structure. When access to the secure area 460 is ended, the authentication unit 440 may change the address of specific data in the secure area 460 and/or software structure, e.g. a Logical Block Address (LBA). Later, when the linker 441 is created, the authentication unit 440 may add the changed address information to the linker 441.
The authentication unit 440 may be composed of software, hardware, e.g. processors, firmware, and/or a combination thereof. For example, a portion of a processor may operate as the control unit 420 and other portion of the processor may operate as the authentication unit 440.
The normal area 450 may store instructions and data, and may include software structures. The secure area 460 may store instructions and data, and may include software structures. Each of the normal area 450 and the secure area 460 may be a region of the storage unit 430. Each of the normal area 450 and the secure area 460 may include at least one of an internal memory and an external memory, separately from the storage unit 430. Meanwhile, the secure area 460 may be composed of virtual images. That is, data and/or applications may be stored individually as virtual images in the secure area 460. Virtual images may be encrypted, e.g. using an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher algorithm with 256-bit keys, and stored in the secure area 460. Hence, the linker 441 may include information used for decrypting a virtual image, e.g. a decryption key.
Referring to
The communication unit 510 may connect the electronic device 500 to an external electronic device, e.g. the server 164, for communication. The communication unit 510 may correspond to the communication unit 160 of
The control unit 520 may receive instructions from other components, e.g. the communication unit 510, the storage unit 530, the authentication unit 540, the normal area 550, the secure area 560, may decode the instructions, and may perform operations and/or data processing according to the decoded instructions.
The storage unit 530 may store instructions and data received from and/or generated by the control unit 520 or other components. The storage unit 530 may store authentication information 531 received from the control unit 520 and/or the authentication unit 540. The storage unit 530 may correspond to the memory unit 130 of
The authentication unit 540 may verify access from other components, e.g. the communication unit 510, the control unit 520, the storage unit 530, and the normal area 550, to the secure area 560. For example, the authentication unit 540 may examine whether the authentication information 531 is valid, and may create a linker 541 and send the linker 541 to the control unit 520 if the authentication information 531 is valid, e.g. if the effective period assigned to the authentication information 531 is not expired. The authentication unit 540 may be an authentication module contained in the processor unit 120 of
Referring to
Upon reception of an authentication request, at operation 620, the server 164 determines whether the user account is valid. For example, the server 164 may determine that the user account is valid if received account information matches pre-stored account information.
If the user account is valid, the procedure proceeds to operation 630 at which the server 164 configures a usage right for authentication information to be generated. Specifically, the server 164 may assign a valid period to the authentication information on the basis of the received period information. For example, when the authentication request is received at 10 A.M., the valid period may be set to 8 hours, i.e., from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. In addition to or in place of the valid period, the server 164 may designate a usage place for the authentication information on the basis of the received location information. The server 164 may designate a usage count for the authentication information. The server 164 may attach a condition for extending the valid period and designate an extension count.
At operation 640, the server 164 generates and/or issues authentication information in accordance with the usage right. Such authentication information may be used as a first key for accessing the secure area 460. The authentication information may include a one-time password (OTP) and usage right information. Here, as the OTP is issued through user authentication, e.g. operation 620, it may be referred to as secure-OTP (S-OTP). The usage right information may be composed of setting values indicating at least one of the valid period, the usage place, the usage count, and the condition for valid period extension and the extension count.
At operation 650, the server 164 sends the authentication information to the electronic device 400.
When the valid period is configured for the authentication information, the authentication unit 440 of the electronic device 400 may permit another component, e.g. the control unit 420, to access the secure area 460 for the valid period. Access to the secure area 560 may be denied after expiration of the valid period. When the authentication information contains an indication for valid period extension, the authentication unit 540 may reconfigure the valid period according to a user request and permit access to the secure area 560 for the reconfigured valid period.
When the authentication information contains usage place information, the authentication unit 440 may identify the current location of the electronic device 400 using a communication module, e.g. a GPS module, and a Wi-Fi module, and may determine whether the current location matches the usage place information. If the current location matches the usage place information, the authentication unit 440 may permit the control unit 420 to access the secure area 460. Otherwise, the authentication unit 440 may deny access to the secure area 460.
When the authentication information contains usage count information, the authentication unit 440 may count the number of access requests made by the control unit 420 and determine whether the counted number exceeds the usage count. The authentication unit 440 may grant access to the secure area 460 if the counted number does not exceed the usage count, and deny access to the secure area 460 otherwise.
The user authentication procedure described in
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
If the entrance request information is valid, the server 164 may configure a usage right, e.g. the valid period, may issue authentication information conforming to the usage right, and may send the authentication information to the electronic device 400. At operation 940, the authentication unit 440 receives the authentication information through the communication unit 410. At operation 950, the authentication unit 440 determines whether the authentication information is valid. For example, the authentication unit 440 may determine expiration of the valid period associated with the authentication information. Upon expiration of the valid period, at operation 960, the authentication unit 440 blocks access to the secure area 460. In addition, the authentication unit 440 may notify the user of expiration of the valid period, e.g. may display a notification through a display unit. Upon non-expiration of the valid period, or in other words, if the valid period is not expired, at operation 970, the authentication unit 440 permits access to the secure area 460. Hence, the user may enter a desired location, e.g. an office, through the gate and may access the secure area 460 at the office for the valid period, e.g. during working and/or business hours.
Referring to
If the trip approval request is valid, the server 164 may configure a usage right, e.g. the valid period, an extensibility of the valid period, etc., may issue authentication information conforming to the usage right, and may send the authentication information to the electronic device 400. At operation 1040, the authentication unit 440 receives the authentication information through the communication unit 410. At operation 1050, the authentication unit 440 determines whether the authentication information is valid, or in other words, determines expiration of the valid period. If the authentication information is not valid, e.g. expiration of the valid period has occurred, then at operation 1060, the authentication unit 440 examines the extensibility of the valid period. For example, when the authentication information contains an indication for valid period extension, the authentication unit 440 may send a reissue request for authentication information through the communication unit 410 to the server 164. In response to the reissue request, the server 164 may issue second authentication information and send the same to the electronic device 400. Here, the second authentication information may contain or not contain an indication for valid period extension. At operation 1070, the authentication unit 440 receives the second authentication information, or in other words, new authentication information, through the communication unit 410. Thereafter, the procedure returns to operation 1050.
If the authentication information is valid at operation 1050, at operation 1080, the authentication unit 440 permits access to the secure area 460. Hence, the user may access the secure area 460 at a location out of or away from a given site, e.g. an office, for the valid period, e.g. the trip period. Meanwhile, the electronic device 400 may store information for an authentication request, e.g. the ID and the password. The electronic device 400 may send the ID and the password to the server 164 to request for issuance of authentication information. Here, a valid period may be attached to the ID and password. When an ID or a password whose valid period has expired is received, the server 164 may cancel issuance of authentication information.
Referring to
At operation 1120, the authentication unit 540 determines the possibility of authentication by the server 164, or in other words, determines whether authentication by the server 164 may be performed. If authentication by the server 164 is not possible owing to lack of response, at operation 1130, the authentication unit 540 reconfigures the access right for the secure area 560. For example, the access right may be restricted so that data stored in the secure area 560 can be read, but cannot be modified. The authentication unit 540 may reconfigure the usage rights for the authentication information 531 at operation 1130. For example, the valid period may be reduced by one day.
At operation 1140, the authentication unit 540 generates a linker conforming to the reconfigured access rights. At operation 1150, the authentication unit 540 permits the control unit 520 to access the secure area 560, or in other words, the authentication unit 540 grants access, to the secure area, using the linker. That is, the control unit 520 may use the linker to access desired data, application, hardware and/or firmware of the secure area 560. Here, the data can be read only. Only some of functions of the application, hardware and/or firmware may be executable.
When the server 164 responds, e.g. the authentication information is received, the authentication unit 540 may generate a linker and forward the linker to the control unit 520. Hence, the control unit 520 may use the linker to access desired data, application, hardware and/or firmware of the secure area 560. Here, the data can be read and modified. The control unit 520 may write new data in the secure area 560. The control unit 520 may execute all the functions of the application, hardware and/or firmware.
When communication with the authentication server is not possible, the authentication unit 440 of the electronic device 400 may communicate with a second authentication server to generate a linker and grant limited access to the secure area 460.
Referring to
When authentication information is not received, at operation 1230, the authentication unit 440 controls the communication unit 410 to connect to a secondary authentication server. At operation 1240, the authentication unit 440 controls the communication unit 410 to send user authentication information, e.g. an ID and a password, to the secondary authentication server. When the received user authentication information matches pre-stored user authentication information, the secondary authentication server may issue a linker generation password as a fourth key for accessing the secure area 460. Here, a usage limit of ‘1’ may be attached to the linker generation password.
At operation 1250, the authentication unit 440 controls the communication unit 410 to receive the linker generation password and the usage limit from the secondary authentication server. Upon reception of the linker generation password, the authentication unit 440 may set a usage count SUM to ‘0’. At operation 1260, the authentication unit 440 configures the access right for the secure area 460. For example, the access right may be limited so that data stored in the secure area 460 can be read, but cannot be modified. At operation 1270, the authentication unit 440 generates a linker conforming to the access right. At operation 1280, the authentication unit 440 controls the display unit to display a password input window and to receive a password from the user input unit.
At operation 1290, the authentication unit 440 determines whether the password input by the user matches the linker generation password. If the two passwords match, the authentication unit 440 adds ‘1’ to the usage count SUM for the linker generation password. At operation 1291, the authentication unit 440 determines whether the usage count SUM is greater than or equal to the usage limit, or in other words, if the linker generation password is being used more than once. If the usage count SUM is less than the usage limit, e.g. 1, i.e., the linker generation password is used for the first time, at operation 1292, the authentication unit 440 grants access, such as limited access, to the secure area 460, e.g. data read permitted, but data write prohibited. If the usage count SUM is equal to the usage limit, e.g. ‘1’, i.e., the linker generation password is used for the second time, the authentication unit 440 may completely block access to the secure area 460.
If the input password does not match the linker generation password at operation 1290, at operation 1293, the authentication unit 440 determines whether the input password matches the secure area access password, which may be another key for accessing the secure area 460. If the two passwords match, at operation 1292, the authentication unit 440 grants limited access to the secure area 460. Otherwise, the authentication unit 440 may completely block access to the secure area 460.
When communication with the outside is not possible, i.e., when external communication is not possible, the authentication unit 440 of the electronic device 400 may grant limited access to the secure area 460.
Referring to
Referring to
If authentication information is present at operation 1420, e.g. the authentication information 531 is present, at operation 1450, the authentication unit 540 reconfigures the access right for the secure area 560. For example, the access right may be limited so that data stored in the secure area 560 can be read, but cannot be modified. The authentication unit 540 may reconfigure the usage right for the authentication information 531 at operation 1450. For example, the valid period may be reduced by one day.
At operation 1460, the authentication unit 540 generates a linker conforming to the reconfigured access right. At operation 1470, the authentication unit 540 permits the control unit 520 to access the secure area 560, or in other words, the authentication unit 540 grants access, to the secure area 560, using the linker. That is, the control unit 520 may use the linker to access desired data, application, hardware and/or firmware of the secure area 560. Here, the data can be read only. Only some of functions of the application, hardware and/or firmware may be executable.
If communication with the authentication server is possible at operation 1410, the electronic device 500 may receive authentication information from the authentication server and generate a linker. Hence, the control unit 520 may use the linker to access desired data, application, hardware and/or firmware of the secure area 560. Here, the data can be read and modified. The control unit 520 may write new data in the secure area 560. The control unit 520 may execute all the functions of the application, hardware and/or firmware.
The method of the present disclosure may be implemented as computer programs and may be stored in various computer readable storage media. The computer readable storage media may store program instructions, data files, data structures, and combinations thereof. The program instructions may include instructions developed specifically for the present disclosure and existing general-purpose instructions. The computer readable storage media may include magnetic media such as a hard disk and floppy disk, optical media such as a Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) and DVD, magneto-optical media such as a floptical disk, and memory devices such as a ROM, RAM and flash memory. The program instructions may include machine codes produced by compilers and high-level language codes executable through interpreters.
While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2014-0011909 | Feb 2014 | KR | national |