Mobile device authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016342784-A1
Application number	US-201615175927-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2011
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A desktop is unlocked or locked using a mobile client device, such as a smart phone, tablet, smart watch, etc. The authentication mechanism of the mobile client device, such as fingerprint, facial recognition, voice recognition, username and password, is leveraged for faster, less-cumbersome user authentication on the desktop. In this vein, a client device is added to an authentication agent on the desktop, and the desktop recognizes successful attempts to access the mobile client device as a method of unlocking or locking the desktop.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method, comprising:
registering, by a registration agent, a client device having an authentication mechanism for unlocking the client device; receiving, by an authentication agent, an indication that a user accessed the authentication mechanism on one or more client devices; and using the indication that the user accessed the authentication mechanism on the one or more client devices to lock or unlock a screen of a remote desktop.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication mechanism includes at least one member of a group comprising: a fingerprint scan, a retina scan, a passcode, a username, a password, voice recognition, a facial scan, or a recognized gesture.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein registering the client device further comprises:
detecting one or more possible client devices on a wireless network; and prompting a user to register at least one of the possible the client devices.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more client devices comprise at least one member of a group comprising a smart watch, a mobile tablet, a fob, or a smart phone.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving an indication that a user accessed the authentication mechanism on one or more client devices further comprises:
receiving an indication that the user attempted an unauthorized indication; and locking the remote desktop from attempts at mobile device authentication.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more client devices comprise a smart phone or a mobile tablet in communication with a smart watch.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving the indication that the user accessed the authentication mechanism on the smart watch; transmitting the indication from the smart watch to the smart phone or the mobile tablet; and transmitting the indication from the smart phone or the mobile tablet to the remote desktop to unlock the remote desktop.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a location of the client device is compared to a policy to authorize unlocking of the remote desktop.

9 . A system, comprising:
a desktop agent, executing on a client device, that transmits an indication that a user was authenticated on the client device; and an authentication agent, executing on a remote desktop, that uses the indication that the user was authenticated on the client device to unlock the remote desktop.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the indication is transmitted by the client device as a result of a proximity between the client device and the remote desktop.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the indication is a sequence of events satisfying a credential policy.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the remote desktop is a virtual desktop.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein a virtual machine is provisioned on the remote desktop upon receiving the indication.

14 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a desktop management server in communication with the desktop agent and the authentication agent, wherein the desktop management server is configured to compare the user and the indication to an enterprise credential policy to allow or deny access to an enterprise.

15 . A computer-storage memory embodied with instructions executable by one or more processors to enable remote authentication of a desktop by a client device, said instructions comprising:
registering the client device to an authorization agent; capturing an authorized indication on the client device; receiving an unlocking indication by a client device; comparing the unlocking indication with the authorized indication; and unlocking or locking the desktop based upon the comparison.

16 . The computer-storage memory of claim 15 , wherein registering the client device with a registration agent further comprises:
detecting one or more wireless client devices; suggesting a list of the one or more wireless client devices as possible client devices for registration; receiving a selection of at least one of the wireless client devices for registration; and registering the at least one of the received wireless client devices with the authorization agent.

17 . The computer-storage memory of claim 15 , further comprising:
maintaining a locking of the client device upon receiving the unlocking indication not matching the authorized indication.

18 . The computer-storage memory of claim 15 , further comprising resuming or suspending a virtual machine based upon the comparison.

19 . The computer-storage memory of claim 15 , further comprising locking the desktop to further mobile device authentication attempts upon receiving the unlocking indication not matching the authorized indication.

20 . The computer-storage memory of claim 19 , further comprising alerting an administrator upon locking the desktop to further mobile device authentication attempts.

Assignees

• Vmware Inc

Inventors

• Beveridge Daniel James
• Watts Blake
• Mu Jian

Classifications

• H04W12/06 Primary

  Authentication · CPC title

• G06F9/452

  Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation (protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131) · CPC title

• G06F21/35

  communicating wirelessly · CPC title

• H04L67/08

  specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet · CPC title

• H04L63/0853

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title