Patents by Inventor Charles D. Robison

Charles D. Robison has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20160364250
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing technical support and exporting diagnostic data. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) includes a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: identify a video failure in response to executing a Basic I/O System (BIOS)/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) diagnostics routine prior to the booting of a main Operating System (OS), where the video failure renders the IHS incapable of providing a video interface; and in response to the identification, provide an audio interface to a user, where the audio interface enables the user to perform a troubleshooting operation in the absence of the video interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Applicant: DELL PRODUCTS, L.P.
    Inventors: Philip M. Seibert, Yuan-Chang Lo, Carlton A. Andrews, Todd Erick Swierk, Erin Lane Price, Frank Quintanilla, III, Charles D. Robison, JR.
  • Patent number: 9436828
    Abstract: In accordance embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include, during execution of an operating system on an information handling system and responsive to a user input indicating a desire to invoke a basic input/output system (BIOS) setup program for configuring a BIOS, prompting for and receiving user-provided credentials via a user interface communicatively coupled to the processor. The method may also include, during execution of the operating system, passing BIOS credentials to the BIOS based on the user-provided credentials. The method may additionally include, during execution of the operating system determining, by the BIOS, if the BIOS credentials are valid. The method may further include, responsive to determining that the BIOS credentials are valid, setting a flag to a value indicating that the BIOS setup program is to be invoked on a subsequent boot of the information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Douglas M. Anson, Charles D. Robison, David Konetski, Frank H. Molsberry, Anand Joshi
  • Patent number: 9400878
    Abstract: Context captured with sensors of an information handling system is applied to selectively lock access to currently unlocked information, with conditions for locking access based upon the context. Nervous states enforce locking of selected information based upon the confidence of the security of the information under sensed external conditions. Increased sensitivity for locking access includes reduced timeouts to a lock command, increased response to sensed conditions, and more rapid response where unlocked access is to sensitive information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Robison, Liam B. Quinn, Rocco Ancona
  • Publication number: 20160212115
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a plurality of input devices and an authentication engine. Each input device receives credential information and generates associated authentication information based upon the credential information. The authentication engine receives the authentication information from the plurality of input devices and provides a confidence status based upon the authentication information, wherein the confidence status includes more than two confidence levels, and wherein when a first input device of the plurality of input devices receives first credential information, the authentication engine increases the confidence status from a first confidence level to a second confidence level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel Hamlin, Charles D. Robison, JR., Carrie Elaine Gates
  • Publication number: 20160210448
    Abstract: An authentication agent for an information handling system includes a request module, a threshold table, and a comparison module. The request module receives a first request to access a secure resource of the information handling system, determines a first access level associated with the first request, and requests first confidence level information from the information handling system. The threshold table includes a first confidence threshold associated with the first access level. The comparison module compares the first confidence level information with the first confidence threshold. The authentication agent grants access to the secure resource at the first access level when the first confidence level information is greater than the first confidence threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel Hamlin, Charles D. Robison, JR., Carrie Elaine Gates
  • Publication number: 20160210447
    Abstract: An authentication engine for an information handling system includes an event engine that receives authentication information from a plurality of input devices of the information handling system and classifies the authentication information from each input device into a plurality of events, and provides confidence score metadata based upon the authentication information, a confidence module that generates a confidence score based upon the events, and a threshold table that receives the confidence score and determines an authentication state of the information handling system based upon the confidence score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel Hamlin, Charles D. Robison, JR., Carrie Elaine Gates
  • Publication number: 20160210446
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a secure resource, an input device that receives an authentication credential from a user and generates authentication information based upon the authentication credential, an authentication engine that receives the authentication information and provides confidence information based upon the authentication information, and an authentication agent that receives the confidence information and grants the user a level access to the secure resource based upon the confidence information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel Hamlin, Charles D. Robison, JR., Carrie Elaine Gates
  • Patent number: 9378342
    Abstract: Context captured with sensors of an information handling system is applied to selectively lock access to currently unlocked information, with conditions for locking access based upon the context. Nervous states enforce locking of selected information based upon the confidence of the security of the information under sensed external conditions. Increased sensitivity for locking access includes reduced timeouts to a lock command, increased response to sensed conditions, and more rapid response where unlocked access is to sensitive information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Robison, Liam B. Quinn, Rocco Ancona
  • Publication number: 20160182729
    Abstract: A method for establishing a connection to a sequence-accessible call includes gathering connection data for establishing the connection to the sequence-accessible call including a phone number dialed to access the sequence-accessible call. The method may also include storing the connection data in a database, determining a presence of a proximity link, and transmitting the connection data to an information handling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: Dell Products, LP
    Inventors: Abu Shaher Sanaullah, Claude Lano Cox, Charles D. Robison, Philip M. Seibert, Jason A. Shepherd
  • Publication number: 20160127364
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a host processing system and an authentication processing system. The authentication processing system authenticates to the host processing system based upon a shared secret. An authentication module of the authentication processing system operates as a master authentication module to establish an authentication area, determine that a first device is a first trusted device of the authentication module, determine that the first device is within the authentication area, authenticate the first device on the authentication area based upon the determination that the first device is within the authentication area, determine that a second device is a second trusted device of the authentication module, determine that the second device is not within the authentication area, and prevent the second device from authenticating on the authentication area based upon the determination that the second device is not within the authentication area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Charles D. Robison, JR., Deeder M. Aurongzeb, Richard W. Schuckle, Daniel L. Hamlin
  • Patent number: 9332007
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium are disclosed for using an entryless One-Time Password (OTP) in an active tag environment. Authentication credentials associated with a user and an active tag device are submitted with an access request to an authentication server, where they are processed to generate an OTP credential, which is then stored in a directory service. Encryption operations are then performed on the OTP credential to generate an encrypted OTP credential, which is then provided to the active tag device, which in turn provides it to an active tag terminal. The active tag terminal then submits a request to the authentication server to verify the validity of the encrypted OTP credential. In response, the authentication server verifies its validity and then destroys the OTP credential stored in the directory service. The OTP credential is then decrypted by the active tag terminal and subsequently used to login the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D Robison, Jr., Daniel L Hamlin
  • Patent number: 9307373
    Abstract: A method for establishing a connection to a sequence-accessible call includes gathering connection data for establishing the connection to the sequence-accessible call including a phone number dialed to access the sequence-accessible call. The method may also include storing the connection data in a database, determining a presence of a proximity link, and transmitting the connection data to an information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: DELL PRODUCTS, LP
    Inventors: Abu Shaher Sanaullah, Claude Lano Cox, Charles D. Robison, Philip M. Seibert, Jason A. Shepherd
  • Patent number: 9280770
    Abstract: Unauthorized copying of a transaction barcode is prevented by including a sensed condition or other publicly-accessible data with the transaction barcode for use as a comparison with the publicly accessible data determined at a barcode reader. If the sensed condition included in the transaction barcode indicates that the transaction barcode was generated for a different transaction, then the barcode reader invalidates the transaction. For instance, if the barcode was generated too distant in time, position, or sequential transactions, then the barcode reader invalidates the transaction barcode as an unauthorized copy of a transaction barcode generated for a different transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Robison, Richard W. Schuckle, Rocco Ancona
  • Patent number: 9235729
    Abstract: Context captured with sensors of an information handling system is applied to selectively lock access to currently unlocked information, with conditions for locking access based upon the context. Nervous states enforce locking of selected information based upon the confidence of the security of the information under sensed external conditions. Increased sensitivity for locking access includes reduced timeouts to a lock command, increased response to sensed conditions, and more rapid response where unlocked access is to sensitive information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Robison, Liam B. Quinn, Rocco Ancona, Roman Joel Pacheco
  • Publication number: 20150278525
    Abstract: In accordance embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include, during execution of an operating system on an information handling system and responsive to a user input indicating a desire to invoke a basic input/output system (BIOS) setup program for configuring a BIOS, prompting for and receiving user-provided credentials via a user interface communicatively coupled to the processor. The method may also include, during execution of the operating system, passing BIOS credentials to the BIOS based on the user-provided credentials. The method may additionally include, during execution of the operating system determining, by the BIOS, if the BIOS credentials are valid. The method may further include, responsive to determining that the BIOS credentials are valid, setting a flag to a value indicating that the BIOS setup program is to be invoked on a subsequent boot of the information handling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Douglas M. Anson, Charles D. Robison, David Konetski, Frank H. Molsberry, Anand Joshi
  • Patent number: 9143503
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing trust relationships. In some embodiments, a method may include receiving an indication of an in-person transaction between a first user and a second user; calculating, for the first user, a trust score associated with the second user, the trust score based, at least in part, upon the indication; and storing a record of the trust score. For example, the in-person transaction may include a face-to-face meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Yuan-Chang Lo, Charles D. Robison, Clifton J. Barker
  • Patent number: 9081965
    Abstract: In accordance embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include, during execution of an operating system on an information handling system and responsive to a user input indicating a desire to invoke a basic input/output system (BIOS) setup program for configuring a BIOS, prompting for and receiving user-provided credentials via a user interface communicatively coupled to the processor. The method may also include, during execution of the operating system, passing BIOS credentials to the BIOS based on the user-provided credentials. The method may additionally include, during execution of the operating system determining, by the BIOS, if the BIOS credentials are valid. The method may further include, responsive to determining that the BIOS credentials are valid, setting a flag to a value indicating that the BIOS setup program is to be invoked on a subsequent boot of the information handling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Douglas M. Anson, Charles D. Robison, David Konetski, Frank H. Molsberry, Anand Joshi
  • Publication number: 20150163217
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing trust relationships. In some embodiments, a method may include receiving an indication of an in-person transaction between a first user and a second user; calculating, for the first user, a trust score associated with the second user, the trust score based, at least in part, upon the indication; and storing a record of the trust score. For example, the in-person transaction may include a face-to-face meeting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Publication date: June 11, 2015
    Applicant: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Yuan-Chang Lo, Charles D. Robison, Clifton J. Barker
  • Publication number: 20150143465
    Abstract: A method may also include receiving from each of one or more of potential peer information handling systems a connection request comprising a peer minimum acceptable security level for the peer information handling system. The method may additionally include comparing the peer minimum acceptable security level to a security level of the information handling system. The method may further include completing a peer-to-peer connection between the information handling system and the peer information handling system if the minimum acceptable security level is not higher than that of the security level of the information handling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Douglas M. Anson, Carlton A. Andrews, Charles D. Robison, David Konetski, Frank H. Molsberry, Yuan-Chang Lo
  • Publication number: 20150135270
    Abstract: Context captured with sensors of an information handling system is applied to selectively lock access to currently unlocked information, with conditions for locking access based upon the context. Nervous states enforce locking of selected information based upon the confidence of the security of the information under sensed external conditions. Increased sensitivity for locking access includes reduced timeouts to a lock command, increased response to sensed conditions, and more rapid response where unlocked access is to sensitive information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Charles D. Robison, Liam B. Quinn, Rocco Ancona