This invention describes a system for access control, wherein a control card is presented to a control means. If the control card is authenticated, then access is gained. If it is not authenticated, access is not gained, the control card is retained, and an alarm may be sounded. The control card contains at least two means; (1) machine readable indicia identifying the card, and (2) a random pattern of micro spots, which pattern is derived (by direct copying--such as by focussed laser beam) from one of a plurality of different patterns, retained in a bank of such micro patterns, each such micro pattern identified by, and selectable in accordance with, different unique indicia, identical with the machine readable indicia on said cards. In use the control card is introduced into the control means and the indicia are read. Master micro pattern corresponding to the indicia is selected from the bank. The card micro pattern and master micro pattern are compared. If the comparison okay, the card is authenticated.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT AND APPLICATIONS
This is a divisional of Ser. No. 427,588, Sept. 29, 1982, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,566, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 233,885, Feb. 12, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,628, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 32,404, Apr. 23, 1979, U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,852, which is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 752,912, Dec. 21, 1976, U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,781, as a continuation in part of their application Ser. No. 495,632, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,042, filed Aug. 8, 1974, as a continuation in part of Ser. No. 272,739, filed July 18, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,661, entitled ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM, which in turn is a continuation in part of their earlier antecedent application Ser. No. 74,066, filed Sept. 21, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,465.
A method and apparatus for document verification exploits a temporally variable physical process to generate a reproducible effect that cannot be copied. A document such as a credit card is provided with a spot or stripe that incorporates at least one, and preferably a large plurality of photorefractive crystals arrayed in a random manner. The document verifying apparatus includes a coherent light source such as a diode laser to illuminate the photorefractive crystals, and a photosensor to receive light scattered from the photorefractive crystals. The random distribution and orientation of photorefractive crystals comprises a unique characteristic for each card or document, and this characteristic is not based on any assigned number or code. The response of photorefractive crystals to the coherent illumination comprises a time-varying characteristic that is dependent upon the intensity and temporal nature of the illumination itself. Input to the laser illuminator may be varied to elicit differing responses from the photorefractive crystals, and this factor may be very difficult for a counterfeiter to ascertain. Also, for any given illumination intensity or temporal pattern, the image received by the photosensor varies with time. The time at which the photosensor signal is sampled to obtain an identifying image may also be varied, thereby further compounding the difficulty for a counterfeiter to overcome. A large number of "snapshots" of the time-varying image of the document is electronically captured, digitized, and stored in an electronic media. The photosensor signal is compared to the stored data; a match indicates a valid document, and no match indicates an invalid or unauthorized document. The image recognition process can be enhanced by comparing the rate of change in a sequence of images elicited by the laser illuminator.
A card controlled temperature control device for a soldering iron in which only a specific person can set and control the tip temperature of the soldering iron. The device comprises a control card having a temperature setting part, a card identification part for identifying that the control card is capable of setting the temperature, a set value judging part for judging if the input numerical value of the temperature setting part is in the allowable range or not, and a temperature control part for controlling the heater of the soldering iron on the basis of the set value within the allowable range. These enable the iron tip temperature to be set and operated by a specific person having specific control card and unauthorized improper operation is prevented.
In a preferred embodiment, an identification code having therein both general information which is encrypted using standards symbologies and security information which is encrypted using a unique symbology. In the case of bar codes, the bar code may include two separate sets of bars. One set of bars may include basic information, for example an employee's identification number, encrypted using standard symbologies which may be read in any standard reader. The other set of bars includes security information which is encrypted using a unique symbology which can be read only in a special reader and which is meaningless to a standard bar code reader or bar code duplicator. Thus, where security is a factor, the special readers would be provided; but, where security is not a factor, the basic identification could be read by any standard reader.
A card controlled temperature control device for soldering iron in which only a specific person can set and control the tip temperature of the soldering iron. The device comprises a card having a specific identification code, a card identifier for identifying the idententification code, an input section for entering a set value, a set value judging component for judging if the entered set value is in the allowable range or not, and temperature control circuitry controlling the heater of soldering iron on the basis of the set value within the allowable range, whereby the iron tip temperature is allowed to be set and operated by a specific person having a specific card and its misoperation is prevented.
Methods and systems are provided for managing security credentials in a distributed computer system. Multiple security contexts may be defined for a given principal in the system without requiring the use of multiple accounts. A secure package is provided to allow the principal to roam. Methods are provided for identifying differences in the principal's access rights in different contexts and for updating the secure package as needed.
