Systems and methods for individual identification and authorization utilizing conformable electronics

• US 10,032,109 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., McKnight, Gary L., Petroski, Robert C., Sweeney, Elizabeth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Dionne H
• Application Number:
  US15/232,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20180046892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90344 by using string matching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0776 the adhering arrangement being a layer of adhesive, so that the record carrier can function as a sticker
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass

Abstract

A device embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a deformable substrate; a sensor assembly including an identity sensor configured to generate identity sense signals associated with a physical characteristic of an individual subject; circuitry including an identity comparison module configured to compare the identity sense signals to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one individual to determine whether the identity sense signals correspond to the identity of the at least one individual, the circuitry including an authorization comparison module configured to compare at least one of the identity sense signals or the identity with one or more authorization parameters; and a reporter configured to generate one or more communication signals associated with a comparison of at least one of the identity sense signals with the authorization parameters or the identity with the one or more authorization parameters.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a deformable substrate configured to conform to a skin surface of a body portion of an individual subject;

a sensor assembly coupled to the deformable substrate, the sensor assembly including one or more identity sensors configured to generate one or more identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of the individual subject;

at least one of a proximity sensor, a contact sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor coupled to the deformable substrate and configured to generate one or more sense signals indicative of whether the deformable substrate is in contact with the skin surface of the individual subject;

circuitry operably coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to receive the one or more sense signals indicative of whether the deformable substrate is in contact with the skin surface of the individual subject and configured to activate the one or more identity sensors to generate the one or more identity sense signals when the one or more sense signals indicate that the deformable subject is in contact with the skin surface of the individual subject, the circuitry further configured to receive the one or more identity sense signals associated with the at least one physical characteristic of the individual subject, the circuitry including an identity comparison module configured to compare the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with an identity of at least one individual to determine whether the one or more identity sense signals correspond to the identity of the at least one individual, the circuitry including an authorization comparison module configured to compare at least one of the one or more identity sense signals or the identity of the at least one individual with one or more authorization parameters; and

a reporter operably coupled to the circuitry and configured to generate one or more communication signals responsive to instruction by the circuitry, the one or more communication signals associated with a comparison of at least one of the one or more identity sense signals with the one or more authorization parameters or the identity of the at least one individual with the one or more authorization parameters, wherein the reporter includes a display device having one or more light emitting elements configured to provide a predetermined pattern of light corresponding to a comparison between at least one of the one or more identity sense signals with the one or more authorization parameters or the identity of the at least one individual with the one or more authorization parameters, and wherein the predetermined pattern includes a first pattern associated with a correspondence between at least one of the one or more identity sense signals with the one or more authorization parameters or the identity of the at least one individual with the one or more authorization parameters being below a threshold correspondence, and wherein the predetermined pattern includes a second pattern associated with a correspondence between at least one of the one or more identity sense signals with the one or more authorization parameters or the identity of the at least one individual with the one or more authorization parameters being at least at the threshold correspondence.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry further includes a comparison module configured to compare the one or more identity sense signals generated by the sensor assembly to reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with a physical state of the individual to determine whether the individual subject is authorized to operate an external device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more identity sensors include at least one of an optical sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, an impedance sensor, or a capacitive sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more identity sensors include at least one of an electrophysiological sensor, a plethysmographic sensor, a resistive sensor, a biosensor, or a chemical sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical characteristic includes a skin topography feature.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the skin topography feature includes at least one of a pattern of a skin surface or a follicle pattern.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether the deformable substrate has been removed from the skin surface of the individual subject.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the sensor assembly includes at least one of a strain gauge or a proximity sensor configured to sense whether the deformable substrate has been removed from the skin surface of the individual subject.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine whether the deformable substrate has been applied to a skin surface that differs from the skin surface of the individual subject.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to disable at least one component of the device responsive to a correspondence between the one or more identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual being below a threshold correspondence.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to permit operation of at least one component of the identification device responsive to a correspondence between the one or more identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual being at least at a threshold correspondence.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the circuitry is configured to activate a power connection to the reporter responsive to the correspondence between the one or more identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual being at least at the threshold correspondence.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication signals correspond to a lack of authorization of the individual subject to operate an external device responsive to a correspondence between the one or more identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual being below a threshold correspondence.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication signals correspond to authorization of the individual subject to operate an external device responsive to both of (i) a correspondence between the one or more identity sense signals and the reference data indicative of one or more physical characteristics associated with the identity of the at least one individual being at least at a threshold correspondence and (ii) a correspondence between at least one of the one or more identity sense signals or the identity of the at least one individual with one or more authorization parameters being at least at a threshold correspondence.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the reporter is configured to generate the one or more communication signals responsive to a proximity between the reporter and an external device.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more identity sense signals include at least one of an electric current pattern, a photovoltaic current pattern, or a skin resistivity measurement.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the reporter, the sensor assembly, or the circuitry includes at least one of a receiver or a transceiver configured to receive one or more communication signals from an external device, wherein the one or more communication signals from an external device are associated with at least one of control programming, reference data, authorization parameters, or a query.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one physical characteristic includes a vascular layout.