Authentication on a computing device

• US 10,097,539 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Aggarwal, Vikram, Vaidya, Jiten
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Thanhnga B
• Application Number:
  US15/730,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20180034803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 713171, 726 3, 726 5, 726 7, 726 19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 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 Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

Systems and/or methods provide a user of a first computing device with the ability to authenticate themselves on a remotely provided process or service using a second computing device on which the user is already authenticated. For example, the techniques of this disclosure provide a user with the ability to securely log into a remotely provided service or application (such as e-mail, cloud computing service, etc.) on a first computing device (e.g., a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, etc.) using a second computing device (e.g., mobile phone) on which the user is already logged into the service or application, without requiring manual entry of authentication information on the first computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, from a first computing device, an authentication request to access an application or service provided by the computing system, the authentication request including a user id that uniquely identifies a user of the first computing device and a device id that uniquely identifies the first computing device;

responsive to receiving the authentication request, causing, by the computing system, a second computing device to present an authentication acceptance screen, wherein the user of the first computing device is already authenticated on the second computing device to access the application or service provided by the computing system when the computing system causes the second computing device to present the authentication screen;

after causing the second computing device to present the authentication acceptance screen, receiving, by the computing system, from the second computing device, a user response to the authentication acceptance screen;

determining, by the computing system, based at least in part on the user response to the authentication acceptance screen, whether to accept the authentication request; and

responsive to accepting the authentication request, granting, by the computing system, to the first computing device, access to the application or service provided by the computing system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to not accepting the authentication request, denying, by the computing system, to the first computing device, the access to the application or service provided by the computing system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, from the second computing device, an authentication acceptance key,

wherein determining whether to accept the authentication request is further based at least in part on the acceptance key.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the authentication acceptance key comprises one or more gestures detected at a touch screen of the second computing device while the second computing device presents the authentication acceptance screen.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the authentication acceptance key comprises at least one of a password, a passcode, or an image selected by the user from among a plurality of images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application or service provided by the computing system includes at least one of an email application, a social networking application, a photo sharing application, a blog application, a discussion group application, a calendar application, an instant messaging application, cloud data storage, a secure web site, and an e-commerce web site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device each include one of a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a digital music player, an e-reader, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the second computing device to present the authentication acceptance screen comprises transmitting, by the computing system, to the computing device, information that causes the second computing device to display the authentication acceptance screen at a display screen of the second computing device.

9. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive, from a first computing device, an authentication request to access an application or service provided by the computing system, the authentication request including a user id that uniquely identifies a user of the first computing device and a device id that uniquely identifies the first computing device;

responsive to receiving the authentication request, cause a second computing device to present an authentication acceptance screen, wherein the user of the first computing device is already authenticated on the second computing device to access the application or service provided by the computing system when the computing system causes the second computing device to present the authentication screen;

after causing the second computing device to present the authentication acceptance screen, receive, from the second computing device, a user response to the authentication acceptance screen;

determine, based at least in part on the user response to the authentication acceptance screen, whether to accept the authentication request; and

responsive to accepting the authentication request, grant, to the first computing device, access to the application or service provided by the computing system.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

responsive to not accepting the authentication request, deny, to the first computing device, the access to the application or service provided by the computing system.

11. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, from the second computing device, an authentication acceptance key, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether to accept the authentication request further based at least in part on the acceptance key.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the part of the authentication acceptance key comprises one or more gestures detected at a touch screen of the second computing device while the second computing device presents the authentication acceptance screen.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the authentication acceptance key comprises at least one of a password, a passcode, or an image selected by the user from among a plurality of images.

14. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the application or service provided by the computing system includes at least one of an email application, a social networking application, a photo sharing application, a blog application, a discussion group application, a calendar application, an instant messaging application, cloud data storage, a secure website, and an e-commerce website.

15. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device each include one of a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a digital music player, an e-reader, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer.

16. A method comprising:

accessing, by a second computing device, via a computing system, a remote application or service, wherein a user of the second computing device is authenticated by the computing system to access the remote application or service;

while the user of the second computing device is authenticated by the computing system to access the remote application or service, receiving, by the second computing device, from the computing system, an authentication request to access the application or service provided by the computing system that was transmitted by a first computing device, the authentication request including a user id that uniquely identifies the user of the second computing device as being a user of the first computing device and a device id that uniquely identifies the first computing device;

responsive to receiving the authentication request, displaying, at a touch screen of the second computing device, an authentication acceptance screen;

while displaying the authentication acceptance screen, detecting, by the second computing device, one or more gestures entered by the user at a region of the touch screen of the second computing device at which the authentication acceptance screen is displayed; and

responsive to detecting the one or more gestures, transmitting, by the second computing device, to the computing system, a user response to the authentication acceptance screen, wherein the computing system is configured to allow or deny access to the remote application or service from the first computing device based at least in part on the user response to the authentication acceptance screen.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the computing system is configured to grant, to the first computing device, access to the application or service provided by the computing system in response to not accepting the authentication request.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the computing system is configured to deny, to the first computing device, access to the application or service provided by the computing system in response to not accepting the authentication request.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

further responsive to detecting the one or more gestures, transmitting, by the second computing device, to the computing system, an authentication acceptance key, wherein the authentication acceptance key comprises at least one of a password, a passcode, or an image selected by the user from among a plurality of images.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the application or service provided by the computing system includes at least one of an email application, a social networking application, a photo sharing application, a blog application, a discussion group application, a calendar application, an instant messaging application, cloud data storage, a secure website, and an e-commerce website.