Systems, methods and apparatus for evaluating status of computing device user

• US 10,423,885 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nobots LLC
• Original Assignee: Timothy P. Heikell
• Inventors: Heikell, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US15/457,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20180012138A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• Field of Search: 706 52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2133 Verifying human interaction, e.g., Captcha
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatus for assessing the likely status of an operator of a computing device interacting with a server as a human operator or an autonomic computer application, such as a “bot” are described herein. By monitoring at least some data, e.g., biometric data, generated at the client computing device, a comparison can be made between the monitored data and model data relating to human interaction with the computing device. The results of the comparison can lead to a value that represents the likelihood that the monitored data results from human interaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

testing for a presence of biometric data associated with an operator of a computing device attempting to access a server;

controlling access to the server by at least one of;

denying access of the computing device attempting to access the server when the biometric data is not present;

or

not denying access of the computing device attempting to access the server when some biometric data is present.

2. A method as claim 1 recites, wherein the biometric data includes at least one of mouse movement or keystrokes associated with the computing device.

3. A method as claim 1 recites, further comprising identifying whether the biometric data matches previously recorded biometric data.

4. A method as claim 3 recites, further comprising providing a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) to the computing device attempting to access the server when the biometric data matches previously recorded biometric data.

5. A method as claim 3 recites, further comprising denying access of the computing device attempting to access the server when the biometric data matches previously recorded biometric data.

6. A method as claim 3 recites, further comprising:

identifying a pattern in input data corresponding to human interaction with the web page;

identifying that at least some of the biometric data is inconsistent with the pattern in the input data corresponding to the human interaction with the web page.

7. A method as claim 6 recites, further comprising providing a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) to the computing device attempting to access the server when the at least some biometric data is inconsistent with the pattern of human interaction with the web page.

8. A method as claim 6 recites, further comprising denying access of the computing device attempting to access the server when the at least some biometric data is inconsistent with the pattern of human interaction with the web page.

9. A method as claim 1 recites, further comprising:

identifying that at least some of the biometric data matches previously recorded biometric data;

comparing a portion of the biometric data in addition to the at least some of the biometric data to the previously recorded biometric data; and

denying access to the computing device attempting to access the server when the at least some biometric data and the portion of the biometric data match previously recorded biometric data.

10. A method as claim 1 recites, further comprising:

identifying a pattern in input data corresponding to human interaction with the web page; and

identifying that at least some of the biometric data is inconsistent with the pattern in the input data corresponding to the human interaction with the web page.

11. A method as claim 10 recites, further comprising providing a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) to the computing device attempting to access the server when the at least some biometric data is inconsistent with the pattern of human interaction with the web page.

12. A method as claim 10 recites, further comprising denying access of the computing device attempting to access the server when the at least some biometric data is inconsistent with the pattern of human interaction with the web page.

13. A method as claim 1 recites, further comprising:

acquiring interest data from the computing device prior to delivery of issued data from the server to the computing device;

comparing the interest data to model data relating to human interaction with the computing device; and

generating a probability value associated with an operator of the computing device.

14. A method as claim 13 recites, wherein the model data comprises at least one of passive model data or active model data.

15. A method as claim 13 recites, wherein the probability value represents an assessment of likelihood that the operator of the computing device interacting with the server is a human being rather than an autonomic computer application.

16. A method as claim 13 recites, further comprising granting access for delivery of issued data if the probability value indicates a greater likelihood that the operator of the computing device is a human.

17. A method as claim 13 recites, further comprising providing a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) to the computing device attempting to access the server if the probability value does not indicate a greater likelihood that the operator of the computing device is a human.

18. A method as claim 13 recites, further comprising denying access to issued data from the server if the probability value indicates a greater likelihood that the operator of the computing device is an autonomic computer application.

19. A method as claim 13 recites, wherein the model data relating to human interaction with the computing device is recorded prior to a time in which the interest data is acquired.

20. A method as claim 13 recites, wherein at least some of the issued data is in response to a request issued by the computing device.