Wearable device with user authentication interface

• US 10,546,439 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Megan Marie, Hwang, Michael, Serrano, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/527,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 340 51, 340 52, 340 521, 340 54, 340 541, 340 56, 340 561, 340 57- 573, 340 58
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 20/26 the radio signal being a near-field communication signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A wearable device is used to authenticate a user into a user account at a user device of the user. In particular, the wearable device may include a sensor configured to detect whether the wearable device is worn by or is with the user. If so, the wearable device may send a signal to the user device and the user device may authenticate the user based on the signal received from the wearable device. For example, when the sensor detects that the wearable device is worn by the user, the wearable device may send a unique signal periodically, such as every five seconds or every 10 seconds. Based on whether the unique signal from the wearable device is received, the user device may authenticate the user.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more first hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the wearable device to perform operations comprising;

determining, via a sensor coupled to the wearable device, that the wearable device is with a user; and

transmitting, to a user device via a network, a first wireless signal associated with the wearable device that causes a first account associated with the user to be authenticated based on a first authentication level,

wherein the first authentication level is user customizable through the user device,

wherein the first account is determined based on a first combination of the first wireless signal and a second wireless signal from a second wearable device including one or more second hardware processors, the first wireless signal indicating a first presence of the wearable device on the user and the second wireless signal indicating a second presence of the second wearable device on the user,

wherein the first account is different from a second account, the second account is associated with a second authentication level, and the second authentication level is different than the first authentication level, and

wherein the second account is determined based on a second combination of the first wireless signal and a third wireless signal from a third wearable device including one or more third hardware processors, the third wireless signal indicating a third presence of the third wearable device on the user.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the user is automatically authenticated into the first account without requiring user credentials when the first wireless signal is combined with the second wireless signal to authenticate the first account.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the user is automatically logged out of the first account when the user device stops receiving the first wireless signal.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a band,

wherein the sensor is disposed on an inner surface of the band contacting the user when the wearable device is worn by the user.

5. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a ring comprising;

a ring body; and

a setting,

wherein the sensor is disposed on an inner surface of the setting contacting the user when the wearable device is worn by the user.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of eye glasses comprising;

a glass frame; and

temple portions connected to the glass frame via hinges,

wherein the sensor is disposed on an inner surface of the glass frame contacting the user when the wearable device is worn by the user.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of eye glasses comprising;

a glass frame; and

temple portions connected to the glass frame via hinges,

wherein the sensor comprises a tension sensor disposed at the hinges and configured to detect a tension exerted from the user on the hinges when the wearable device is worn by the user.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a belt buckle; and

a belt coupled to the belt buckle,

wherein the sensor is disposed on an inner surface of the belt buckle contacting the user when the wearable device is worn by the user.

9. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of a touch sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a proximity sensor, a mechanical actuator, a connection type sensor, a gyroscope, or an accelerometer.

10. The wearable device of claim 1 further comprising an output device configured to communicate with the user regarding a status of the wearable device.

11. The wearable device of claim 10, wherein the output device comprises one or more of an audio output device, a light emitting device, or a vibration device.

12. The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication device that comprises one or more of a Bluetooth communication device, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication device, a Near-Field Communication (NFC) device, or a WiFi communication device.

13. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless signal comprises information related to one or more of a name, an identifier (ID), a type, or a description of the wearable device.

14. A device comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the device to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a first wearable device including one or more first hardware processors via a network, a first wearable device signal, the first wearable device signal indicating a first presence of the first wearable device on a user;

receiving, from a second wearable device including one or more second hardware processors via the network, a second wearable device signal, the second wearable device signal indicating a second presence of the second wearable device on the user;

determining to authenticate the user for use of a first user account;

based on the determining, determining a first authentication level, the first authentication level being customizable by the user; and

authenticating the user for use of the first user account based on a first combination of the first wearable device signal and the second wearable device signal and the determined first authentication level,

wherein the first user account is different from a second user account, the user is authenticated for use of the second user account when a second combination including the first wearable device signal and a third wearable device signal is received, and

wherein the third wearable device signal indicates a third presence of the third wearable device on the user, the third wearable device including one or more third hardware processors.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the user is automatically authenticated into the first user account without requiring user credentials after the first combination of the first wearable device signal and second wearable device signal is received.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the user continues to be authenticated for the first user account as long as the first combination of the first and second wearable device signals from the first and second wearable devices continues to be received.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the user is automatically logged out of the first user account when the device stops receiving one of the first and second wearable device signals from the first and second wearable devices.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

authenticating the user for the first user account without use of a wearable device; and

associating signals from the first combination of the first wearable device signal and the second wearable device signal with the first user account, and

wherein determining the first authentication level is based on the associating.

19. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first wearable device via a network, a first wearable device signal, the first wearable device signal indicating the first wearable device is being worn by a user;

receiving, from a second wearable device including one or more second hardware processors via the network, a second wearable device signal, the second wearable device signal indicating the second wearable device is being worn by the user;

determining to authenticate the user for use of a first user account;

based on the determining, determining a first authentication level, the first authentication level being customizable by the user; and

authenticating the user of a user device for use of the first user account based on a first combination of the first wearable device signal and second wearable device signal and the determined first authentication level,

wherein the first user account is different from a second user account, the user is authenticated for use of the second user account when a second combination including the first wearable device signal and a third wearable device signal is received, and

wherein the third wearable device signal indicates from a third wearable device including one or more third hardware processors is being worn by the user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first wearable device is configured to stop emitting the first wearable device signal when the first wearable device is separated from the user.