Electronic apparatus and authenticating method

• US 20050071647A1
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujinuma, Keiichi, Kosugi, Ichiro, Okoshi, Yoshio, Yanagida, Toshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses

Abstract

Biogenic information of the user is obtained through a camera unit and an authentication sensor and compared with biogenic information of a person with use authority has previously been stored, thereby discriminating whether or not the user has the use authority. When the user is authenticated, that is, if it is determined that the user is the person with the use authority, an electronic apparatus permits the user to use each function and operate. The authentication of the user is executed when the user wears the electronic apparatus. After he removes it, the authentication result is not held, thereby disabling a person without the use authority to use the electronic apparatus. The biogenic information (physical feature) of the user is detected and the personal authentication can be executed without requiring the user to execute the annoying inputting operation for the personal authentication.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus which can be attached to a user, comprising:

biogenic information obtaining means for obtaining biogenic information regarding said user;

authenticating means for comparing the biogenic information of said user obtained by said biogenic information obtaining means with biogenic information of a person with use authority of said electronic apparatus and discriminating whether or not said user is a person with said use authority, thereby executing authentication of said user; and

control means f or controlling so as to permit said user to use said electronic apparatus when he is authenticated by said authenticating means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at least two different biogenic information is used upon authentication of said user, and

said authenticating means executes the authentication of said user only when it is determined that he is the person with said use authority with respect to all of the biogenic information or a predetermined number or more of the arbitrary biogenic information in at least said two different biogenic information.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said biogenic information obtaining means obtains the biogenic information of said user in a normal state where said user uses said electronic apparatus.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means adjusts a range of permission of the use in accordance with a degree of the authentication of said user by said authenticating means or a person serving as an authentication target.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the biogenic information of the person with said use authority is stored into storing means provided in said electronic apparatus or external storing means which can be accessed through a predetermined network.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising attachment detecting means for detecting whether or not said user wears said electronic apparatus,

and wherein said control means controls so as to permit said user to use said electronic apparatus under such conditions that it is detected by said attachment detecting means that said user wears said electronic apparatus and said user has been authenticated by said authenticating means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said attachment detecting means is a sensor for detecting that said user is come into contact with a main body of said electronic apparatus or enters a predetermined proximity state.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

on the basis of the authentication information which shows the presence or absence of the authentication of said user and has been stored in a predetermined storing area by said authenticating means, said control means discriminates that said user has been authenticated, and

when a state where said user does not wear said electronic apparatus is obtained, said authenticating means updates said information to contents showing that said user is not authenticated.

9. An authenticating method comprising:

a biogenic information obtaining step of obtaining biogenic information regarding a user who puts an electronic apparatus on;

an authenticating step of comparing the biogenic information of said user obtained in said biogenic information obtaining step with biogenic information of a person with the use authority of said electronic apparatus and discriminating whether or not the user is a person with said use authority, thereby executing authentication of said user; and

a control step of controlling so as to permit said user to use said electronic apparatus when he is authenticated by said authenticating step.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein

at least two different biogenic information is used upon authentication of said user, and

in said authenticating step, the authentication of said user is executed only when it is determined that he is the person with said use authority with respect to all of the biogenic information or a predetermined number or more of the arbitrary biogenic information in at least said two different biogenic information.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein in said biogenic information obtaining step, the biogenic information of said user is obtained in a normal state where said user uses said electronic apparatus.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein in said control step, a range of permission of the use is adjusted in accordance with a degree of the authentication of said user by said authenticating step or a person serving as an authentication target.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the biogenic information of the person with said use authority is stored into storing means provided in said electronic apparatus or external storing means which can be accessed through a predetermined network.

14. A method according to claim 9, further comprising an attachment detecting step of detecting whether or not said user wears said electronic apparatus,

and wherein in said control step, control is made so as to permit said user to use said electronic apparatus under such conditions that it is detected by said attachment detecting step that said user wears said electronic apparatus and said user has been authenticated by said authenticating step.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein in said attachment detecting step is a sensor for detecting that said user is come into contact with a main body of said electronic apparatus or enters a predetermined proximity state.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein

in said control step, on the basis of the authentication information which shows the presence or absence of the authentication of said user and has been stored in predetermined storing area by said authenticating step, it is discriminated that said user has been authenticated, and

in said authenticating step, when a state where said user does not wear said electronic apparatus is obtained, said information is updated to contents showing that said user is not authenticated.