AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION OF DEVICES BASED ON BIOMETRIC DATA

• US 20080317292A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Curtis G., Drucker, Steven, Alkove, James M., Allard, James E., Finger, James C., Alles, David Sebastien, Roup, Oliver R., Sloo, David H., Holmdahl, Todd E., Baker, Nicholas R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can obtain biometric data from a user as the user interacts with a device. Based upon the obtained biometric data, the architecture can determine an identity of the user and automatically apply settings associated with that particular user to the device. The settings can relate to a physical configuration of the device (or aspects, features, and/or peripherals of the device), as well as to a data set employed by the device (or components of the device). As such, a user of the device can benefit from enhanced efficiency, utility, and/or convenience.

Claims

1. A system operatively coupled to a device, the system automatically configures the device based on identity detection, comprising:

an identity component that determines an identity of a user of a device based upon verifiable identification input associated with the user; and

a configuration component that retrieves settings associated with the user and applies the settings to the device.

2. The system of claim 1, the verifiable identification input is a biometric of the user of the device.

3. The system of claim 2, the biometric is at least one of a fingerprint, a hand geometry, a hand vein pattern, a palm pattern, a grip configuration or dynamic, a hand thermogram, or a keystroke dynamic.

4. The system of claim 2, the biometric is at least one of a facial thermogram, a facial feature, a retinal feature, or an iris feature.

5. The system of claim 2, the biometric is at least one of a voice pattern, an odor or pheromone, a sweat pore or salivary excretion, a heart rate, a blood pressure, or DNA.

6. The system of claim 1, the device is a handheld electronic device.

7. The system of claim 1, the device is an input or output device or peripheral.

8. The system of claim 1, the device is a controller device.

9. The system of claim 1, the settings are associated with a physical configuration of the device.

10. The system of claim 1, the settings are associated with a data set employed by the device.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intelligence component that selects a type of verifiable identification input.

12. The system of claim 11, the intelligence component selects the type based upon features included with the device.

13. The system of claim 11, the intelligence component that selects the type based upon a size of a set of potential users or based upon a uniqueness of the verifiable identification input with respect to the set of potential users.

14. The system of claim 11, the intelligence component automatically infers the settings associated with the user.

15. The system of claim 11, the configuration component retrieves the settings from a data store that is remote from the device.

16. A method for configuring a device based upon detecting identity, comprising:

receiving a biometric from a user of a device;

employing the biometric for determining an identity of the user; and

applying a configuration to the device based upon settings associated with the user.

17. The method of claim 16, the act of applying relates to a physical configuration of the device.

18. The method of claim 16, the act of applying relates to a data set employed by the device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

retrieving the settings from a local data store that is local to the device;

retrieving the settings from a remote data store that is remote from the device;

or

inferring a type of biometric to employ for the act of determining an identity of the user.

20. A system for modifying an arrangement associated with a device in accordance with an identity of a user of the device, comprising:

means for obtaining a biometric from a user of a device;

means for utilizing the biometric for establishing an identity of the user; and

means for adapting the device in accordance with the settings associated with the user.