METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION USING DISTRIBUTED COMPUTATIONS

• US 20120249298A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Sovio, Sampo Juhani, Luukkala, Vesa-Veikko, Boldyrev, Sergey
• Granted Patent: US 8,810,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.83
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

An approach is provided for performing biometric authentication. A determination is made of biometric data from a user equipment having an associated user. Decomposition of the biometric data is caused into one or more closure primitives that represent computation closures of one or more processes of the user equipment. The user is selectively authenticated based on the decomposition of the biometric data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining biometric data from a user equipment having an associated user;

causing, at least in part, decomposition of the biometric data into one or more closure primitives that represent computation closures of one or more processes of the user equipment; and

selectively authenticating the user based on the decomposition of the biometric data.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving media to provide to the user equipment as part of a challenge procedure, wherein the media includes textual information, an image, or a combination thereof; and

determining to transmit the media to the user equipment to obtain a response to the challenge procedure, wherein the response includes the biometric data.

3. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

tracking a response period associated with the response to the challenge procedure; and

determining a failed authentication based on the response period.

4. A method of claim 2, wherein the biometric data includes a voiceprint, an utterance, and the textual information includes one or more words, the method further comprising:

verifying the voiceprint as part of the challenge process;

verifying the textual information based on the voiceprint as part of the challenge process; and

verifying semantic information presented in the utterance as part of the challenge.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein the voiceprint represents one or more utterances associated with a spelling of the one or more words, the method further comprising:

mapping the one or more utterances to one or more words stored in a dictionary database.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein the one or more words are randomly selected from a dictionary database.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a first challenge procedure to authenticate the user; and

initiating a second challenge procedure using the biometric data to authenticate the user,

wherein the second challenge procedure is initiated if the first challenge procedure fails to complete within a predetermined time period.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine biometric data from a user equipment having an associated user,

cause, at least in part, decomposition of the biometric data into one or more closure primitives that represent computation closures of one or more processes of the user equipment, and

selectively authenticate the user based on the decomposition of the biometric data.

9. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

retrieve media to provide to the user equipment as part of a challenge procedure, wherein the media includes textual information, an image, or a combination thereof; and

determine to transmit the media to the user equipment to obtain a response to the challenge procedure, wherein the response includes the biometric data.

10. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

track a response period associated with the response to the challenge procedure; and

determine a failed authentication based on the response period.

11. An apparatus of claim 9, wherein the biometric data includes a voiceprint, an utterance, and the textual information includes one or more words, and the apparatus is further caused to:

verify the voiceprint as part of the challenge process;

verify the textual information based on the voiceprint as part of the challenge process; and

verify semantic information presented in the utterance as part of the challenge.

12. An apparatus of claim 11, wherein the voiceprint represents one or more utterances associated with a spelling of the one or more words, and the apparatus is further caused to:

map the one or more utterances to one or more words stored in a dictionary database.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more words are randomly selected from a dictionary database.

14. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

initiate a first challenge procedure to authenticate the user; and

initiate a second challenge procedure using the biometric data to authenticate the user,

wherein the second challenge procedure is initiated if the first challenge procedure fails to complete within a predetermined time period.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment, an input signal representing biometric data associated with a user; and

generating a message including the biometric data for transmission to an authentication service, the biometric data being decomposed into one or more closure primitives that represent computation closures of one or more processes of the user equipment, wherein the user is authenticated based on the decomposition of the biometric data.

16. A method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a request for the biometric data as part of a challenge procedure, wherein the request specifies media that includes textual information, an image, or a combination thereof,

wherein the biometric data is provided as part of the message in response to the media.

17. A method of claim 16, wherein the input signal provides a voiceprint that represents one or more utterances associated with a spelling of the textual information or a description of the image.

18. A method of claim 15, wherein the challenge procedure is executed after another challenge procedure is terminated based on expiration of a predetermined timer value.

19. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

receive, at a user equipment, an input signal representing biometric data associated with a user, and

generate a message including the biometric data for transmission to an authentication service, the biometric data being decomposed into one or more closure primitives that represent computation closures of one or more processes of the user equipment, wherein the user is authenticated based on the decomposition of the biometric data.

20. An apparatus of claim 19, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive a request for the biometric data as part of a challenge procedure, wherein the request specifies media that includes textual information, an image, or a combination thereof,

wherein the biometric data is provided as part of the message in response to the media.

21. An apparatus of claim 20, wherein the input signal provides a voiceprint that represents one or more utterances associated with a spelling of the textual information or a description of the image.

22. An apparatus of claim 19, wherein the challenge procedure is executed after another challenge procedure is terminated based on expiration of a predetermined timer value.