MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20130326583A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 12/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone IP Licensing Limited (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Freihold, Karoline, Lippert, Helge, Ericson, Linda
• Application Number:
  US13/808,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326583A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/166 related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

This is described a method of access control for a mobile computing device having a touch-screen, the method comprising: receiving a signal indicating an input applied to the touch-screen; matching the signal against a library of signal characteristics to identify a user of the mobile computing device from a group of users of the mobile computing device; receiving an additional input to the mobile computing device; using both the signal and the additional input to authenticate the user; and if authenticated, allowing access to the mobile computing device in accordance with configuration data for the authenticated user.

Claims

1. A method of access control for a mobile computing device having a touch-screen, the method comprising:

receiving a signal indicating an input applied to the touch-screen;

matching the signal against a library of signal characteristics to identify a user of the mobile computing device from a group of users of the mobile computing device;

receiving an additional input to the mobile computing device;

using both the signal and the additional input to authenticate the user; and

if authenticated, allowing access to the mobile computing device in accordance with configuration data for the authenticated user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the matching step comprises:

calculating one or more metrics from the received signal, wherein the one or more metrics are representative of the size of a user'"'"'s hand; and

comparing the one or more metrics from the received signal with one or more metrics stored in the library of signal characteristics to identify a user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing step comprises:

calculating a probabilistic match value for each user within the group of users; and

identifying the user as the user with the highest match value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein access to certain functions within the mobile computing device is restricted if the one or more metrics from the received signal indication that the size of a user'"'"'s hand is below a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional input comprises one or more of:

an identified touch-screen gesture or series of identified touch-screen gestures;

an audio signal generated by a microphone coupled to the mobile computing device;

a still or video image generated a camera coupled to the mobile computing device; and

an identified movement signal or series of identified movement signals.

6. A mobile computing device comprising:

a touch-screen adapted to generate a signal indicating an input applied to the touch-screen;

a sensor;

an authentication module configured to receive one or more signals from the touch-screen and the sensor and allow access to the mobile computing device in accordance with configuration data for an authenticated user,

wherein the authentication module is further configured to match a signal generated by the touch-screen against a library of signal characteristics to identify a user of the mobile computing device from a group of users of the mobile computing device, and

further authenticate the user using one or more signals from the sensor to conditionally allow access to the mobile computing device.