Method of Dynamically Adjusting an Authentication Sensor

• US 20140157401A1
• Filed: 12/26/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Alameh, Rachid M., Slaby, Jiri
• Application Number:
  US13/726,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20140157401A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/082 applying multi-factor authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication H04L9/32
• 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: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method is disclosed herein for employing detected device context, user history, and inferred identity to cause biometric sensors identification levels to automatically adjust to reduce device access time, computational complexity, and power.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting security levels for an electronic device based on confidence measurements, comprising:

monitoring contextual inputs from selectable contextual sensors communicatively coupled to the electronic device;

measuring a likelihood of an authorized user providing the user inputs;

establishing a confidence parameter for an authorized user; and

dynamically adjusting a security level for access to the electronic device based on the confidence parameter.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising

prioritizing a subset of authentication sensors based on device context.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising

dynamically adjusting the confidence parameters based on differing device applications and their corresponding security needs.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein device context is at least one of a contextual detection mode including illumination, motion, weather, ambient noise, moisture, time of day, calendar/events, social network downloads, ambient temperature, elevation, location, speed, and obstructing clothing.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, further comprising developing a user history profile from one or more contextual detection modes.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising dynamically lowering sensors'"'"' security level for access to the electronic device independently based on device context.

7. The method claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one sensor is lowered to a different security than the other sensor.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising dynamically adjusting security level access based on context and data transmission.

16. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

matching a calendar event to a location as additional criteria for dynamically adjusting the security level access.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

overriding device context based on device operational mode and/or application.

9. A computing device enabled for reduction of false authorization rejections, comprising:

a housing;

a controller within said housing of the computing device for dynamically adjusting a security level access to the computing device based on confidence parameter developed from the computing device context;

a context sensor configured for analysis by the processor;

an authentication sensor and algorithm selectable by the processor based on detected context from the context sensor so that the authentication sensor is activated for user identity determination or device level access; and

a power module configured to provide power to the computing device, context sensor, and the authentication sensor.

13. The computing device according to claim 11 further comprising selection of the authentication sensor by the processor based on the authentication'"'"'s sensor'"'"'s estimated impact on at least one of the following:

power savings, processor computational effort, and computing device operation.

14. The computing device according to claim 11, wherein the detected context is at least one of a contextual detection mode including illumination, time of day, calendar/event, motion, weather, ambient noise, moisture, ambient temperature, elevation, location, speed, historical user profile, and obstructing clothing.

15. The computing device according to claim 14 further comprising the controller configured to dynamically adjust the security level access with additional criteria comprised of a match of a calendar event to a location.