ADAPTIVE METHOD FOR BIOMETRICALLY CERTIFIED COMMUNICATION

• US 20150046996A1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Slaby, Jiri, Ady, Roger W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,602,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

A recipient communication device and method wherein a user authenticates a message that is being received. The method includes receiving, by a messaging utility of the recipient communication device, a message transmitted from a sender communication device. The messaging utility determines that one of (a) sender authentication of the message and (b) recipient authentication to open the message is required. In response to sender authentication being required, the recipient communication device transmits a request to the sender communication device for sender authentication of the message, and receives a certification of the message based on an authentication of a user input via the sender communication device. When recipient authentication is required, the recipient is prompted to enter biometric input at the recipient device. In one embodiment, a clearinghouse service authenticates a user of a communication device in order for the recipient communication device to receive certification of the user and/or the message.

Claims

1. A method for user authentication of a message that is being received by a recipient communication device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a messaging utility of the recipient communication device, a message transmitted from a sender communication device;

the messaging utility determining that one of (a) sender authentication of the message and (b) recipient authentication is required to open the message is required; and

in response to sender authentication being required;

transmitting a request to the sender communication device for sender authentication of the message; and

receiving a certification of the message based on an authentication of a user input via the sender communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to recipient authentication to open the message being required;

prompting for entry of a recipient biometric input;

receiving the recipient biometric input at the recipient communication device;

authenticating the biometric input by one of the messaging utility of the recipient communication device and a clearinghouse; and

presenting contents of the message on a user interface of the recipient communication device based on receiving the recipient authentication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a certification of the message further comprises:

receiving a notification that a sender user has provided a biometric input that has been verified at one of the sender communication device and a clearinghouse as belonging to the sender user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the certification of the message based on the authentication of the user input via the sender communication device further comprises:

receiving a certification from a clearinghouse that verifies an identity of a sender user of the message based on the clearinghouse receiving from the sender user a data entry that corresponds to sender identifying information provided by an authoritative source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a certification of the message comprises:

receiving a copy of an image of the sender user taken at the sending communication device in response to the sender authentication required being capture of a photograph at the sender communication device as a biometric input; and

presenting the copy of the image on a display of the recipient communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, as components of the message transmitted from the sender communication device, both (a) message content and (b) context associated with the sender communication device that is determinable by the messaging utility of the recipient communication device;

determining that sender authentication of the message is required by;

identifying a credibility compromising factor associated with at least one of (a) the message content and (b) the context associated with the sender communication device; and

determining that the message requires user authentication based on the identified credibility compromising factor being at least a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the credibility compromising factor comprises at least one of (i) a monetary value included within the content of the message exceeding a pre-set threshold;

(ii) a location indicated for the sender communication device that is pre-established as unexpected;

(iii) a location indicated for the sender communication device that is unexpected based upon data accessible to the recipient communication device for historical or scheduled data for a sender user of the message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the certification of the message based on the authentication of the user input via the sender communication device further comprises:

receiving a certification that includes one of user information associated with the sender communication device and contextual information transmitted by the sender communication device; and

presenting one of the user information and the contextual information on a display of the recipient communication device.

9. A recipient communication device, comprising:

a communication mechanism that enables communicating with a network;

at least one biometric capturing component;

at least one processor that is communicatively coupled to the communication mechanism and to the at least one biometric capturing component;

a messaging utility that executes on the at least one processor and configures the recipient communication device to;

receive a message transmitted from a sender communication device;

determine that one of (a) sender authentication of the message and (b) recipient authentication is required to open the message is required; and

in response to sender authentication being required;

transmit a request to the sender communication device for sender authentication of the message; and

receive a certification of the message based upon an authentication of a user input via the sender communication device.

10. The recipient communication device of claim 9, wherein the messaging utility further configures the recipient communication device to:

in response to recipient authentication to open the message being required;

prompt for entry of a recipient biometric input;

receive the recipient biometric input at the recipient communication device;

authenticate the biometric input by one of the messaging utility of the recipient communication device and a clearinghouse; and

present contents of the message on a user interface of the recipient communication device based on receiving the recipient authentication.

11. The recipient communication device of claim 9, wherein the messaging utility configuring the recipient communication device to receiving a certification of the message includes the messaging utility further configuring the recipient communication device to:

receive a notification that a sender user has provided a biometric input that has been verified at one of the sender communication device and a clearinghouse as belonging to the sender user.

12. The recipient communication device of claim 9, wherein the messaging utility configuring the recipient communication device to receive the certification of the message based upon the authentication of the user input via the sender communication device includes the messaging utility further configuring the recipient communication device to:

receive a certification by a clearinghouse that verifies an identity of a sender user of the message based upon receiving from the sender user a data entry that corresponds to identifying information of an authoritative source.

13. The recipient communication device of claim 9, wherein the messaging utility configuring the recipient communication device to receive a certification of the message includes the messaging utility further configuring the recipient communication device to:

receive a copy of an image of a sender user taken at the sending communication device in response to the sender authentication required being capture of a photograph at the sender communication device as a biometric input; and

present the copy of the image on a display of the recipient communication device.

14. The recipient communication device of claim 9, wherein the messaging utility further configures the recipient communication device to:

receive, as components of the message transmitted from the sender communication device, both (a) content of the message and (b) context associated with the sender communication device that is determinable by the messaging utility of the recipient communication device;

determine that sender authentication of the message is required by;

identifying a credibility compromising factor associated with at least one of (a) the message content and (b) the context associated with the sender communication device; and

determining that the message requires user authentication based on the identified credibility compromising factor being at least a threshold value.

15. The recipient communication device of claim 14, wherein the credibility compromising factor comprises at least one of (i) a monetary value included within the content of the message exceeding a pre-set threshold;

(ii) a location indicated for the sender communication device that is pre-established as unexpected;

(iii) a location indicated for the sender communication device that is unexpected based upon data accessible to the recipient communication device for historical or scheduled data for a sender user of the message.

16. The recipient communication device of claim 9, wherein the messaging utility configuring the recipient communication device to receive the certification of the message based on the authentication of the user input via the sender communication device includes the messaging utility further configuring the recipient communication device to:

receive a certification that includes one of user information associated with the sender communication device and contextual information transmitted by the sender communication device; and

present one of the user information and the contextual information on a display of the recipient communication device.

17. A method for user authentication of a message received by a recipient communication device from a sender communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a request to authenticate one of (a) a sender identity, (b) a recipient identity, and (c) the message;

in response to receiving the request to authenticate one of the sender identity and the recipient identity;

selecting information about a corresponding user from an authoritative source;

prompting the user to provide an entry of data corresponding to the selected information; and

in response to receiving, from the user, the data entry that corresponds to the selected information, authenticating the user and forwarding a certification of the authentication to the recipient communication device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to receiving the request to authenticate that the message is from the user;

receiving a biometric input from the corresponding communication device user of one of the sender communication device and the recipient communication device;

comparing the received biometric input against clearinghouse biometric verification inputs of registered users in order to identify and authenticate the user one of the sender communication device and recipient communication device; and

in response to identifying and authenticating the user, authenticating the message to the recipient communication device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

registering the user with the clearinghouse by;

in response to receiving and verifying the user-provided data entry as corresponding to the selected information;

prompting the user to submit one or more clearinghouse biometric verification inputs;

associating the submitted clearinghouse biometric verification inputs with the user; and

storing the clearinghouse biometric verification inputs and user identifier within a clearinghouse database for future access by the user via one of the sender communication device and the recipient communication device to user authenticate a message.

20. A clearinghouse server comprising:

a communication interface that enables communication with a recipient communication device that receives messages transmitted by a sender communication device;

a network interface by which the clearing house server communicates with an authoritative source that provides unique identifying information about one or more users;

a processor coupled to the communication interface and the network interface;

a storage device coupled to the processor and which includes a certifying utility that executes on processor to configure the clearinghouse server to;

receiving a request to authenticate one of (a) a sender identity, (b) a recipient identity, and (c) the message;

in response to receiving the request to authenticate one of the sender identity and the recipient identity;

select information about a corresponding user from an authoritative source;

prompt the user to provide an entry of data corresponding to the selected information; and

in response to receiving, from the user, the data entry that corresponds to the selected information, authenticate the user and forward a certification of the authentication to the recipient communication device.

21. The clearinghouse server of claim 20, wherein the certifying utility further configures the clearinghouse server to registering the user with the clearinghouse by:

in response to receiving the request to authenticate that the message is from the user;

receive a biometric input from the corresponding communication device user of one of the sender communication device and the recipient communication device;

compare the received biometric input against clearinghouse biometric verification inputs of registered users in order to identify and authenticate the user one of the sender communication device and recipient communication device; and

in response to identifying and authenticating the user, authenticate the message to the recipient communication device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the certifying utility further configures the clearinghouse server to register the user with the clearinghouse by:

in response to receiving and verifying the user-provided data entry as corresponding to the selected information;

prompt the user to submit one or more clearinghouse biometric verification inputs;

associate the submitted clearinghouse biometric verification inputs with the user; and

store the clearinghouse biometric verification inputs and user identifier within a clearinghouse database for future access by the user via one of the sender communication device and the recipient communication device to user authenticate a message.