PLUGGABLE AUTHENTICATION MECHANISM FOR MOBILE DEVICE APPLICATIONS

• US 20150169858A1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tg, Priya
• Application Number:
  US14/413,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20150169858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• 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: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating a user to provide access to a secure application configured on a mobile device are disclosed. The method includes receiving an input from the user. The input is associated with a plurality of parameters. The method includes extracting a biometric pattern based on the input. The biometric pattern may be generated from the plurality of parameters associated with the input. The method may include comparing the biometric pattern with a plurality of reference patterns. The plurality of reference patterns are pre-defined by an owner of the mobile device. Furthermore, the method may include authenticating the user when the biometric pattern matches a reference pattern associated with the secure application from the plurality of reference patterns. Moreover, the method includes allowing the user to access the secure application, based on the authentication.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a user for providing access to a secure application configured on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving an input from the user for accessing the secure application, wherein the input is associated with a plurality of parameters;

extracting a biometric pattern from the input received from the user, wherein the biometric pattern is generated from the plurality of parameters associated with the input;

comparing the biometric pattern with a plurality of reference patterns, wherein the plurality of reference patterns are pre-defined by an owner of the mobile device;

authenticating the user when the biometric pattern matches a reference pattern associated with the secure application; and

allowing the user to access the secure application of the mobile device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises determining an idle state of the secure application, wherein the idle state of the secure application is determined based on inactivity on a screen of the mobile device for a pre-defined time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the extracting the biometric pattern comprises identifying the plurality of parameters associated with the input received from the user.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the plurality of parameters comprise finger pressure, duration of touch, fingers in right/left hands, movement of the fingers, and scroll patterns.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises retrieving the plurality of reference patterns from a repository associated with the mobile device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprises predefining the plurality of reference patterns, wherein the pre-defining comprises:

creating at least one reference pattern, wherein the at least one reference pattern includes the plurality of parameters; and

associating the at least one reference pattern with the secure application.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising assigning an idle time-out value to the secure application of the mobile device, wherein the idle time-out value defines duration of time for which the secure application is in an inactive state.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the input is a touch event.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch event is one of a password and a pattern.

10. A mobile device for authenticating a user for accessing a secure application configured on the mobile device, the mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a detection module coupled to the processor, the detection module configured to,

receive an input from a user for accessing the secure application, wherein the input is associated with a plurality of parameters;

determine a biometric pattern generated based on the input received from the user; and

a security module coupled to the processor, the security module configured to,

extract a plurality of reference patterns from a repository, wherein the plurality of reference patterns are pre-defined by an owner of the mobile device;

compare the biometric pattern with the plurality of reference patterns;

authenticate the user when the biometric pattern matches a reference pattern from the plurality of reference patterns, wherein the reference pattern is associated with the secure application; and

allow the user to access the secure application.

11. The mobile device as claimed recited in claim 10 further comprises a training module configured to,

generate the at least one reference pattern to be defined by the owner of the mobile device;

associate the at least one reference pattern with the secure applications; and

assign an idle time-out value for the secure applications, wherein the idle time-out value is based on inactivity of a touch screen of the mobile device.

12. The mobile device as recited in claim 10, wherein the security module is a pluggable authentication module configured to be plugged with selective applications for being protected from unauthorized usage.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 10, wherein the secure applications comprise a banking application, short message service (SMS) application, and an e-mailing application.

14. The mobile device as recited in claim 10, wherein the non-secure applications comprise a gaming application and a music player application.

15. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for executing a method for authenticating a user for providing access to a secure application configured on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving an input from the user for accessing the secure application, wherein the input is associated with a plurality of parameters;

extracting a biometric pattern from the input received from the user, wherein the biometric pattern is generated from the plurality of parameters associated with the input;

comparing the biometric pattern with a plurality of reference patterns, wherein the plurality of reference patterns are pre-defined by an owner of the mobile device;

authenticating the user when the biometric pattern matches a reference pattern associated with the secure application; and

allowing the user to access the secure application of the mobile device.