BIOMETRICS FOR USER IDENTIFICATION IN MOBILE HEALTH SYSTEMS

• US 20150317855A1
• Filed: 05/02/2014
• Published: 11/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sezan, Muhammed Ibrahim, Schneider, John Keith, Kaskoun, Kenneth, Dantsker, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 9,721,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1171 based on the shapes or appearances of their bodies or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/609 Biometric patient identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/04 Heartbeat characteristics, e.g. ECG, blood pressure modulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/201 Glucose concentration
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/205 partial oxygen pressure (P-O2)
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/30 Blood pressure A61M2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/42 : Rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/50 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14244 : adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14248 : of the skin patch type
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 : specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 : using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 : using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 : communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 : using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 : using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 : stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 : delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 : using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• 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 12/33 : using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses

Abstract

A wearable device may include a sensor system capable of obtaining physiological from a user'"'"'s body. Some wearable devices may include a substance delivery system. A sensor system of a wearable device may include at least one “bio-assurance sensor” capable of obtaining biometric data that may be used to identify a user. For example, the bio-assurance sensor may be used to ensure that the wearable device is not removed from the user'"'"'s body and/or placed on or in another user'"'"'s body. In some examples, the wearable device may be used with a second device, such as a smart phone, that includes at least one “authentication sensor,” such as a fingerprint sensor, that also may be used to identify a user. However, in some implementations the wearable device may include at least one authentication sensor.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a sensor system including one or more biometric sensors, the sensor system being capable of obtaining first biometric data from a user'"'"'s body;

a wireless interface system; and

a control system capable of;

receiving the first biometric data from the sensor system;

determining first biometric authentication information based on the first biometric data, wherein the first biometric authentication information includes a representation of the first biometric data;

providing, via the wireless interface system, the first biometric authentication information to a second device;

receiving, via the wireless interface system, a control signal from the second device; and

controlling the sensor system according to the control signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the control system includes secure processing and memory resources.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the control system is capable of encrypting the first biometric authentication information.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the control system is capable of decrypting information, including but not limited to the control signal, received from the second device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor system includes one or more physiological sensors.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is capable of obtaining physiological data from the user'"'"'s body, the physiological data including at least one type of data selected from the group consisting of temperature data, respiration rate data, oxygen saturation data, blood glucose data, blood pressure data, heart rate data, data indicating electrical activity of the user'"'"'s heart, actigraphy data and blood alcohol data.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first biometric data includes at least one type of data selected from the group consisting of fingerprint data, voice data, retinal data, data indicating electrical activity of the user'"'"'s heart, hair follicle data, pore data, skin papilla data and sub-dermal blood vessel data.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a substance delivery system, wherein the control system is capable of controlling the substance delivery system according to the control signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further capable of:

controlling the sensor system to obtain second biometric data from the user'"'"'s body;

receiving the second biometric data from the sensor system;

determining second biometric authentication information based on the second biometric data; and

providing, via the wireless interface system, the second biometric authentication information to the second device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the second biometric data and the first biometric data include different types of biometric data.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the control system is further capable of:

determining whether the current user is an authorized user by comparing at least one of the first biometric information or the second biometric information with stored biometric information; and

associating the stored biometric information with at least one of the first biometric information or the second biometric information if the control system determines that the current user is the authorized user.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the second biometric data and the first biometric data include one type of biometric data obtained at different times.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the control system is further capable of controlling the sensor system to obtain the second biometric data periodically or upon the occurrence of an event.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the control system is further capable of:

receiving, via the wireless interface system, an authentication indication from the second device indicating whether the user has been authenticated; and

controlling the device according to the authentication indication.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the control system is capable of preventing or ceasing at least one function of the device if the authentication indication indicates that the user has not been authenticated.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a wearable device, further comprising apparatus for securing the device to the user'"'"'s body.

17. A wearable device, comprising:

apparatus for securing the wearable device to a user'"'"'s body;

a sensor system including one or more biometric sensors, the sensor system being capable of obtaining first biometric data and second biometric data from the user'"'"'s body, the first biometric data being a first type of biometric data and the second biometric data being a second type of biometric data; and

a control system capable of;

receiving the first biometric data and the second biometric data from the sensor system;

performing an authentication process based, at least in part, on the first biometric data and the second biometric data, the authentication process being performed without reference to authentication information from an external device; and

controlling the wearable device according to a result of the authentication process.

18. The wearable device of claim 17, wherein controlling the wearable device according to the result of the authentication process involves preventing or ceasing at least one function of the wearable device if the authentication process indicates that the user has not been authenticated.

19. The wearable device of claim 17, further comprising an interface system, wherein the sensor system includes one or more physiological sensors capable of obtaining physiological data from the user'"'"'s body, and wherein the control system is capable of:

receiving physiological data from the sensor system; and

providing, via the wireless interface system, at least some of the physiological data to a second device.

20. The wearable device of claim 19, wherein the physiological data includes at least one type of data selected from the group consisting of temperature data, respiration rate data, oxygen saturation data, blood glucose data, blood pressure data, heart rate data, data indicating electrical activity of the user'"'"'s heart, actigraphy data and blood alcohol data from the user'"'"'s body.

21. The wearable device of claim 17, further comprising a substance delivery system, wherein the control system is capable of controlling the substance delivery system according to the authentication process.

22. A mobile device, comprising:

a biometric sensor system;

a wireless interface system; and

a control system capable of;

receiving first biometric authentication information via the wireless interface system, the first biometric authentication information corresponding to first biometric data obtained from a user who is currently using a wearable device;

obtaining second biometric data via the biometric sensor system;

determining second biometric information from the second biometric data;

determining whether the current user is an authorized user by comparing the second biometric information with stored biometric information; and

associating the stored biometric information with the first biometric information if the control system determines that the current user is the authorized user.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the control system is capable of sending, via the wireless interface system, a signal to the wearable device, the signal including at least one type of signal from the group consisting of a signal indicating that the current user is the authorized user, a control signal instructing the wearable device to obtain physiological data from the current user and to provide at least some of the physiological data to the mobile device, a control signal instructing the wearable device to administer a substance to the current user and a control signal instructing the wearable device to provide a verification signal to the mobile device that a substance has been administered.

24. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the control system is capable of:

receiving, via the wireless interface system, physiological data from the wearable device; and

providing, via the wireless interface system, at least some of the physiological data to a remote server.

25. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the first biometric data includes at least one type of data selected from the group consisting of fingerprint data, voice data, retinal data, data indicating electrical activity of the user'"'"'s heart, hair follicle data, pore data, skin papilla data and sub-dermal blood vessel data.

26. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the second biometric data includes at least one type of data selected from the group consisting of fingerprint data, voice data, retinal data, hair follicle data, pore data, skin papilla data or sub-dermal blood vessel data.

27. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the control system is capable of disregarding signals from the wearable device if the control system determines that the current user is not the authorized user.

28. A method, comprising:

obtaining, via a sensor system of a wearable device, first biometric data from a user who is currently using the wearable device;

determining first biometric authentication information based on the first biometric data;

providing, via an interface system, the first biometric authentication information to a second device;

receiving, via the interface system, a signal from the second device; and

controlling the wearable device according to the signal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein controlling the wearable device involves at least one of obtaining physiological data from the user'"'"'s body or administering a substance to the user.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein controlling the wearable device involves preventing or ceasing at least one function of the wearable device if the signal indicates that the user has not been authenticated.