SENSOR-ASSISTED BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION FOR SMARTPHONES

• US 20150334567A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Mohapatra, Prasant, Chen, Shaxun, Pande, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 9,408,076 B2
• 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 2221/2133 Verifying human interaction, e.g., Captcha
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/17 using hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/174 Facial expression recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• 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 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent

Abstract

During a technique for authenticating a user using a portable electronic device (such as a smartphone) while preventing successful 2D media attacks and virtual-camera attacks, the portable electronic device provides an instruction to a user to move the portable electronic device relative to the user'"'"'s face. Then, using an imaging sensor in the portable electronic device, the portable electronic device acquires, a series of images while the portable electronic device is at different positions or orientations relative to the user'"'"'s face, where the series of images include at least two images relative to a symmetry axis of the user'"'"'s face (such as the midline). Moreover, the portable electronic device determines a change in a sign of a nose angle in at least the two images. Next, the portable electronic device authenticates the user based on at least one of the series of images using a facial-recognition technique.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an imaging sensor that, selectively during operation of the portable electronic device, acquires one or more images;

a processor electrically coupled to the imaging sensor; and

memory, electrically coupled to the processor, which stores a program module that, selectively during operation of the portable electronic device, is executed by the processor, the program module including instructions for;

providing an instruction to a user to move the portable electronic device relative to a face of the user;

acquiring, using the imaging sensor, a series of images while the portable electronic device is at different positions relative to the face of the user, wherein the series of images include at least two images relative to a symmetry axis of the face of the user;

determining a change in a sign of a nose angle in at least the two images; and

authenticating the user based on at least one of the series of images using a facial-recognition technique.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device includes a motion sensor, electrically coupled to the processor, which, selectively during operation of the portable electronic device, measures motion information;

and

wherein, prior to the authenticating, the program module includes instructions for associating the motion information with a change in a position of an object in the series of images.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the motion sensor includes one of:

an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, an inertial motion sensor, and a magnetometer.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the change in the position is based on differences in pixels in the series of images.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the motion information includes vibrations and rotations of the portable electronic device.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the associating involves correlating the motion information and the change in the position of the object.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the series of images includes a video with multiple images.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the program module authenticates the user while preventing successful 2D media attacks and virtual-camera attacks.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the symmetry axis includes a midline of the face of the user.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instruction to move the portable electronic device specifies at least a horizontal component of the movement.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device includes a display;

and

wherein the portable electronic device includes an ambient light sensor that, during execution of the program module and when ambient light intensity in an environment of the portable electronic device is below a threshold value, increases a brightness of the display.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the determining the change in the sign of the nose angle involves:

identifying regions that include a nose in the face of the user in at least the two images;

determining edges of the nose in the regions using an edge-detection technique; and

calculating the nose angle based on the determined edges.

13. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a portable electronic device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein to authenticate a user, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for providing an instruction to the user to move the portable electronic device relative to a face of the user;

instructions for acquiring, using an imaging sensor in the portable electronic device, a series of images while the portable electronic device is at different positions relative to the face of the user, wherein the series of images include at least two images relative to a symmetry axis of the face of the user;

instructions for determining a change in a sign of a nose angle in at least the two images; and

instructions for authenticating the user based on at least one of the series of images using a facial-recognition technique.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein, prior to the instructions for authenticating, the computer-program mechanism includes instructions for associating motion information from a motion sensor in the portable electronic device with a change in a position of an object in the series of images.

15. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the associating involves correlating the motion information and the change in the position of the object.

16. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the series of images includes a video with multiple images.

17. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the instruction to move the portable electronic device specifies at least a horizontal component of the movement.

18. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-program mechanism includes instructions for increasing a brightness of a display in the portable electronic device when an ambient light sensor in the portable electronic device indicates that ambient light-intensity in an environment of the portable electronic device is below a threshold value.

19. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the instructions for the determining the change in the sign of the nose angle involve:

identifying regions that include a nose in the face of the user in at least the two images;

determining edges of the nose in the regions using an edge-detection technique; and

calculating the nose angle based on the determined edges.

20. A method for authenticating a user, wherein the method comprises:

providing an instruction to the user to move a portable electronic device relative to a face of the user;

using an imaging sensor in the portable electronic device, acquiring a series of images while the portable electronic device is at different positions relative to the face of the user, wherein the series of images include at least two images relative to a symmetry axis of the face of the user;

determining a change in a sign of a nose angle in at least the two images; and

authenticating the user based on at least one of the series of images using a facial-recognition technique.