USER AUTHENTICATION AND DATA ENCRYPTION

• US 20160171192A1
• Filed: 12/12/2014
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knaust, Marius, Ayyangar, Rajiv, Buthpitiya, Senaka, Holz, Christian, Jin, Haojian
• Granted Patent: US 9,817,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

A user is authenticated based on feature data of a target such as a body-part or other object obtained by a touchscreen of a computing device. When the user positions the target to interact with the touchscreen, interaction data is gathered. Feature data of the target is determined from the gathered interaction data. The feature data is used to identify one or more of the target and the user. Various actions are executed based on the identification and authentication of the user.

Claims

1. ) A method comprising:

sensing, by the processor, a target of at least one user interacting with a touchscreen of a mobile device;

receiving, by a processor via the touchscreen, interaction data of the target to authorize the user for executing a function with the mobile device;

extracting, by the processor, key frames from the received interaction data;

determining, by the processor, feature data of the target from the extracted key frames;

determining, by the processor, the target from the feature data;

comparing, by the processor, the feature data of the target with pre-stored user information;

identifying upon the comparison, by the processor, the user based on a match between the feature data and at least a portion of the pre-stored user information;

authorizing, by the processor, the user for the function if the user is identified based on the match; and

blocking, by the processor, the user from executing the function if there is no match between the feature data and at least a portion of the pre-stored user information.

2. ) The method of claim 1, authorizing the user for the function further comprises:

unlocking, by the processor, a vault comprising a strong key; and

providing, by the processor, the strong key to the user for executing the function.

3. ) The method of claim 1, authorizing the user for the function further comprises:

automatically executing, by the processor, the function upon the user being identified based on the match.

4. ) The method of claim 3, the target being the user'"'"'s body-part and the user information comprises biometric information of body parts of a plurality of users authorized to use the mobile device.

5. ) The method of claim 4, the body-part being one of an ear, a fist, a palm, a foot, one or more fingers and different poses of one or more facial features of the user.

6. ) The method of claim 4, the function being one of answering an incoming phone call, unlocking the mobile device, authenticating in-app purchases via the mobile device, additional verifications for applications on the mobile device, protecting application content on the mobile device, deleting files, payments, remote authentications and opening a document encrypted using the biometric data of the user'"'"'s body part.

7. ) The method of claim 1, the user information comprises a model representing the target.

8. ) The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, the model based on the feature data of the target;

training, by the processor, the model on multiple samples of the feature data; and

storing, by the processor, the trained model for future authentication.

9. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user comprises a plurality of users and the function being opening an encrypted document.

10. ) The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, via the touchscreen, feature data of targets of each of the plurality of users;

comparing, by the processor, the feature data of each user'"'"'s target with the respective pre-stored user information;

identifying, by the processor, each user based on the comparison;

authorizing, by the processor, opening the document if the feature data of the plurality of users matches a portion of the pre-stored user information authorized for the opening the document; and

denying, by the processor, the users from the interaction if the plurality of users'"'"' identification does not match the respective pre-stored user information.

11. ) The method of claim 1, extracting key frames by the processor further comprising:

extracting, by the processor, a plurality of frames of information of the target during the interaction with the touchscreen;

determining, by the processor, intensities for the plurality of frames;

identifying, by the processor, a frame with highest intensity from the extracted plurality of frames;

sorting, by the processor, the plurality of frames into a plurality of bins based on their respective intensities; and

forming, by the processor, respective exponential, logarithmic and linear key frames for each of the plurality of bins via exponential, logarithmic and linear scaling of the plurality of frames.

12. ) The method of claim 11, further comprising:

accessing, by the processor, a plurality of models of different scaling types for each target, each of the plurality of models processes key frames of a respective scaling type from a respective one of the plurality of bins.

13. ) The method of claim 12 determining the target associated with the feature data further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, models from the plurality of models that best match key frames of a respective scaling type of a respective one of the plurality of bins; and

selecting, by the processor, one of the models as the target based on a voting procedure.

14. ) The method of claim 13, identifying the user further comprises:

identifying, by the processor, a subset of the models that correspond to the determined target;

selecting, by the processor, one of the subset of the models as identifying the user.

15. ) An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a touchscreen; and

a non-transitory processor readable storage medium having stored thereon programming logic, the programming logic comprising;

sensing logic, executed by the processor, for sensing a target of at least one user interacting with the touchscreen;

receiving logic, executed by the processor for receiving via the touchscreen, interaction data of the target to authorize the user for executing a function with the apparatus;

extracting logic, executed by the processor, for extracting key frames from the received interaction data;

determining logic, executed by the processor, for determining feature data of the target from the extracted key frames;

target determining logic, executed by the processor, for determining the target associated with the feature data from the extracted key frames;

comparing logic, executed by the processor, for comparing the feature data of the target with pre-stored user information;

user identifying logic, executed by the processor, for identifying the user based on a match between the feature data and at least a portion of the pre-stored user information;

authorizing logic, executed by the processor, for authorizing the user for the function if the user is identified; and

blocking logic, executed by the processor, for blocking the user from executing the function if there is no match between the feature data and at least a portion of the pre-stored user information.

16. ) The apparatus of claim 15, the authorizing logic further comprises:

unlocking logic, executed by the processor, for unlocking a vault comprising a strong key; and

providing logic, executed by the processor, for providing the strong key to the user for executing the function.

17. ) The apparatus of claim 15, the authorizing logic further comprises:

logic for automatically executing, by the processor, the function upon the user being identified based on the match.

18. ) The apparatus of claim 15, the target being the user'"'"'s body-part and the user information comprises biometric information of body parts of a plurality of users authorized to use the apparatus.

19. ) The apparatus of claim 15, the at least one user comprises a plurality of users and the function comprises opening an encrypted document.

20. ) The apparatus of claim 19, the programming logic further comprising:

logic executed by the processor for receiving via the touchscreen, feature data of each user'"'"'s target;

logic executed by the processor for comparing the feature data of each user'"'"'s target with the respective pre-stored user information;

logic executed by the processor for identifying each of the plurality of users based on the comparison;

logic executed by the processor for authorizing the opening of the document if the identification of the plurality of users matches a portion of the pre-stored user information, the portion of the pre-stored user information authorized for the opening the document; and

logic executed by the processor for denying the users from the interaction if the identification of at least one of the plurality of users does not match the respective pre-stored user information.

21. ) The apparatus of claim 15, the extracting logic further comprises:

logic executed by the processor for extracting a plurality of frames of information of the target during the interaction with the touchscreen;

logic executed by the processor for determining intensities for the plurality of frames;

logic executed by the processor for identifying a frame with highest intensity from the extracted plurality of frames;

logic executed by the processor for sorting the plurality of frames into a plurality of bins based on their respective intensities; and

logic executed by the processor for scaling the plurality of frames exponentially, logarithmically and linearly forming respective exponential, logical and linear key frames for each of the plurality of bins.

22. ) The apparatus of claim 21, the programming logic further comprising:

accessing logic, executed by the processor, for accessing a plurality of models of different scaling types for each target, each of the plurality of models processes a key frame of a respective scaling type from a respective one of the plurality of bins.

23. ) The apparatus of claim 21, the determining logic further comprising:

logic executed by the processor for identifying models from the plurality of models for each target that best matches key frames of a respective scaling type of a respective one of the plurality of bins; and

logic executed by the processor for selecting one of the respective models as the target based on a voting procedure.

24. ) The apparatus of claim 22, the identifying logic further comprises:

logic for identifying, by the processor, a subset of the models that correspond to the determined target;

logic for selecting, by the processor, one of the subset of the models as identifying the user.

25. ) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising processor-executable instructions for:

sensing a target of at least one user interacting with a touchscreen of a mobile device;

receiving via the touchscreen, interaction data of the target to authorize the user for executing a function with the mobile device;

extracting key frames from the received interaction data;

determining feature data of the target from the extracted key frames;

determining the target associated with the feature data from the extracted key frames;

comparing the feature data of the target with pre-stored user information;

identifying upon the comparison, the user based on a match between the feature data and at least a portion of the pre-stored user information;

authorizing the user for the function if the user is identified based the match; and

blocking the user from executing the function if there is no match between the feature data and at least a portion of the pre-stored user information.

26. ) A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor at a device comprising a touchscreen, a document encrypted with feature data of at least one target comprising a first target;

receiving, by the processor, a request to open the document;

obtaining, by the processor via the touchscreen, feature data of the first target interacting with the touchscreen;

providing, by the processor, the feature data of the first target to an application for opening the document; and

employing, by the processor, the feature data of the first target to decrypt the document.

27. ) The method of claim 26, the first target being a body-part of a first user and the feature data of the first target comprises biometric information of the first user'"'"'s body part.

28. ) The method of claim 26, the at least one target further comprising a plurality of targets, the plurality of targets being respective body-parts of a plurality of users.

29. ) The method of claim 28, further comprising:

determining, by the processor via the touchscreen, biometric information of the plurality of targets interacting with the touchscreen;

providing, by the processor, the biometric information of the plurality of targets to an application for opening the document;

employing, by the processor, the biometric information of the first target and the plurality of targets for decrypting the document.

30. ) The method of claim 28, the first target and the plurality of targets interact with the touchscreen simultaneously.

31. ) The method of claim 28, the first target and the plurality of targets interact with the touchscreen sequentially.

32. ) An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a touchscreen;

a processor-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising programming logic, the programming logic comprising;

document receiving logic, executed by a processor, for receiving a document encrypted with feature data of at least one target comprising the first target;

request receiving logic, executed by a processor, for receiving a request to open the document;

obtaining logic, executed by a processor, for obtaining via the touchscreen, interaction data of the first target interacting with the touchscreen;

determining logic, executed by the processor, for determining feature data of the first target from the interaction data;

providing logic, executed by a processor, for providing the feature data of the first target to an application for opening the document;

employing logic, executed by a processor, for employing the feature data of the first target to decrypt the document.

33. ) The apparatus of claim 32, the first target being a body-part of a first user and the feature data of the first target comprises biometric information of the user'"'"'s body part.

34. ) The apparatus of claim 32, the at least one target further comprising a plurality of targets, the plurality of targets being respective body-parts of a plurality of users.

35. ) The apparatus of claim 33, the programming logic further comprising:

logic executed by a processor for obtaining via the touchscreen, biometric information of the plurality of targets interacting with the touchscreen;

logic executed by a processor for providing the biometric information of the plurality of targets to an application for opening the document;

logic executed by a processor for employing the biometric information of the first target and the plurality of targets for decrypting the document.

36. ) A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor comprised in a first computing device, user input to connect to at least one disparate second computing device via a communication network;

connecting, by the processor, the first computing device with the second computing device through the communication network;

determining, by the processor via a touchscreen of the first computing device, feature data of a target interacting with the touchscreen;

determining, by the processor, based on the feature data of the target if an information exchange is authorized between the first computing device and the second computing device;

receiving, by the processor, a user gesture for initiating the information exchange; and

exchanging, by the processor upon receiving the user gesture, the information if it is determined that the information exchange is authorized based on the feature data.

37. ) The method of claim 36, the target being a body-part of a user and the feature data of the target comprises biometric information of the user'"'"'s body part.

38. ) The method of claim 36, wherein exchanging the information further comprises:

transmitting, by the processor to the second computing device, a document encrypted with the biometric information of the user'"'"'s body part.

39. ) The method of claim 36, wherein determining if an information exchange is authorized further comprises:

determining, by the processor, based on the biometric information of the user'"'"'s body part if the information exchange is authorized; and

receiving, by the processor, a document from the second computing device.

40. ) An apparatus comprising:

a touchscreen;

a processor;

a processor-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising programming logic, the programming logic comprising;

input receiving logic, executed by the processor, for receiving user input to connect to a second computing device via a communication network;

connecting logic, executed by the processor, for connecting with the second computing device through the communication network;

feature determining logic, executed by the processor, for determining via the touchscreen, feature data of a target interacting with the touchscreen;

authorization determining logic, executed by the processor, for determining based on the feature data of the target if an information exchange is authorized between the first computing device and the second computing device;

gesture receiving logic, executed by the processor, for receiving a user gesture for initiating the information exchange; and

exchanging logic, executed by the processor, for exchanging upon receiving the user gesture, the information if it is determined that the information exchange is authorized based on the feature data.

41. ) The apparatus of claim 41, wherein exchanging logic further comprises:

transmitting logic, executed by the processor, for transmitting to the second computing device, a document encrypted with the biometric information of the user'"'"'s body part.

42. ) A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising processor-executable instructions for:

receiving user input to connect to a computing device via a communication network;

connecting to the computing device through the communication network;

determining, via a touchscreen, feature data of a target interacting with the touchscreen;

determining, based on the feature data of the target if an information exchange is authorized between the first computing device and the second computing device;

receiving, a user gesture for initiating the information exchange; and

exchanging, upon receiving the user gesture, the information if it is determined that the information exchange is authorized based on the feature data.