USER IDENTITY BASED ON LOCATION PATTERNS OF NON-ASSOCIATED DEVICES

• US 20160373422A1
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bruch, Austin F., Fraley, Brad J., Wisson, Scott S., Wardrop, Patrick R.
• Application Number:
  US14/745,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373422A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Authentication of users is based at least in part on a comparison of environmental signals of a present location with environmental signals identified earlier for the present location. Verification of the user location supports authentication where a conventional user logon actions are insufficient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a reference set of environmental signals for a specified location;

receiving an authentication information from a user device at the specified location;

responsive to receiving the authentication information, determining a current set of environmental signals for the specified location; and

comparing the reference set of environmental signals with the current set of environmental signals to establish a risk score;

wherein;

at least the steps of determining and comparing are performed by computer software running on computer hardware.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining user authentication based, at least in part, on the risk score.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the reference set of environmental signals from the user device at the specified location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of environmental signals are generated by one of a blue-tooth device running in promiscuous mode, a wireless signal router, and a mobile network tower.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each environmental signal of the set of environmental signals represents an electronic device other than the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the risk score corresponds to a percentage of environment signals in the set of reference environmental signals that are found in the set of current environmental signals.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon:

first program instructions programmed to store a reference set of environmental signals for a specified location;

second program instructions programmed to receive an authentication information from a user device at the specified location;

third program instructions programmed to, responsive to receiving the authentication information, determine a current set of environmental signals for the specified location; and

fourth program instructions programmed to compare the reference set of environmental signals with the current set of environmental signals to establish a risk score.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

fifth program instructions programmed to determine user authentication based, at least in part, on the risk score.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

fifth program instructions programmed to receiving the reference set of environmental signals from the user device at the specified location.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the set of environmental signals are generated by one of a blue-tooth device running in promiscuous mode, a wireless signal router, and a mobile network tower.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein each environmental signal of the set of environmental signals represents an electronic device other than the user device.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the risk score corresponds to a percentage of environment signals in the set of reference environmental signals that are found in the set of current environmental signals.

13. A computer system comprising:

a processor(s) set; and

a computer readable storage medium;

wherein;

the processor set is structured, located, connected, and/or programmed to run program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium; and

the program instructions include;

first program instructions programmed to store a reference set of environmental signals for a specified location;

second program instructions programmed to receive an authentication information from a user device at the specified location;

third program instructions programmed to, responsive to receiving the authentication information, determine a current set of environmental signals for the specified location; and

fourth program instructions programmed to compare the reference set of environmental signals with the current set of environmental signals to establish a risk score.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

fifth program instructions programmed to determine user authentication based, at least in part, on the risk score.

15. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising:

fifth program instructions programmed to receiving the reference set of environmental signals from the user device at the specified location.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the set of environmental signals are generated by one of a blue-tooth device running in promiscuous mode, a wireless signal router, and a mobile network tower.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein each environmental signal of the set of environmental signals represents an electronic device other than the user device.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the risk score corresponds to a percentage of environment signals in the set of reference environmental signals that are found in the set of current environmental signals.