Face and environment sensing watch

• US 6,937,135 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Jason James, Apostolapoulos, John, Kitson, Frederick Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/870,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20020180586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.4, 340/5.52, 340/5.53
• US Class Current: 340/5.52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence

Abstract

A face and environment sensing portable device. In a preferred embodiment, the device is wrist-worn by a person, similarly to a wristwatch. The portable device includes one or more sensing elements, such as an image-capturing device, a microphone or other environmental sensor, and a processing system for processing data obtained from the sensing element(s). In addition, the portable device may include input/output elements for interfacing the portable device with a person and with external systems. The portable device reliably authenticates the identity of the person based on information obtained from the sensing element(s) and may also determine whether the user has been in continuous possession of the device. By using multi-modal identification, the invention may provide increased confidence, while maintaining a low cost. This verification may then be used, for example, to enable the person to conduct secure transactions.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating the identity of a person comprising:

obtaining baseline samples of biometric data from the person;

forming a baseline profile from the biometric data;

repeatedly obtaining additional biometric data from the person in response to the person accessing a portable device for information comprising time of day;

comparing the additional data to the baseline profile for authenticating identity of the person; and

developing a response to said comparing.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said accessing comprises the person pressing a button on the portable device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said portable device is wrist-worn.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining baseline samples comprises obtaining an image of the person'"'"'s face.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said obtaining baseline samples comprises obtaining an image of the person'"'"'s iris.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said obtaining baseline samples comprising obtaining a fingerprint image of the person.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a supperresolution algorithm on the baseline samples.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising communicating the baseline samples from the portable device to an external computer system, wherein said performing the supperresolution algorithm is performed in the external computer system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the external computer system performs said comparing the additional data to the baseline samples.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising upgrading a superresolution algorithm stored in the external computer.

11. The method according to claim 1, said comparing being by the portable device.

12. The method according to claim 1, said comparing being by a computer system that is external to the portable device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the external computer system includes mass storage for storing the additional biometric data.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the response disallows a transaction attempted by the wearer.

15. The method according to claim 14, said comparing comprising:

forming a level of confidence that the identity of the person is correct; and

comparing the level of confidence to predetermined minimum threshold level.

16. The method according to claim 15, said predetermined minimum threshold being for a particular transaction attempted by the person.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising sensing that the device is not being worn by the person and developing the response when the device is not being worn by the person.

18. The method according to claim 17, said sensing that the device is not being worn by the person comprising sensing a body temperature of the person.

19. The method according to claim 18, said sensing that the device is not being worn by the person comprising sensing a bio-noise of the person.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sensing environmental information; and

including the environmental information in the baseline profile.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said environmental information comprises geographic location.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising updating the baseline sample by the additional biometric data when the additional biometric data successfully authenticates the identity of the person.

23. An apparatus for authenticating the identity of a person, comprising:

a portable display for providing information to a user of the apparatus, the information comprising time of day;

means for repeatedly obtaining an image of the user in response to the user accessing the apparatus for the time of day information; and

a memory for storing a baseline profile of the user, wherein the images are compared to the baseline profile for authenticating the identity of the person.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the user is required to press a button on the apparatus to receive the time of day information.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said portable display is wrist-worn.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising means for updating the baseline profile by additional biometric data when the identity of the user is successfully authenticated.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the comparison forms a level of confidence that the identity of the user is correct and the level of confidence is compared to predetermined minimum threshold level.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, said predetermined minimum threshold being for a particular transaction attempted by the user.

29. The apparatus according to claim 23, the device not being worn by the user is sensed and a response developed when the device is not being worn by the user.

30. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein environmental information is included in the baseline profile.