Apparatus and a method for preventing unauthorized use and a device with a function of preventing unauthorized use
First Claim
1. An apparatus for preventing unauthorized use, the apparatus comprising:
- an authentication unit operable to compare a characteristic obtained from a user'"'"'s input into a device with a registered characteristic of a person, and determine, as an authentication result, a likelihood of the user being the person, the authentication result being determined based on the comparison;
a memory for storing a value that (i) is determined based on an authentication result determined by the authentication unit, and (ii) indicates the likelihood of the user being the person;
a first controller operable to update, as a most recent stored value, a previously determined past value stored in the memory and indicating a prior likelihood of the user being the person, the past value being updated based on (i) a present authentication result determined, by the authentication unit, from the user'"'"'s input including an input other than an input done in response to an input request for authentication, and (ii) the previously determined past value that is stored in the memory and indicates the prior likelihood of the user being the person; and
a second controller operable to, in response to an instruction to begin a process which requires authentication, (i) refer to the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person, and (ii) control whether or not to permit execution of the process depending on whether or not the value referred to is more than a certain threshold,wherein the first controller, based on a certain function, decreases the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person as time passes while an authentication result is not determined by the authentication unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An authentication section comparing a characteristic included in a user'"'"'s input into an input section with a characteristic of a person registered in memory, to determine an authentication result. An authentication control section including a function for (i) storing a value indicating a likelihood of being the person, (ii) controlling the value indicating a likelihood of the user being the person, based on (i) the authentication result of the authentication section and (ii) a passage of time. In response to an instruction to begin a process which requires authentication, the authentication control section controls whether or not to permit execution of the process depending on a the stored value Thus, unauthorized use of a device is prevented, while the trouble of asking a user to make a special input for authentication is resolved when a process requiring authentication is executed.
29 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for preventing unauthorized use, the apparatus comprising:
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an authentication unit operable to compare a characteristic obtained from a user'"'"'s input into a device with a registered characteristic of a person, and determine, as an authentication result, a likelihood of the user being the person, the authentication result being determined based on the comparison; a memory for storing a value that (i) is determined based on an authentication result determined by the authentication unit, and (ii) indicates the likelihood of the user being the person; a first controller operable to update, as a most recent stored value, a previously determined past value stored in the memory and indicating a prior likelihood of the user being the person, the past value being updated based on (i) a present authentication result determined, by the authentication unit, from the user'"'"'s input including an input other than an input done in response to an input request for authentication, and (ii) the previously determined past value that is stored in the memory and indicates the prior likelihood of the user being the person; and a second controller operable to, in response to an instruction to begin a process which requires authentication, (i) refer to the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person, and (ii) control whether or not to permit execution of the process depending on whether or not the value referred to is more than a certain threshold, wherein the first controller, based on a certain function, decreases the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person as time passes while an authentication result is not determined by the authentication unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for preventing unauthorized use in a device comprising an authentication module that compares a characteristic obtained from a user'"'"'s input into the device with a registered characteristic of a person to determine a likelihood of the user being the person, the method comprising:
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determining, via the authentication module and as an authentication result, the likelihood of the user being the person, the authentication result being determined based on the comparison; storing in a memory a value that (i) is determined based on the authentication result, and (ii) indicates the likelihood of the user being the person; updating, via the authentication module, as a most recent stored value, a previously determined past value stored in the memory and indicating a prior likelihood of the user being the person, the past value being updated based on (i) a present authentication result determined, via the authentication module, from the user'"'"'s input other than an input performed in response to an input request for authentication, and (ii) the previously determined past value that is stored in the memory and indicates the prior likelihood of the user being the person; referring to the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person in response to an instruction to begin a process which requires authentication; and controlling whether or not to permit execution of the process depending on whether or not the value referred to is more than a certain threshold, wherein the updating includes, based on a certain function, decreasing the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person as time passes while an authentication result is not determined by the authentication module. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program for preventing unauthorized use of a device comprising an authentication module that compares a characteristic obtained from a user'"'"'s input into the device with a registered characteristic of a person to determine a likelihood of the user being the person, the computer program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:
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determining, via the authentication module and as an authentication result, the likelihood of the user being the person, the authentication result being determined based on the comparison; storing in a memory a value that (i) is determined based on the authentication result, and (ii) indicates the likelihood of the user being the person; updating, via the authentication module, as a most recent stored value, a previously determined past value stored in the memory and indicating a prior likelihood of the user being the person, the past value being updated based on (i) a present authentication result determined, via the authentication module, from the user'"'"'s input other than an input performed in response to an input request for authentication, and (ii) the previously determined past value that is stored in the memory and indicates the prior likelihood of the user being the person; referring to the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person in response to an instruction to begin a process which requires authentication; and controlling whether or not to permit execution of the process depending on whether or not the value referred to is more than a certain threshold, wherein the updating includes, based on a certain function, decreasing the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person as time passes while an authentication result is not determined by the authentication module.
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20. A device with a function of preventing unauthorized use, the device comprising:
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an input unit operable to accept a user'"'"'s input; a process unit operable to execute an instructed process; an authentication unit operable to compare a characteristic obtained from an input accepted by the input unit with a registered characteristic of a person, and determine, as an authentication result, a likelihood of the user being the person, the authentication result being determined based on the comparison; a memory for storing a value that (i) is determined based on an authentication result determined by the authentication unit, and (ii) indicates the likelihood of the user being the person; a first controller operable to update, as a most recent stored value, a previously determined past value stored in the memory and indicating a prior likelihood of the user being the person, the past value being updated based on (i) a present authentication result determined, by the authentication unit, from the user'"'"'s input including an input other than an input done in response to an input request for authentication, and (ii) the previously determined past value that is stored in the memory and indicates the prior likelihood of the user being the person; and a second controller operable to, in response to an instruction to begin a process which requires authentication, (i) refer to the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person, and (ii) control whether or not the process unit executes the process depending on whether or not the value referred to is more than a certain threshold, wherein the first controller, based on a certain function, decreases the most recent stored value indicating the likelihood of the user being the person as time passes while an authentication result is not determined by the authentication unit. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification