Electronic apparatus and authenticating method

• US 7,711,961 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yanagida, Toshiharu, Fujinuma, Keiichi, Kosugi, Ichiro, Okoshi, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAYOU, YONAS A
• Application Number:
  US10/913,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,094 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• 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 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses

Abstract

Biogenic information of the user is obtained through a camera unit and an authentication sensor and compared with biogenic information of a person with use authority has previously been stored, thereby discriminating whether or not the user has the use authority. When the user is authenticated, that is, if it is determined that the user is the person with the use authority, an electronic apparatus permits the user to use each function and operate. The authentication of the user is executed when the user wears the electronic apparatus. After he removes it, the authentication result is not held, thereby disabling a person without the use authority to use the electronic apparatus. The biogenic information (physical feature) of the user is detected and the personal authentication can be executed without requiring the user to execute the annoying inputting operation for the personal authentication.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus configured to attach to a user, the electronic apparatus comprising:

attachment detecting means for detecting whether said electronic apparatus is attached to said user;

biogenic information obtaining means, separate from said attachment detecting means, for obtaining biogenic information regarding said user;

authenticating means for authenticating said user by comparing the biogenic information of said user obtained by said biogenic information obtaining means with biogenic information of a person with use authority of said electronic apparatus, and by determining whether said user is the person with said use authority, when said attachment detecting means detects that said electronic apparatus is attached to said user; and

control means for permitting said user to use said electronic apparatus until said attachment detecting means detects that said electronic apparatus is not attached to said user, when said user is authenticated by said authenticating means, wherein

the control means automatically provides login information to access a service of an external apparatus, when said user is determined to be permitted to use said electronic apparatus and the login information is required by the external apparatus, the login information including one or a combination of a user ID and password.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

at least two different biogenic information are used upon authentication of said user, and

said authenticating means authenticates said user only when it is determined that said user is the person with said use authority with respect to all of the biogenic information or a predetermined number or more of the biogenic information in at least said two different biogenic information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said biogenic information obtaining means obtains the biogenic information of said user in a normal state when said user uses said electronic apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means adjusts a range of permission of the use in accordance with a degree of the authentication of said user by said authenticating means or a person serving as an authentication target.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the biogenic information of the person with said use authority is stored into storing means provided in said electronic apparatus or external storing means which can be accessed through a predetermined network.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said attachment detecting means detects whether said user wears said electronic apparatus,

and said control means permits said user to use said electronic apparatus under such conditions that it is detected by said attachment detecting means that said user wears said electronic apparatus and said user has been authenticated by said authenticating means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said attachment detecting means is a sensor for detecting that said user has come into contact with a main body of said electronic apparatus or enters a predetermined proximity state.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

on the basis of authentication information which shows the presence or absence of the authentication of said user and which has been stored in a predetermined storing area by said authenticating means, said control means determines that said user has been authenticated, and

when a state where said user does not wear said electronic apparatus is obtained, said authenticating means updates said information to contents showing that said user is not authenticated.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said authenticating means authenticates said user only when said electronic apparatus is first detected to be attached to said user by said attachment detecting means.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment detecting means detects whether said electronic apparatus is attached to said user independent of the biogenic information obtained by the biogenic information obtaining means.

9. An authenticating method for an electronic apparatus configured to attach to a user, comprising:

detecting, by an attachment sensor, whether said electronic apparatus is attached to said user;

obtaining, by a biogenic information sensor separate from the attachment sensor, biogenic information regarding said user;

authenticating said user by comparing the biogenic information of said user obtained in said obtaining with biogenic information of a person with use authority of said electronic apparatus, and by determining whether the user is the person with said use authority, when said detecting detects that said electronic apparatus is attached to said user;

permitting said user to use said electronic apparatus until said detecting detects that said electronic apparatus is not attached to said user, when said user is authenticated by said authenticating; and

providing, automatically, login information to access a service of an external apparatus, when said user is determined to be permitted to use said electronic apparatus and the login information is required by the external apparatus, the login information including one or a combination of a user ID and password.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein

at least two different biogenic information are used upon authentication of said user, and

in said authenticating said user is authenticated only when it is determined that said user is the person with said use authority with respect to all of the biogenic information or a predetermined number or more of the biogenic information in at least said two different biogenic information.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein in said obtaining, the biogenic information of said user is obtained in a normal state when said user uses said electronic apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein in said permitting, a range of permission of the use is adjusted in accordance with a degree of the authentication of said user by said authenticating or a person serving as an authentication target.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the biogenic information of the person with said use authority is stored into storing means provided in said electronic apparatus or external storing means which can be accessed through a predetermined network.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the detecting comprises detecting whether said user wears said electronic apparatus,

and in said permitting, control is made so as to permit said user to use said electronic apparatus under such conditions that it is detected by said detecting that said user wears said electronic apparatus and said user has been authenticated by said authenticating.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein in said detecting, a sensor is used for detecting that said user has come into contact with a main body of said electronic apparatus or enters a predetermined proximity state.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein

in said permitting, on the basis of authentication information which shows the presence or absence of the authentication of said user and which has been stored in predetermined storing area by said authenticating, it is discriminated that said user has been authenticated, and

in said authenticating, when a state where said user does not wear said electronic apparatus is obtained, said information is updated to contents showing that said user is not authenticated.

19. The method according to claim 9, wherein said authenticating comprises authenticating said user only when said electronic apparatus is first detected to be attached to said user in said detecting.

22. The method according to claim 9, wherein the detecting comprises detecting whether said electronic apparatus is attached to said user independent of the biogenic information obtained in the obtaining step.

17. An electronic apparatus configured to attach to a user, the electronic apparatus comprising:

an attachment sensor configured to detect whether said electronic apparatus is attached to said user;

a biogenic information sensor, separate from said attachment sensor, configured to obtain biogenic information regarding said user;

an authentication unit configured to authenticate said user by comparing the biogenic information of said user obtained by said biogenic information sensor with biogenic information of a person with use authority of said electronic apparatus, and by determining whether said user is the person with said use authority, when said attachment sensor detects that said electronic apparatus is attached to said user; and

a control unit configured to permit said user to use said electronic apparatus until said attachment sensor detects that said electronic apparatus is not attached to said user, when said user is authenticated by said authentication unit, wherein

the control unit is configured to automatically provide login information to access a service of an external apparatus, when said user is determined to be permitted to use said electronic apparatus and the login information is required by the external apparatus, the login information including one or a combination of a user ID and password.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said authentication unit is configured to authenticate said user only when said electronic apparatus is first detected to be attached to said user by said attachment sensor.

23. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the attachment sensor is configured to detect whether said electronic apparatus is attached to said user independent of the biogenic information obtained by the biogenic information sensor.