Using camera signatures from uploaded images to authenticate users of an online system

• US 8,306,256 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Muriello, Daniel Gregory, Heise, Stephen Charles, Chen, Jie
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Tom Y
• Application Number:
  US12/884,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20120070029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication

Abstract

Users of an online system are authenticated based on signatures of cameras that were used to capture images uploaded to the online system. Users of an online system upload photos taken from their cameras. The online system extracts characteristic information about the camera that captured the photos. This information includes a mapping of faulty pixels, metadata included with the photos, a naming convention, and the like. The online system stores an association between the user and the camera. This association is used for authentication of the user. For authentication, the user is asked to upload new photos taken from the camera that the user used previously. The information extracted from the newly uploaded photos is matched against stored information of cameras used previously by the user. The user is successfully authenticated if the camera used for the newly uploaded photos matches a previously stored camera.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for authenticating users of an online system based on cameras associated with the user, the method comprising:

receiving images from a user of an online system;

analyzing the images to identify a plurality of images with matching information;

associating the plurality of images with a signature of a camera; and

associating the camera with an account for the user;

receiving a request from the user for access to the online system;

responsive to the request from the user, sending a request to the user to authenticate the user'"'"'s account by providing one or more additional images taken from the camera;

receiving the requested one or more additional images from the user;

comparing the one or more additional images to the signature of the camera; and

responsive to the one or more additional images matching the signature of the camera, providing the user with the requested access to the online system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the images comprises identifying at least one of a faulty pixel in the images, lens dust, and lens scratches based on information received in the images.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein a faulty pixel has a fixed value for any image captured by the camera irrespective of the input received by the camera.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the images comprises identifying image artifacts, wherein two images have matching information if they have same image artifacts.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the images comprises identifying camera artifacts based on information available in the images, wherein two images have matching information if they have same camera artifacts.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the images comprises extracting metadata from files associated with the images.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein comparing the one or more additional images to the signature of the camera comprises matching a metadata attribute extracted from files associated with the images.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the metadata attribute is at least one of a serial number, a make of the camera, and a model number of the camera.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the metadata attribute is at a time setting indicative of the time of capture of the image.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the metadata attribute is a geographical location associated with the place where the image was captured.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, the metadata attribute is a name of the image files.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein matching a metadata attribute comprises determining if the attribute value belongs to a sequence described by attribute values extracted from the plurality of images.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the images comprises determining a distribution of pixel values across images and identifying pixels with skewed distribution of pixel values.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a camera signature comprises an attribute of metadata associated with images with monotonically changing values for images taken consecutively from the camera.

15. A computer-implemented method for authenticating a user of an online system, the method comprising:

storing one or more camera signatures associated with the user, wherein each camera signature comprises characteristic information about the camera obtained from images taken from the camera;

receiving a request for access to information from a user;

sending a request to the user to upload an image;

responsive to receiving an uploaded image, matching the uploaded image with a camera signature, wherein matching comprises comparing attributes of the uploaded image with the values of attributes associated with the camera signatures associated with the user; and

responsive to the uploaded image matching at least one of the camera signatures associated with the user, granting access to the requested information to the user.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein a camera signature comprises faulty pixels of the camera, each faulty pixel associated with a position of images taken from the camera with a skewed distribution of an attribute of the pixel across images.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein a camera signature comprises an attribute of metadata associated with images with monotonically changing values for images taken consecutively from the camera.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein a camera signature comprises an attribute of metadata uniquely identifying the camera.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein a camera signature comprises a naming convention associated with image files.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein a camera signature comprises pixel dimensions of the image.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein a camera signature comprises at least one of a serial number of the camera, a model number of the camera, and a make of the camera.

22. A computer-implemented system for authenticating users of an online system, the system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing computer program modules configured to execute on the computer processor, the computer program modules comprising;

a camera identification module configured to;

receiving images from a user of an online system;

analyzing the images to identify a plurality of images with matching information;

associating the plurality of images with a signature of a camera; and

associating the camera with an account for the user; and

an authentication module configured to;

receiving a request from the user for access to the online system;

sending a request to the user to authenticate the user'"'"'s account by providing one or more additional images taken from the camera;

receiving the requested one or more additional images from the user;

comparing the one or more additional images to the signature of the camera; and

responsive to the one or more additional images matching the signature of the camera, providing the user with the requested access to the online system.

23. The computer-implemented system of claim 22, wherein analyzing the images comprises identifying one or more faulty pixels in the images, and wherein two images have matching information if they have corresponding faulty pixels.

24. The computer-implemented system of claim 22, wherein analyzing the images comprises extracting metadata from a file associated with the images.

25. The computer-implemented system of claim 22, wherein comparing the one or more additional images to the signature of the camera comprises matching a metadata attribute extracted from a file associated with the images.

26. The computer-implemented system of claim 25, wherein the metadata attribute is at least one of a serial number, a make of the camera, and a model number of the camera.

27. The computer-implemented system of claim 22, wherein analyzing the images comprises determining a distribution of pixel values across images and identifying pixels with skewed distribution of pixel values.

28. The computer-implemented system of claim 22, wherein a camera signature comprises an attribute of metadata associated with images with monotonically changing values for images taken consecutively from the camera.