Frequency based age determination

• US 8,375,459 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allen, Lloyd W. Jr., Grigsby, Travis M., Jenkins, Jana H., Miller, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): OBEID, MAMON A
• Application Number:
  US12/410,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216, 709/226, 709/229, 726 2- 4, 726 27- 30, 705/51, 725/25, 725/28
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

Human ability to perceive higher audio frequencies diminishes with age. Functionality can be implemented to use a combination of audio tones with varying frequencies to identify an age range to which a user belongs and accordingly control access to age dependent access controlled information and services. The user'"'"'s ability to perceive one or more audio tones in the combination of audio tones depends on the user'"'"'s age. Thus, different users, depending on the users'"'"' age, may perceive the same combination of audio tones differently. Such an age verification system based on human perception of audio tones can minimize the need for identification cards and a reliance on the user providing accurate age information. This can prevent the user from misinterpreting his/her age to access the age dependent access controlled information and can ensure that only an authorized user gets access to the age dependent access controlled information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a request to access an age dependent access controlled resource hosted by at least one server, wherein access to the age dependent access controlled resource is restricted to users within a permitted age range;

retrieving at least a first audio tone indicated as perceivable by people within a first age range and at least a second audio tone indicated as perceivable by people within a second age range, wherein indicated perceivable age ranges of the first audio tone and the second audio tone are mutually exclusive;

presenting, on a device, at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio;

determining an estimated age range based on a response that indicates which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone could not be perceived in response to said presenting the at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone on the device, wherein said determining the age range based on the response that indicates which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone could not be perceived comprises;

generating an indication in response to a perception of a perceived audio tone of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

recording tone information associated with the perceived audio tone, wherein the tone information is one or more of an audio tone identification number, an audio tone frequency, a time instant at which the audio tone was perceived, and a reference to the perceived audio tone; and

transmitting the tone information associated with the perceived audio tone to the at least one server hosting the age dependent access controlled resource;

denying the request to access the age dependent access controlled resource hosted by the at least one server based on the estimated age range being outside of the permitted age range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the age dependent access controlled resource comprises at least one of an online communication environment, a chat room, a message board, a virtual world, a part of a virtual world, an online game, an online social network, a website, an Internet based application, and a phone-based application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the at least one server storing, in a blocked user database, identification information associated with the denied request to access the age dependent access controlled resource, wherein the identification information comprises one or more of an Internet Protocol address associated with the age dependent access controlled resource, a client network address, a client device serial number, an identification number associated with a client account to access the age dependent access controlled resource, and a number of consecutive denied requests to access the age dependent access controlled resource.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a second request to access the age dependent access controlled resource hosted by the at least one server is denied;

determining that a number of consecutive denied requests to access the age dependent access controlled resource exceeds a number of allowable consecutive denied requests; and

closing a client account used to access the age dependent access controlled resource.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second request to access the age dependent access controlled resource on the at least one server;

retrieving at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

presenting, on the device, at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

determining a second estimated age range based on receiving a response indicating which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone was perceived in response to said presenting at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone on the device;

comparing the second estimated age range with the permitted age range associated with the age dependent access controlled resource;

determining that the second estimated age range conforms to the permitted age range; and

granting the second request to access the age dependent access controlled resource based, at least in part, on the determining that the second estimated age range conforms to the permitted age range.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said presenting, on the device, the at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone comprises presenting the at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone in an increasing order of audio frequency.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said presenting, on the device, the at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone comprises presenting the at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone in a varying order of audio frequencies.

8. One or more machine-readable storage media having stored therein a program product, which when executed by a set of one or more processors causes the set of one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

detecting a request to access an age dependent access controlled resource hosted by at least one server, wherein access to the age dependent access controlled resource is restricted to users within a permitted age range;

retrieving at least a first audio tone indicated as perceivable by people within a first age range and at least a second audio tone indicated as perceivable by people within a second age range, wherein indicated perceivable age ranges of the first audio tone and the second audio tone are mutually exclusive;

presenting at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

determining an estimated age range based on a response that indicates which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone could not be perceived in response to presentation of the at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone on the device, wherein the operation of determining the age range based on the response that indicates which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone could not be perceived comprises;

generating an indication in response to a perception of a perceived audio tone of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

recording tone information associated with the perceived audio tone, wherein the tone information is one or more of an audio tone identification number, an audio tone frequency, a time instant at which the audio tone was perceived, and a reference to the perceived audio tone; and

transmitting the tone information associated with the perceived audio tone to the at least one server hosting the age dependent access controlled resource; and

denying the request to access the age dependent access controlled resource hosted by the at least one server based on the estimated age range being outside of the permitted age range.

9. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 8,

wherein the age dependent access controlled resource comprises at least one of an online communication environment, a chat room, a message board, a virtual world, a part of a virtual world, an online game, an online social network, a website, an Internet based application, and a phone-based application.

10. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 8,

wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that a second request to access the age dependent access controlled resource hosted by the at least one server is denied;

determining that a number of consecutive denied requests to access the age dependent access controlled resource exceeds a number of allowable consecutive denied requests; and

closing a client account used to access the age dependent access controlled resource.

11. The one or more machine-readable storage media of claim 8,

wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a second request to access the age dependent access controlled resource on the at least one server;

retrieving at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

presenting, on the device, at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

determining a second estimated age range based on receiving a response indicating which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone was perceived in response to said presenting at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone on the device;

comparing the second estimated age range with the permitted age range associated with the age dependent access controlled resource;

determining that the second estimated age range conforms to the permitted age range; and

granting the second request to access the age dependent access controlled resource based, at least in part, on the determining that the second estimated age range conforms to the permitted age range.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory unit coupled with the processor;

an age verification unit configured to;

detect a request to access an age dependent access controlled resource hosted by at least one server, wherein access to the age dependent access controlled resource is restricted to users within a permitted age range;

retrieve at least a first audio tone indicated as perceivable by people within a first age range and at least a second audio tone indicated as perceivable by people within a second age range, wherein indicated perceivable age ranges of the first audio tone and the second audio tone are mutually exclusive;

present at least both of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

determine an estimated age range based on a response that indicates which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone could not be perceived in response to the age verification unit presenting the at least both of the first audio tone and the at least the second audio tone on the device, wherein the age verification unit being operable to determine the age range based on the response that indicates which of the first audio tone and the second audio tone could not be perceived comprises the age verification unit being operable to,

generate an indication of perception of a perceived audio tone of the first audio tone and the second audio tone;

record tone information associated with the perceived audio tone, wherein the tone information is one or more of an audio tone identification number, an audio tone frequency, a time instant at which the audio tone was perceived, and a reference to the perceived audio tone; and

transmit the tone information associated with the perceived audio tone to the at least one server hosting the age dependent access controlled resource; and

deny the request to access the age dependent access controlled resource hosted by the at least one server based on the estimated age range being outside of the permitted age range.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the age verification unit comprises one or more machine-readable storage media.