Identity verification for online education

• US 8,838,970 B1
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coursera, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Coursera, Inc.
• Inventors: Suresh, Bipin, Heather, Christopher B., Ngiam, Jiquan, Kim, Minjeong, Fox, Pamela S., Ng, Andrew Yan-Tak
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAIFER HARRIMAN, DANT B
• Application Number:
  US14/149,603
• Time in Patent Office: 252 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 713/168
• US Class Current: 713/168
• 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: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Performing identity verification for online education is disclosed. In response to receiving a notification of a submission event, a user is prompted to provide authentication information including at least one of a plurality of types of information. Authentication information received is compared to at least a portion of stored enrollment information associated with the user with which the received authentication information is associated. The stored enrollment information includes at least two different types of information collected during an enrollment phase, including the at least one type of information solicited during the user prompting. In the event that matching criteria are met based at least in part on the comparison, a first action is performed. In the event that matching criteria are not met based at least in part on the comparison, a second action that is different from the first action is performed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

in response to receiving a notification of a submission event, prompt a user, via an interface, to provide a first type of authentication information wherein the first type of authentication information is a typing sample provided by the user entering an authentication phrase using a keyboard, wherein the submission event is the submission of the user'"'"'s coursework comprising a quiz in an online course;

compare authentication information received via the interface to stored enrollment information associated with the user with which the received authentication information is associated, wherein the stored enrollment information includes information the first type of authentication information and a second type of authentication information collected during an enrollment phase, and

in the event that a match is determined based on the comparison, verify the identity of the user; and

in the event that a match is not determined based on the comparison, prompt the user to provide the second type of authentication information; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to issue the user a verified credential based on the comparison and on the completion of the user'"'"'s coursework.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the verified credential includes a verified certificate.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the user is prompted to provide the typing sample by entering an authentication phrase.

4. The system recited in claim 3, wherein the comparing includes determining whether the authentication typing sample matches an enrollment typing sample captured during the enrollment phase based at least in part on similarity criteria.

5. The system recited in claim 4, wherein the authentication typing sample and the enrollment typing sample correspond to entries of identical phrases.

6. The system recited in claim 4, wherein the authentication typing sample and the enrollment typing sample correspond to entries of different phrases.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein in response to verifying the identity of the user, the processor is further configured to authenticate the submission event.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the second type of authentication information includes a headshot of the user.

9. The system recited in claim 8, wherein the headshot is captured using a webcam.

10. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the stored enrollment information includes at least two of a typing profile of the user, a headshot of the user, a capture of identification documentation associated with the user, and personal information associated with the user.

11. The system recited in claim 10, wherein the personal information associated with the user includes at least one of a legal given name of the user, a legal family name of the user, a date of birth of the user, and an address associated with the user.

12. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the submission event is associated with submission of a coursework item in an online course.

13. A method, comprising:

in response to receiving a notification of a submission event, prompting a user to provide a first type of authentication information, wherein the first type of authentication information is a typing sample provided by the user entering an authentication phrase using a keyboard, and wherein the submission event is the submission of the user'"'"'s coursework comprising a quiz in an online course;

comparing authentication information received via the interface to stored enrollment information associated with the user with which the received authentication information is associated, wherein the stored enrollment information includes the first type of authentication information and a second type of authentication information collected during an enrollment phase, and

in the event that a match is determined based on the comparison, verifying the identity of the user; and

in the event that a match is not determined based on the comparison, prompting the user to provide the second type of authentication information, wherein a processor is configured to determine whether to issue the user a verified credential based on the comparing and on completion of the user'"'"'s coursework.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the verified credential includes a verified certificate.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is prompted to provide the typing sample by entering an authentication phrase.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the comparing includes determining whether the authentication typing sample matches an enrollment typing sample captured during the enrollment phase based at least in part on similarity criteria.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the second type of authentication information is a headshot of the user.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive first type of authentication information associated with a corresponding submission event from a user, wherein the submission event is the submission of the user'"'"'s coursework comprising a quiz in an online course;

attempt to verify the identity of the user associated with the submission event by determining a match between the first type of authentication information and stored enrollment information, collected during an enrollment phase; and

in the event that the identity of the user is not verified for the submission event, prompt the user to provide the second type of authentication information; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to issue the user a verified certificate based on both verifying the identity of the user and on completion of the user'"'"'s coursework.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first type of authentication information includes a typing sample, and wherein the second type of authentication information includes a headshot of the user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein determining the match includes determining, based at least in part on matching criteria, a match between an authentication typing sample and an enrollment typing sample.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the stored enrollment information includes at least two of a typing profile of a user, a headshot of the user, a capture of identification documentation associated with the user, and personal information associated with the user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the typing profile included in the stored enrollment information comprises a profile of the user'"'"'s typing behavior created based at least in part on a provided typing sample.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the user'"'"'s identity was verified during the enrollment phase based at least in part on a portion of the stored enrollment information.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the submission event is associated with submission of an item in an online course.