Systems and methods for authenticating a user based on a biometric model associated with the user

• US 9,203,835 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jakobsson, Bjorn Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/033,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20140250515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 713/168, 713/182, 713/186
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/11 Hand-related biometrics; Hand pose recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 by interactive indications to the user
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3231 Biological data, e.g. fingerprint, voice or retina network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using biometrical features in a packet data network H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent

Abstract

Systems and methods as provided herein may create a biometric model associated with a user. The created biometric model may be used to generate challenges that are presented to the user for authentication purposes. A user response to the challenge may be compared to an expected response, and if the user response matches within a predetermined error of the expected response, the user may be authenticated. The systems and methods may further generate challenges that are adaptively designed to address weaknesses or errors in the created model such that the model is more closely associated with a user and the user is more likely to be the only person capable of successfully responding to the generated challenges.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating a user, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

determine a biometric model of the user including at least a distance from a joint of a finger of the user, a length of a finger of the user, or a range of motion of a finger of the user;

generate at least one challenge;

determine an expected response based on the determined biometric model and the generated challenge; and

determine if a received response matches the expected response within a predetermined degree of accuracy;

a biometric sensor configured to receive the response;

a memory, the memory storing the determined biometric model; and

a network interface component coupled to a network, the network interface component configured to transmit a successful authentication when the received response matches the expected response within a predetermined degree of accuracy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, to determine a biometric model of the user, are further configured to:

generate a first challenge;

receive a first response to the first challenge;

fit the first response to a model;

determine a point of substantial error in the model; and

generate an additional challenge to address the point of substantial error.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generated additional challenges to address the points of substantial error until the model is sufficiently accurate to identify the user within a predetermined probability.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the response to the first challenge includes values that may be fit to unknown values in the model.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric sensor comprises at least one of a touch sensor, a pressure sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, and optical sensor, and a combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one challenge is generated based on the determined biometric model.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one challenge requires the user to position a biometric identifier in alignment with a graphical instruction, and further comprising:

a display component configured to display the graphical instruction; and

an indicator configured to provide an indication of when the alignment is complete.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the display component comprises at least one of a touch screen device, a display of a wearable computing device, an eyeglass projection screen, and a touch sensor.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical instruction comprises at least one of a displayed hand motion and a timer indicating how long the user has left to respond to the challenge and the indication comprises at least one of a displayed hand motion and a generated audible command.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions for execution by one or more processors that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform a method for authenticating a user, the method comprising:

determining a biometric model of the user including at least a distance from a joint of a finger of the user, a length of a finger of the user, or a range of motion of a finger of the use;

storing the determined biometric model;

generating at least one challenge in response to a request for authentication;

determining an expected response based on the stored model and the generated at least one challenge; and

transmitting a successful authentication when a received response matches the expected response within a predetermined degree of accuracy.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining a biometric model of the user comprises:

generating a first challenge;

receiving a first response to the first challenge;

fitting the first response to a model;

determining a point of substantial error in the model; and

generating an additional challenge to address the point of substantial error.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising generating additional challenges to address the points of substantial error until the model is sufficiently accurate to identify the user within a predetermined probability.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein fitting the response to the model comprises determining values from the response and fitting the determined values to unknown values in the model.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein generating at least one challenge comprises generating at least one biometric challenge to be presented to the user on a biometric sensor.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein generating at least one biometric challenge comprises generating at least one of a touch challenge, a pressure challenge, an optical challenge, an electromagnetic challenge, and a combination thereof.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein generating the at least one challenge comprises generating the at least one challenge based on the determined biometric model.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein generating the at least one challenge comprises:

requiring the user to position a biometric identifier in a particular alignment;

providing a graphical instruction of the particular alignment; and

indicating when the alignment is complete.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

providing the graphical instruction comprises at least one of a displaying a hand motion and a timer indicating how long the user has left to respond to the challenge; and

indicating when the alignment is complete comprises at least one of displaying a hand motion and a generating audible command.

19. A system for authenticating a user, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

determine a biometric model of the user;

generate at least one challenge, the at least one challenge requires the user to position a biometric identifier in alignment with a graphical instruction that comprises at least one of a displayed hand motion and a timer indicating how long the user has left to respond to the challenge;

determine an expected response based on the determined biometric model and the generated challenge; and

determine if a received response matches the expected response within a predetermined degree of accuracy;

a biometric sensor configured to receive the response;

a display component configured to display the graphical instruction;

an indicator configured to provide an indication of when the alignment is complete that comprises at least one of the displayed hand motion and a generated audible command;

a memory, the memory storing the determined biometric model; and

a network interface component coupled to a network, the network interface component configured to transmit a successful authentication when the received response matches the expected response within a predetermined degree of accuracy.