Wearable computing device authentication using bone conduction

• US 9,277,334 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Adrian, Starner, Thad Eugene, Weaver, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Application Number:
  US13/425,821
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• Field of Search: 381/58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A wearable computing device is authenticated using bone conduction. When a user wears the device, a bone conduction speaker and a bone conduction microphone on the device contact the user'"'"'s head at positions proximate the user'"'"'s skull. A calibration process is performed by transmitting a signal from the speaker through the skull and receiving a calibration signal at the microphone. An authentication process is subsequently performed by transmitting another signal from the speaker through the skull and an authentication signal is received at the microphone. In the event that frequency response characteristics of the authentication signal match the frequency response characteristics of the calibration signal, the user is authenticated and the device is enabled for user interaction without requiring the user to input any additional data.

Claims

1. A computing device configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s head, the computing device comprising:

a bone conduction speaker configured to contact the user'"'"'s head at a first location thereof, the first location being proximate the skull of the user'"'"'s head;

a bone conduction microphone configured to contact the user'"'"'s head at a second location thereof, the second location being proximate the skull of the user'"'"'s head; and

a processor executing instructions stored in memory to;

transmit a first signal from the speaker for reception by the microphone thereby transmitting sound through the skull, the transmission altering characteristics of the first signal to produce a second signal; and

authenticate the user to the device in the event that characteristics of the second signal match characteristics of a calibration signal.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the characteristics are frequency response characteristics.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the characteristics are impulse response characteristics.

4. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising an eyeglass frame, wherein the speaker and the microphone are attached to the eyeglass frame.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, before the first signal is transmitted, the processor transmits a third signal from the speaker for reception by the microphone thereby to obtain the calibration signal, the characteristics of the calibration signal being stored in memory.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein the third signal has substantially the same frequency spectrum as the first signal.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in the event that the characteristics of the second signal match the characteristics of the calibration signal, the computing device is enabled for operation by the user.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in the event that characteristics of the second signal do not match the characteristics of the calibration signal, the computing device is disabled such that the user cannot operate the computing device.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in the event that characteristics of the second signal do not match the characteristics of the calibration signal, the processor prepares a display of a visualization to the user regarding the lack of match, and to request re-authentication of the user.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first location and the second location are on opposite sides of the user'"'"'s head.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the second signal match the characteristics of the calibration signal when the characteristics of the second signal are substantially similar to the characteristics of the calibration signal, the substantial similarity being based on a predetermined margin of error.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor transmits the first signal periodically during a computing session such that the second signal is periodically produced in response to the first signal, and the processor authenticates the user to the device periodically during the computing session in the event that the characteristics of each second signal matches the characteristics of the calibration signal.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the second signal are obtained by performing a Fast Fourier Transform on the second signal.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting a first signal from a bone conduction speaker through a user'"'"'s skull, the speaker being positioned at a first location on the user'"'"'s head proximate the skull, the first signal causing sound to transmit through the skull;

receiving a second signal at a bone conduction microphone positioned at a second location on the head proximate the skull, the second signal being an altered version of the first signal caused by the sound transmitted through the skull; and

authenticating the user to a device in the event that characteristics of the second signal are substantially similar to characteristics of a calibration signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the characteristics are frequency response characteristics.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the characteristics are impulse response characteristics.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising calibrating the user to the device to produce the calibration signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein calibrating the user comprises:

transmitting a third signal from the speaker through the skull;

receiving the calibration signal at the microphone, wherein the calibration signal is an altered version of the third signal caused by sound transmitted through the skull; and

storing the characteristics of the calibration signal in memory of the device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the third signal has substantially the same frequency spectrum as the first signal.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the characteristics of the second signal are substantially similar to the characteristics of the calibration signal when the characteristics of the second signal are within a predetermined margin of error relative to the characteristics of the calibration signal.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the first signal is transmitted periodically during a computing session such that the second signal is periodically produced in response to the first signal, the user being authenticated periodically during the computing session in the event that the characteristics of each second signal are substantially similar to characteristics of the calibration signal.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising performing a Fast Fourier Transform on the calibration signal and the second signal to obtain the characteristics of the calibration signal and the second signal, respectively.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a visualization on a display of the device, wherein the visualization indicates whether the user is authenticated to the device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the visualization indicates that a re-authentication of the user is to be performed prior to enabling the user to use the device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the visualization indicates to the user that one or both of the speaker and the microphone should be repositioned on the user'"'"'s head prior to performing a re-authentication operation.

26. A computing device comprising:

a bone conduction speaker configured to transmit a first signal through a cavity;

a bone conduction microphone configured to receive a second signal, wherein the second signal is an altered version of the first signal caused by the cavity; and

a processor executing instructions stored in memory to authenticate a user to the device in the event that characteristics of the second signal are substantially similar to characteristics of a calibration signal; and

a headset comprising an eyeglass frame, wherein the speaker and the microphone are attached to the eyeglass frame.

27. The computing device of claim 26, wherein the characteristics are frequency response characteristics.

28. The computing device of claim 26, wherein the characteristics are impulse response characteristics.

29. The computing device of claim 26, wherein before the first signal is transmitted, the processor transmits a third signal from the speaker for reception by the microphone to obtain the calibration signal, the characteristics of the calibration signal being stored in memory.

30. The computing device of claim 26, wherein, in the event that the characteristics of the second signal are substantially similar to the characteristics of the calibration signal, the computing device is enabled for operation by the user.

31. The computing device of claim 30, where the characteristics of the second signal are substantially similar to the characteristics of the calibration signal when the characteristics of the second signal are within a predetermined margin of error relative to the characteristics of the calibration signal.

32. The computing device of claim 26, wherein the characteristics of the second signal are obtained by performing a Fast Fourier Transform on the second signal.

33. The computing device of claim 26, wherein the processor provides a visualization of the characteristics on a display of the headset.