User identification on a touchscreen device

• US 9,554,273 B1
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Menahem, Eitan, Jarrous, Ayman, Shulman-Peleg, Alexandra
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/845,451
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/410, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention may involve identifying a user of a touchscreen device. A touchscreen device may receive a user input. One or more features of the user input on the touchscreen device may be identified. The one or more features of the user input may include, for example, geometric patterns, swiping motifs, a pressure, a spatial orientation, or any combination thereof. A user profile comprising the one or more features of the user input may be generated. The touchscreen device may receive a second input from an unknown user. A statistical evaluation may be performed comparing one or more features of the second input with one or more features of the user input in the user profile. A probability that the unknown user is the user may be determined. If a low probability is determined, the unknown user may be locked out of the touchscreen device.

Claims

1. A method for determining that an unknown user is a known user of a touchscreen device, the method comprising:

receiving an input via a touchscreen device from an unknown user during an activity performed by the unknown user;

determining, during the activity performed by the unknown user, a spatial orientation of the touchscreen device on an x-y-z axis in association with the input received from the unknown user;

performing a statistical evaluation whereby one or more features of the input received from the unknown user, in combination with the spatial orientation of the touchscreen device associated with the input received from the unknown user, are compared with one or more features of analogous input, previously received from a known user via the touchscreen device during an activity performed by the known user, in combination with a spatial orientation of the touchscreen device on the x-y-z axis associated with the input previously received from the known user during the activity performed by the known user, wherein the input previously received from the known user and the spatial orientation of the touchscreen device associated with the input previously received from the known user are stored in a profile associated with the known user; and

determining, based on the statistical evaluation, a probability that the unknown user is the known user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

denying authentication of the unknown user based on the probability that the unknown user is the known user falling below a threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein denying authentication prevents the unknown user from accessing one or more of the touchscreen device, a function of the touchscreen device, a remote computing device, and an application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the statistical evaluation, the probability that the unknown user is the known user is performed by a cloud computing node.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the one or more features of the user input on the touchscreen device; and

generating the user profile comprising the one or more features of the user input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features of the user input comprise a swiping motif.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features of the user input comprise a pressure applied to the touchscreen device.

8. A computer program product for determining that an unknown user is a known user of a touchscreen device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium; and

computer-readable program code embodied in the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium, where the computer-readable program code is configured to;

receive an input via a touchscreen device from an unknown user during an activity performed by the unknown user,

determine, during the activity performed by the unknown user, a spatial orientation of the touchscreen device on an x-y-z axis in association with the input received from the unknown user,

perform a statistical evaluation whereby one or more features of the input received from the unknown user, in combination with the spatial orientation of the touchscreen device associated with the input received from the unknown user, are compared with one or more features of analogous input, previously received from a known user via the touchscreen device during an activity performed by the known user, in combination with a spatial orientation of the touchscreen device on the x-y-z axis associated with the input previously received from the known user during the activity performed by the known user, wherein the input previously received from the known user and the spatial orientation of the touchscreen device associated with the input previously received from the known user are stored in a profile associated with the known user, and

determine, based on the statistical evaluation, a probability that the unknown user is the known user.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to

identify the one or more features of the user input on the touchscreen device, and

generate the user profile comprising the one or more features of the user input.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable program code is configured to deny authentication of the unknown user based on the probability that the unknown user is the known user falling below a threshold value.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the one or more features of the user input comprise a pressure applied to the touchscreen device.

12. A computer system for determining that an unknown user is a known user of a touchscreen device, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the non-transitory, computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions configured to

receive an input via a touchscreen device from an unknown user during an activity performed by the unknown user,

determine, during the activity performed by the unknown user, a spatial orientation of the touchscreen device on an x-y-z axis in association with the input received from the unknown user,

perform a statistical evaluation whereby one or more features of the input received from the unknown user, in combination with the spatial orientation of the touchscreen device associated with the input received from the unknown user, are compared with one or more features of analogous input, previously received from a known user via the touchscreen device during an activity performed by the known user, in combination with a spatial orientation of the touchscreen device on the x-y-z axis associated with the input previously received from the known user during the activity performed by the known user, wherein the input previously received from the known user and the spatial orientation of the touchscreen device associated with the input previously received from the known user are stored in a profile associated with the known user, and

determine, based on the statistical evaluation, a probability that the unknown user is the known user.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the program instructions are configured to

identify the one or more features of the user input on the touchscreen device;

and

generate the user profile comprising the one or more features of the user input.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the program instructions are configured to deny authentication based on the probability that the unknown user is the known user falling below a threshold value.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more features of the user input comprise a swiping motif.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more features of the user input comprise a pressure applied to the touchscreen device.