Mobile authentication using a wearable device

• US 9,589,123 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Farraro, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolentino, Roderick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malinowski, Walter
• Application Number:
  US14/921,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20160042170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726/3, 726/5, 726/9, 726/10, 726/20, 455/410, 455/411
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method of providing a user with an option to access a protected system by satisfying a reduced security measure is disclosed. An attempt by the user to access the protected system is detected. It is detected that a first security token system is within a first proximity to the protected system. Based on the detecting of the attempt by the user to access the protected system and the detecting that the first security token system is within the first proximity, the user is provided with the option to access the protected system by satisfying the reduced security measure.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first security token value based on a closeness of a possession of a first security token system by a user, the closeness of the possession including a measure of a connectedness between the first security token system and the user, the measure of connectedness between the first security token system and the user being greater if the first security token system is a wearable computing device than if the first security token system is a non-wearable computing device;

determining a second security token value based on a closeness of a possession of a second security token system to the user, the closeness of the possession including a measure of a connectedness between the second security token system and the user, the measure of connectedness between the second security token system and the user being greater if the second security token system is the wearable computing device than if the second security token system is the non-wearable computing device;

associating the first security token value with the first security token system;

associating the second security token value with the second security token system;

detecting an attempt by the user to access a protected system; and

providing the user with an option to access the protected system by satisfying a reduced security measure, the providing based on a determining that a combined value of the first security token value and the second security token value transgresses a threshold security token value, the providing of the user with the option to access the protected system by satisfying the reduced security measure being performed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the first security token system is within a first proximity to the protected system;

detecting that the second security token system is within a second proximity to the protected system; and

wherein the providing of the user with the option is further based on the detecting that the first security token system is within the first proximity and the detecting that the second security token system is within the second proximity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting that the first security token system is outside the first proximity or that the second security token system is outside the second proximity; and

revoking the option to access the protected system based on the detecting that the first security token system is outside the first proximity or that the second security token system is outside the second proximity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the protected system is limited to a subset of functions of the protected system based on a sensitivity of the subset of the functions and the combined value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with an option to access the protected system by satisfying an additional reduced security measure, the providing based on a determining that the combined value transgresses an additional threshold security token value.

6. A system comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

at least one module implemented by the at least one hardware processor, the at least one module configured to, at least;

determine a first security token value based on a closeness of a possession of a first security token system by a user, the closeness of the possession including a measure of a connectedness between the first security token system and the user, the measure of connectedness between the first security token system and the user being greater if the first security token system is a wearable computing device than if the first security token system is a non-wearable computing device;

determine a second security token value based on a closeness of a possession of a second security token system to the user, the closeness of the possession including a measure of a connectedness between the second security token system and the user, the measure of connectedness between the second security token system and the user being greater if the second security token system is the wearable computing device than if the second security token system is the non-wearable computing device;

associate the first security token value with the first security token system;

associate the second security token value with the second security token system;

detect an attempt by the user to access a protected system; and

provide the user with an option to access the protected system by satisfying a reduced security measure, the providing based on a determining that a combined value of the first security token value and the second security token value transgresses a threshold security token value, the providing of the user with the option to access the protected system by satisfying the reduced security measure being performed by a processor.

7. The system of claim 6, the at least one module further configured to, at least:

detect that the first security token system is within a first proximity to the protected system;

detect that the second security token system is within a second proximity to the protected system; and

wherein the providing of the user with the option is further based on the detecting that the first security token system is within the first proximity and the detecting that the second security token system is within the second proximity.

8. The system of claim 7, the at least one module further configured to, at least:

detect that the first security token system is outside the first proximity or that the second security token system is outside the second proximity; and

revoke the option to access the protected system based on the detecting that the first security token system is outside the first proximity or that the second security token system is outside the second proximity.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the access to the protected system is limited to a subset of functions of the protected system based on a sensitivity of the subset of the functions and the combined value.

10. The system of claim 6, the at least one module further configured to, at least provide the user with an option to access the protected system by satisfying an additional reduced security measure, the providing based on a determining that the combined value transgresses an additional threshold security token value.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining a first security token value based on a closeness of a possession of a first security token system by a user, the closeness of the possession including a measure of a connectedness between the first security token system and the user, the measure of connectedness between the first security token system and the user being greater if the first security token system is a wearable computing device than if the first security token system is a non-wearable computing device;

determining a second security token value based on a closeness of a possession of a second security token system to the user, the closeness of the possession including a measure of a connectedness between the second security token system and the user, the measure of connectedness between the second security token system and the user being greater if the second security token system is the wearable computing device than if the second security token system is the non-wearable computing device;

associating the first security token value with the first security token system;

associating the second security token value with the second security token system;

detecting an attempt by the user to access a protected system; and

providing the user with an option to access the protected system by satisfying a reduced security measure, the providing based on a determining that a combined value of the first security token value and the second security token value transgresses a threshold security token value, the providing of the user with the option to access the protected system by satisfying the reduced security measure being performed by a processor.

12. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting that the first security token system is within a first proximity to the protected system;

detecting that the second security token system is within a second proximity to the protected system; and

wherein the providing of the user with the option is further based on the detecting that the first security token system is within the first proximity and the detecting that the second security token system is within the second proximity.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting that the first security token system is outside the first proximity or that the second security token system is outside the second proximity; and

revoking the option to access the protected system based on the detecting that the first security token system is outside the first proximity or that the second security token system is outside the second proximity.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 11, wherein the access to the protected system is limited to a subset of functions of the protected system based on a sensitivity of the subset of the functions and the combined value.