Allowing access to applications based on captured images

• US 9,639,681 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chandra, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): TURCHEN, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US14/540,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2139 Recurrent verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data

Abstract

Authenticating users comprises a computing device that receives a manual authentication input of a user and initiates a first user session between the user and the user computing device. The device communicates a request for a first user authorization data from an authentication technology associated with the one or more computing devices and receives the first user authentication data. The user or the device terminates the first user session and subsequently receives an input of the user to initiate a second user session. The device communicates a request for second user authentication data from the authentication technology and compares the first user authentication data and the second user authentication data. The device identifies a match of one or more features of the first user authentication data and one or more features of the second user authentication data and authorizes the user to conduct the second user session.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to authenticate users on user computing devices with images, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices, a manual authentication input of a user via a user interface of the one or more computing devices, the manual authentication being configured to begin a first user authenticated session with the one or more computing devices;

communicating, by the one or more computing devices, a request for a first image from a camera module associated with the one or more computing devices;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, the first image captured by the camera module;

extracting, by the one or more computing devices, first image characteristics from the first image;

storing, by the one or more computing devices, the first image characteristics;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, an input from the user to end the first user authenticated session;

ending, by the one or more computing devices, the first user authenticated session;

receiving, by one or more computing devices, an input to begin a second authenticated session with the user computing device;

communicating, by the one or more computing devices, a request for a second image from the camera module associated with the one or more computing devices;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, the second image captured by the camera module;

extracting, by the one or more computing devices, second image characteristics from the second image;

comparing, by the one or more computing devices, the first image characteristics to the second image characteristics;

generating, by the one or more computing devices, a user authentication rating based on a plurality of the first image characteristics and the second image characteristics that match based on the comparison of the first image characteristics to the second image characteristics, wherein the first and second image characteristics comprise at least two of;

a color of a shirt being worn by the user, a style of facial hair of the user, a style of hair of the user, and objects in the background of the user; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices, one or more applications operating on the one or more computing devices to which the user is allowed access based on a comparison of the generated user authentication rating to a database of applications without an input of a request from the user, the database comprising a particular user authentication rating required for the user to be allowed access to each particular application in the database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first or second image characteristics is an identification of facial hair of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first or second image characteristics is an identification of a background object in the image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first or second image characteristics is an identification of a color of a shirt of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the extraction of the first and second image characteristics is performed by applying a facial recognition algorithm to the image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is not allowed access to any functions of the one or more computing devices if at least one match is not identified.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to authenticate users with images, the computer-executable program instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to receive a manual authentication input of a user via a user interface of the one or more computing devices, the manual authentication being configured to begin a first user authenticated session with the one or more computing devices;

computer-executable program instructions to communicate a request for a first image from a camera module associated with the one or more computing devices;

computer-executable program instructions to receive the first image captured by the camera module;

computer-executable program instructions to extract first image characteristics from the first image;

computer-executable program instructions to store the first image characteristics;

computer-executable program instructions to receive an input from the user to end the first user authenticated session;

computer-executable program instructions to end the first user authenticated session;

computer-executable program instructions to receive an input to begin a second authenticated session with the user computing device;

computer-executable program instructions to communicate a request for a second image from the camera module associated with the one or more computing devices;

computer-executable program instructions to receive the second image captured by the camera module;

computer-executable program instructions to extract second image characteristics from the second image;

computer-executable program instructions to compare the first image characteristics to the second image characteristics;

computer-executable program instructions to generate a user authentication rating based on a plurality of the first image characteristics and the second image characteristics that match based on the comparison of the first image characteristics to the second image characteristics, wherein the first and second image characteristics comprise at least two of;

a color of a shirt being worn by the user, a style of facial hair of the user, a style of hair of the user, and objects in the background of the user; and

computer-executable program instructions to determine one or more applications operating on the one or more computing devices to which the user is allowed access based on a comparison of the generated user authentication rating to a database of applications without an input of a request from the user, the database comprising a particular user authentication rating required for the user to be allowed access to each particular application in the database.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein one of the first or second image characteristics is an identification of facial hair of the user.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein one of the first or second image characteristics is an identification of a background object in the image.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein one of the first or second image characteristics is an identification of a color of a shirt of the user.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the extraction of the first and second image characteristics is performed by applying a facial recognition algorithm to the image.

12. A system to authenticate users on user computing devices with images, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage device to cause the system to;

receive a manual authentication input of a user via a user interface of the one or more computing devices, the manual authentication being configured to begin a first user authenticated session with the one or more computing devices;

communicate a request for a first image from a camera module associated with the one or more computing devices;

receive the first image captured by the camera module;

extract first image characteristics from the first image;

store the first image characteristics;

receive an input from the user to end the first user authenticated session;

end the first user authenticated session;

receive an input to begin a second authenticated session with the user computing device;

communicate a request for a second image from the camera module associated with the one or more computing devices;

receive the second image captured by the camera module;

extract second image characteristics from the second image;

compare the first image characteristics to the second image characteristics;

generate a user authentication rating based on a plurality of the first image characteristics and the second image characteristics that match based on the comparison of the first image characteristics to the second image characteristics, wherein the first and second image characteristics comprise at least two of;

a color of a shirt being worn by the user, a style of facial hair of the user, a style of hair of the user, and objects in the background of the user; and

determine one or more applications operating on the one or more computing devices to which the user is allowed access based on a comparison of the generated user authentication rating to a database of applications without an input of a request from the user, the database comprising a particular user authentication rating required for the user to be allowed access to each particular application in the database.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user is not allowed access to any functions of the system if at least one match is not identified.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user is allowed access to all functions of the system if all of the first user image and the second image characteristics match.