Allowing access to applications based on user capacitance

• US 9,690,919 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• 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:
  US14/540,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20160034673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 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 capacitance measurements, comprising:

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

communicating, by the one or more computing devices, a request for user authorization data to a capacitance module associated with the one or more computing devices;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, first user authentication data from the capacitance module, the first user authentication data comprising a first capacitance measurement captured from a first application of the capacitance module to the user of the one or more computing devices, the first capacitance measurement being obtained without a specific action from the user;

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

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

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

communicating, by the one or more computing devices, a request for user authorization data to the capacitance module associated with the one or more computing devices;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, second user authentication data from the capacitance module, the second user authentication data comprising a second capacitance measurement captured from a second application of the capacitance module to the user, the second capacitance measurement being obtained without a specific action from the user;

comparing, by the one or more computing devices, the first user authentication data to the second user authorization data;

generating, by the one or more computing devices, a user authentication rating based at least in part on a match of the first user authentication data and the second user authentication data based at least in part on the first capacitance measurement and the second capacitance measurement;

comparing, by the one or more computing devices, the generated user authentication rating to a database of applications, wherein each user authentication rating in the database has a corresponding minimum authentication rating in which the user is granted access to that application and wherein there are at least two different minimum authentication ratings; 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 during the second authorized user session based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified match is determined to be a match if a measured capacitance in the first user authentication data and a measured capacitance in the second user authorization data are within a configured range of each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each capacitance measurement is obtained by passing an electrical signal through one or more sensors located on the user computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, by the one or more computing devices, a user authentication rating based on the identified match.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is not allowed access to any functions of the one or more computing devices based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is allowed access to all functions of the one or more computing devices based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user computing comprises the one or more computing devices.

8. 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 capacitance measurements, the computer-executable instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to receive first user authentication data from a capacitance module associated with the computer, the first user authentication data comprising a first capacitance measurement captured from a first application of the capacitance module to a user of the computer during a first user authenticated session with the computer, the first capacitance measurement being obtained without a specific action from the user;

computer-executable program instructions to receive an input to end the first user authorized session after receiving first user authentication data;

computer-executable program instructions to end the first user authenticated session based on the received input to end the first user authorized session;

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

computer-executable program instructions to receive second user authentication data from the capacitance module, the second user authentication data comprising a second capacitance measurement captured from a second application of the capacitance module to the user, the second capacitance measurement being obtained without a specific action from the user;

computer-executable program instructions to generate a user authentication rating based at least in part on a match of the first user authentication data and the second user authentication data based at least in part on the first capacitance measurement and the second capacitance measurement;

computer-executable program instructions to compare the generated user authentication rating to a database of applications, wherein each user authentication rating in the database has a corresponding minimum authentication rating in which the user is granted access to that application and wherein there are at least two different minimum authentication ratings; and

computer-executable program instructions to determine one or more applications operating on the computer to which the user is allowed access during the second authenticated user session based on the comparison.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the identified match is determined to be a match if a measured capacitance in the first user authentication data and a measured capacitance in the second user authorization data are within a configured range of each other.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein each capacitance measurement is obtained by passing an electrical signal through one or more sensors located on the computer.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the user is not allowed access to any functions of the computer if the match is not identified.

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

a storage device associated with a user computing device; and

a processor associated with the user computing device and 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 first user authentication data from a capacitance module associated with the user computing device, the first user authentication data comprising a first capacitance measurement of a user of the system during a first authorized session with the system, the first capacitance measurement being obtained without a specific action from the user;

receive an input to end the first user authorized session;

receive a request to begin a second authorized session with the system after termination of the first authorized session;

receive second user authentication data from the capacitance module, the second user authentication data comprising a second capacitance measurement of the user, the second capacitance measurement being obtained without a specific action from the user;

generate a user authentication rating based at least in part on a match of the first user authentication data and the second user authentication data based at least in part on the first capacitance measurement and the second capacitance measurement;

compare the generated user authentication rating to a database of applications, wherein each user authentication rating in the database has a corresponding minimum authentication rating in which the user is granted access to that application and wherein there are at least two different minimum authentication ratings; and

determine one or more applications operating on the computer to which the user is allowed access during the second authenticated user session based on the comparison.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each capacitance measurement is obtained by passing an electrical signal through one or more sensors located on the user computing device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user is not allowed access to any functions of the user computing device if the match is not identified.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the user is allowed access to all functions of the user computing device if the match is identified.