Systems and methods for verifying user attributes

• US 9,697,660 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Sokolov, Ilya, Jiang, Kevin, McCorkendale, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhaval
• Application Number:
  US14/985,675
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 340 552, 340 551, 340 553, 340 54, 340 56, 340438, 3404261, 705 5, 705 2, 705 40, 705 729, 705 2663, 705 39, 701408, 701 2, 701 45
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for verifying user attributes may include (1) receiving a request to verify an attribute of a user who claims to be a particular person, (2) determining that the attribute can be verified using a trusted record that is associated with the particular person, (3) determining that the trusted record is associated with a vehicle to which the particular person has access rights, (4) confirming that the user has physical access to the vehicle by performing an access-validation check, and (5) in response to confirming that the user has physical access to the vehicle, using the trusted record to verify the attribute of the user. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for verifying user attributes, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request to verify an attribute of a user who claims to be a particular person;

determining that the attribute can be verified using a trusted record that is associated with the particular person and is maintained by an entity that verified the identity of the particular person prior to creating the trusted record;

determining that the trusted record is associated with a vehicle to which the particular person has access rights;

confirming that the user is able to physically access the vehicle by performing an access-validation check that demonstrates the user'"'"'s ability to physically access the vehicle; and

in response to confirming that the user has physical access to the vehicle, validating the user as the particular person and using the trusted record to verify the attribute of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the access-validation check comprises instructing the user to drive the vehicle to a verification checkpoint location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the verification checkpoint location performs at least one of:

scanning the license plate of the vehicle;

capturing a photograph of the user and comparing the photograph to a previously captured image of the user; and

capturing transponder information from a transponder attached to the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

performing the access-validation check comprises asking the user a knowledge-based authentication question; and

the correct response to the knowledge-based authentication requires information that is only obtainable through direct access to the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the access-validation check comprises:

transmitting an authorization code to the vehicle; and

obtaining the authorization code from the vehicle and using the authorization code to respond to the access-validation check.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the authorization code to the vehicle comprises:

providing the authorization code to an onboard network that is part of the vehicle; and

transmitting, by the onboard network, the authorization code to a mobile device paired to the onboard network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

verifying the attribute of the user comprises accessing a vehicle ownership record about the vehicle that is managed by a government-operated database of motor vehicles; and

the trusted record comprises the vehicle ownership record.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein using the trusted record to verify the attribute of the user comprises comparing information within the vehicle ownership record to personal information provided by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the user comprises at least one of:

the user'"'"'s physical address;

the user'"'"'s age;

the user'"'"'s date of birth;

the user'"'"'s social security number;

a financial security rating associated with the user;

the user'"'"'s driving record; and

the user'"'"'s employment status.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the access rights comprise at least one of:

the vehicle being a company vehicle that is assigned to be driven by the user;

the user'"'"'s name appearing on a vehicle registration that is linked to the vehicle; and

the user'"'"'s name appearing on an automotive insurance policy that is linked to the vehicle.

11. A system for verifying user attributes, the system comprising:

a receiving module, stored in memory, that receives a request to verify an attribute of a user who claims to be a particular person;

a determination module, stored in memory, that;

determines that the attribute can be verified using a trusted record that is associated with the particular person and is maintained by an entity that verified the identity of the particular person prior to creating the trusted record; and

determines that the trusted record is associated with a vehicle to which the particular person has access rights;

a confirmation module, stored in memory, that confirms the user'"'"'s ability to physically access the vehicle by performing an access-validation check that demonstrates the user'"'"'s ability to physically access the vehicle;

a verification module, stored in memory, that, in response to confirming that the user has physical access to the vehicle, validates the user as the particular person and uses the trusted record to verify the attribute of the user; and

at least one physical processor configured to execute the receiving module, the determination module, the confirmation module, and the verification module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the confirmation module performs the access-validation check by instructing the user to drive the vehicle to a verification checkpoint location.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the verification checkpoint location performs at least one of:

scanning the license plate of the vehicle;

capturing a photograph of the user and comparing the photograph to a previously captured image of the user; and

capturing transponder information from a transponder attached to the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the confirmation module performs the access-validation check by asking the user a knowledge-based authentication question; and

the correct response to the knowledge-based authentication requires information that is only obtainable through direct access to the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the confirmation module performs the access-validation check by:

transmitting an authorization code to the vehicle; and

obtaining the authorization code from the vehicle and using the authorization code to respond to the access-validation check.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the confirmation module transmits the authorization code to the vehicle by:

providing the authorization code to an onboard network that is part of the vehicle; and

transmitting, by the onboard network, the authorization code to a mobile device paired to the onboard network.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the verification module verifies the attribute of the user by accessing a vehicle ownership record about the vehicle that is managed by a government-operated database of motor vehicles; and

the trusted record comprises the vehicle ownership record.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the verification module uses the trusted record to verify the attribute of the user by comparing information within the vehicle ownership record to personal information provided by the user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute of the user comprises at least one of:

the user'"'"'s physical address;

the user'"'"'s age;

the user'"'"'s date of birth;

the user'"'"'s social security number;

a financial security rating associated with the user;

the user'"'"'s driving record; and

the user'"'"'s employment status.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

receive a request to verify an attribute of a user who claims to be a particular person;

determine that the attribute can be verified using a trusted record that is associated with the particular person and is maintained by an entity that verified the identity of the particular person prior to creating the trusted record;

determine that the trusted record is associated with a vehicle to which the particular person has access rights;

confirm that the user is able to physically access the vehicle by performing an access-validation check that demonstrates the user'"'"'s ability to physically access the vehicle; and

in response to confirming that the user has physical access to the vehicle, validate the user as the particular person and use the trusted record to verify the attribute of the user.