Authenticating a user on behalf of another user based upon a unique body signature determined through bone conduction signals

• US 9,715,774 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Baldwin, Christopher, Amento, Brian S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US14/083,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20150137936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00809 with data transmission through the human body
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for spoofing bone conduction signals. According to one aspect, a device can compare a first unique body signature associated with a first user to a second unique body signature associated with a second user to determine a first unique effect of a first body of the first user on a signal and a second unique effect of a second body of the second user on the signal. The device can generate an authentication signal based upon the first unique effect and the second unique effect to include signal characteristics that, after propagating through the first body of the first user, are representative of the second unique body signature. The device can transmit the authentication signal through the first body of the first user to an authentication device that authenticates the first user on behalf of the second user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

comparing, by a device, a first unique body signature associated with a first user to a second unique body signature associated with a second user to determine a first unique effect of a first body of the first user on a reference bone conduction signal and a second unique effect of a second body of the second user on the reference bone conduction signal;

generating, by the device, an authentication signal based upon the first unique effect and the second unique effect, the authentication signal comprising signal characteristics that, after propagating through the first body of the first user, are representative of the second unique body signature; and

transmitting, by the device, the authentication signal through the first body of the first user to an authentication device that authenticates the first user on behalf of the second user based upon the second unique body signature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining, by the device, the first unique body signature and the second unique body signature from a server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, by the device, the first unique body signature and the second unique body signature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication device comprises a device to which the first user desires access.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication device authenticates the first user to access a further device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication device authenticates the first user to access an area.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, by the device, the authentication signal comprises:

receiving a signal from a user device; and

modifying the signal to generate the authentication signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, by the device, the authentication signal comprises:

receiving a signal from the first body of the first user; and

modifying the signal to remove the first unique effect and to add the second unique effect, thereby generating the authentication signal.

9. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

comparing a first unique body signature associated with a first user to a second unique body signature associated with a second user to determine a first unique effect of a first body of the first user on a reference bone conduction signal and a second unique effect of a second body of the second user on the reference bone conduction signal,

generating an authentication signal based upon the first unique effect and the second unique effect, the authentication signal comprising signal characteristics that, after propagating through the first body of the first user, are representative of the second unique body signature, and

transmitting the authentication signal through the first body of the first user to an authentication device that authenticates the first user on behalf of the second user based upon the second unique body signature.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising obtaining the first unique body signature and the second unique body signature from a server.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising generating the first unique body signature and the second unique body signature.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the authentication device comprises a device to which the first user desires access.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the authentication device authenticates the first user to access a further device.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the authentication device authenticates the first user to access an area.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein generating the authentication signal comprises:

receiving a signal from a user device; and

modifying the signal to generate the authentication signal.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein generating the authentication signal comprises:

receiving a signal from the first body of the first user; and

modifying the signal to remove the first unique effect and to add the second unique effect, thereby generating the authentication signal.

17. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

comparing a first unique body signature associated with a first user to a second unique body signature associated with a second user to determine a first unique effect of a first body of the first user on a reference bone conduction signal and a second unique effect of a second body of the second user on the reference bone conduction signal;

generating an authentication signal based upon the first unique effect and the second unique effect, the authentication signal comprising signal characteristics that, after propagating through the first body of the first user, are representative of the second unique body signature; and

transmitting the authentication signal through the first body of the first user to an authentication device that authenticates the first user on behalf of the second user based upon the second unique body signature.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein generating the authentication signal comprises:

receiving a signal from a user device; and

modifying the signal to generate the authentication signal.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein generating the authentication signal comprises:

receiving a signal from the first body of the first user; and

modifying the signal to remove the first unique effect and to add the second unique effect, thereby generating the authentication signal.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise generating the first unique body signature and the second unique body signature.