Wearable computing device authentication using bone conduction

• US 9,740,842 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Adrian, Starner, Thad Eugene, Weaver, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Application Number:
  US14/976,353
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58, 726 19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A wearable computing device is authenticated using bone conduction. When a user wears the device, a bone conduction speaker and a bone conduction microphone on the device contact the user'"'"'s head at positions proximate the user'"'"'s skull. A calibration process is performed by transmitting a signal from the speaker through the skull and receiving a calibration signal at the microphone. An authentication process is subsequently performed by transmitting another signal from the speaker through the skull and an authentication signal is received at the microphone. In the event that frequency response characteristics of the authentication signal match the frequency response characteristics of the calibration signal, the user is authenticated and the device is enabled for user interaction without requiring the user to input any additional data.

Claims

1. A computing device configured to be worn by a user, the computing device comprising:

a transmitter-transducer configured to contact the user at a first location on the user;

a receiver-transducer configured to contact the user at a second location on the user; and

a processor operatively coupled to the transmitter-transducer and the receiver-transducer, the processor being configured to;

transmit a first signal via the transmitter-transducer for reception by the receiver-transducer, thereby transmitting sound between the first location and the second location on the user, the transmission altering characteristics of the first signal to produce a second signal;

obtain one or more calibration signals from the second signal; and

store calibration signal characteristics of the obtained one or more calibration signals in memory.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the user to the computing device in the event that characteristics of a new second signal received by the receiver-transducer match the stored calibration signal characteristics.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the characteristics of the new second signal match the characteristics of the stored calibration signal characteristics when the characteristics of the second signal are determined to be within a predetermined margin of error relative to the stored calibration signal characteristics.

4. The computing device of claim 2, wherein, upon authentication, the processor is configured to enable the computing device for operation by the user.

5. The computing device of claim 2, wherein, in the event that characteristics of the new second signal do not match the characteristics of the stored calibration signal, the processor is configured to disable the computing device such that the user cannot operate the computing device.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, when the user is not authenticated, the processor is configured to present information to the user regarding the lack of match, and to request re-authentication of the user.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the calibration signal characteristics include one or both of frequency response characteristics and impulse response characteristics.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the transmitter-transducer to emit the first signal periodically during a computing session such that the second signal is periodically produced in response to the first signal.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, by a processor via a transmitter-transducer of a computing device worn by a user, a first sound signal through a first location on the user;

receiving a second sound signal at a receiver-transducer of the computing device positioned at a second location on the user, the second sound signal being an altered version of the first sound signal caused by transmission of sound between the first location and the second location;

obtaining one or more calibration signals from the second signal; and

storing calibration signal characteristics of the obtained one or more calibration signals in memory.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising authenticating the user to the computing device in the event that characteristics of a new second sound signal received by the receiver-transducer match the stored calibration signal characteristics.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the characteristics of the new second sound signal match the characteristics of the stored calibration signal characteristics when the characteristics of the second sound signal are determined to be within a predetermined margin of error relative to the stored calibration signal characteristics.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein upon authentication, the method further comprises enabling the computing device for operation by the user.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein, in the event that characteristics of the new second sound signal do not match the characteristics of the stored calibration signal, the method further comprises disabling, by the processor, the computing device such that the user cannot operate the computing device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein, when the user is not authenticated, the method further comprises presenting information to the user regarding the lack of match and requesting re-authentication of the user.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the calibration signal characteristics include one or both of frequency response characteristics and impulse response characteristics.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the transmitter-transducer emits the first sound signal periodically during a computing session such that the second sound signal is periodically produced in response to the first sound signal.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to implement a method comprising:

transmitting a first sound signal through a first location on a user;

receiving a second sound signal at a second location on the user, the second sound signal being an altered version of the first sound signal caused by transmission of sound between the first location and the second location;

obtaining one or more calibration signals from the second signal; and

storing calibration signal characteristics of the obtained one or more calibration signals in memory.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises authenticating the user to a computing device in the event that characteristics of a new second sound signal received at the second location match the stored calibration signal characteristics.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the characteristics of the new second sound signal match the characteristics of the stored calibration signal characteristics when the characteristics of the second sound signal are determined to be within a predetermined margin of error relative to the stored calibration signal characteristics.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein, in the event that characteristics of the new second sound signal do not match the characteristics of the stored calibration signal, the method further comprises disabling the computing device such that the user cannot operate the computing device.