Authenticating with active stylus

• US 9,958,990 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wacom Co Limited (Wacom)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yilmaz, Esat, Bakken, Vemund Kval, Sundara-Rajan, Kinshore
• Primary Examiner(s): Adediran, Abdul-Samad A
• Application Number:
  US13/556,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 178 1801- 2004, 178 1901, 726 16, 726 2, 382115
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0441 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for receiving changes in electrical potential transmitted by the digitiser, e.g. tablet driving signals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

In one embodiment, a stylus operable to communicate wirelessly with a device through a touch sensor of the device contains one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to access first data representing a recently occurred authentication event involving the stylus or the device. The logic is further operable to access second data representing a pre-defined authentication event. The logic is further operable to compare the first data with the second data to authenticate a user to the stylus or the device, a stylus to the user or the device, or a device to the user or the stylus.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a stylus comprising one or more electrodes for transmitting signals wirelessly to a device through a touch sensor of the device;

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media within the stylus and embodying logic that is operable when executed to perform operations comprising;

accessing first data representing a recently occurred authentication event involving the stylus or the device;

accessing second data representing a pre-defined authentication event;

comparing the first data with the second data; and

based on the comparison, determining an access level from a first access level and a second access level, the first access level and the second access level each requiring authentication, the first access level enabling access to a plurality of actions, the second access level enabling access to a subset of the plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising;

reading data on the stylus or the device;

writing data on the stylus or the device; and

accessing administrative or security settings on the stylus or the device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the stylus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recently-occurred authentication event comprises one or more manipulations of the stylus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the stylus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the device.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first data comprises:

output from the stylus element comprising the pressure sensor; and

output from a stylus element configured to record a motion of the stylus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second data comprises:

first-event data corresponding to a first event comprising a predetermined pressure on the stylus;

second-event data corresponding to a second event comprising a predetermined motion of the stylus; and

temporal data identifying a predetermined sequence of the first event and the second event.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the temporal data identifies the first event as occurring before the second event or after the second event.

7. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media on or in a stylus and embodying logic operable when executed to perform operations comprising:

accessing first data representing a recently-occurred authentication event involving a stylus or a device, the stylus comprising one or more electrodes operable to transmit signals wirelessly to the device through a touch sensor of the device;

accessing second data representing a pre-defined authentication event;

comparing the first data with the second data; and

based on the comparison, determining an access level from a first access level and a second access level, the first access level and the second access level each requiring authentication, the first access level enabling access to a plurality of actions, the second access level enabling access to a subset of the plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising;

reading data on the stylus or the device;

writing data on the stylus or the device; and

accessing administrative or security settings on the stylus or the device.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the stylus.

9. The media of claim 7, wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the device.

10. The media of claim 7, wherein the recently-occurred authentication event comprises one or more manipulations of the stylus.

11. The media of claim 7, wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the stylus.

12. The media of claim 7, wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the device.

13. A method comprising:

accessing, by a stylus, first data representing a recently-occurred authentication event involving the stylus or a device, the stylus comprising one or more electrodes operable to transmit signals wirelessly to the device through a touch sensor of the device;

accessing, by the stylus, second data representing a pre-defined authentication event;

comparing, by the stylus, the first data with the second data; and

based on the comparison, determining an access level from a first access level and a second access level, the first access level and the second access level each requiring authentication, the first access level enabling access to a plurality of actions, the second access level enabling access to a subset of the plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising;

reading data on the stylus or the device;

writing data on the stylus or the device; and

accessing administrative or security settings on the stylus or the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element in the stylus.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element in the device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the recently-occurred authentication event comprises one or more manipulations of the stylus.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the stylus.