Process for login of a computing device with a touchscreen

• US 8,380,995 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Paul, Sean
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/306,792
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/11 Hand-related biometrics; Hand pose recognition

Abstract

A method, a system, and a computer-readable medium are provided for identifying a user on a computing device using biometric hand data. An indication is received that a hand of a user has been placed on a touchscreen of a computing device. The locations of a plurality of user contact points made between the hand of the user and the touchscreen that define a user hand framework are determined. The user hand framework is matched with a corresponding stored hand framework, defined by a plurality of stored contact points, from a data repository. Finally, the user is identified based on the corresponding hand framework.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a user on a computing device using biometric hand data, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that a hand of the user has been placed on a touchscreen of the computing device;

determining locations of a plurality of user contact points made between the hand of the user and the touchscreen, wherein the plurality of user contact points define a user hand framework;

matching the user hand framework with a corresponding stored hand framework, defined by a plurality of stored contact points, from a data repository, wherein the matching comprises;

comparing the user hand framework to one or more stored hand frameworks in the data repository by calculating distances between the plurality of user contact points in the user hand framework and respective stored contact points in the stored hand frameworks from the data repository;

determining which of the stored contact points of the stored hand frameworks are within a predetermined tolerance radius of the user contact points in the user hand framework;

identifying one or more stored hand frameworks with at least a preset minimum number of stored contact points that are within the tolerance radii of the user contact points in the user hand framework;

selecting a stored hand framework from the identified stored hand frameworks, wherein the selecting comprises;

determining, for each identified stored hand framework, one or more stored contact points that are within the tolerance radii of the user contact points;

measuring a distance between each of the determined stored contact points and the center of a corresponding tolerance radius;

calculating an average of the measured distances for each hand framework; and

selecting a stored hand framework with a lowest average calculated distance;

determining that the selected stored hand framework is the corresponding hand framework when the average of the distances between user contact points and respective stored contact points is less than a preset maximum; and

identifying the user based on the corresponding hand framework.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hand of the user is placed palm-up, palm-down, or both one at a time, and wherein the matching incorporates using the palm-up, palm-down, or both types of data to facilitate identifying the corresponding hand framework.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is allowed to identify himself or herself as a new user when there is no corresponding hand framework.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user contact points and the plurality of stored contact points comprise a plurality of Cartesian coordinate pairs in an absolute Cartesian coordinate system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user contact points and the plurality of stored contact points comprise a plurality of Cartesian coordinate pairs in a relative Cartesian coordinate system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user contact points comprises at least 10 contact points.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each finger of the hand of the user defines at least one contact point.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tolerance radius is proportional to the area covered by a polygon defined by the user hand framework.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the preset maximum is proportional to the area covered by a polygon defined by the user hand framework.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before comparing the user hand framework to the hand frameworks from the data repository, transforming the user hand framework, by translating and rotating, to maximize overlapping area minus non-overlapping area between a polygon defined by the user hand framework and polygons defined by the hand frameworks from the data repository.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the preset minimum number of stored contact points comprises a preset proportion of stored contact points.

12. A system for identifying a user on a computing device using biometric hand data, the method comprising:

a computing device;

coupled to the computing device, a touchscreen upon which the user places a hand, the touchscreen configured to determine the locations of a plurality of user contact points between the hand of the user and the touchscreen that define a user hand framework;

a data repository configured to store hand frameworks;

a hand framework manager, coupled to the data repository, configured to match the user hand framework to a corresponding stored hand framework from the data repository by;

comparing the user hand framework to one or more stored hand frameworks in the data repository by calculating distances between the plurality of user contact points in the user hand framework and the respective stored contact points in the stored hand frameworks from the data repository;

determining which of the stored contact points of the stored hand frameworks are within a predetermined tolerance radius of the user contact points in the user hand framework;

identifying a-one or more stored hand frameworks with at least a preset minimum number of stored contact points that are within the tolerance radii of the user contact points in the user hand framework;

selecting a stored hand framework from the identified stored hand frameworks, wherein the selecting comprises;

determining, for each identified stored hand framework, one or more stored contact points that are within the tolerance radii of the user contact points;

measuring a distance between each of the determined stored contact points and the center of a corresponding tolerance radius;

calculating an average of the measured distances for each hand framework; and

selecting a stored hand framework with a lowest average calculated distance;

determining that the selected hand framework is the corresponding hand framework when the average of the distances between user contact points and respective stored contact points is less than a preset maximum; and

a user identifier configured to identify the user based on the corresponding hand framework.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the hand of the user is placed palm-up, palm-down, or both one at a time, wherein the hand framework manager uses the palm-up, palm-down, or both types of data to facilitate identifying the corresponding hand framework.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the user is allowed to identify himself or herself as a new user when there is no corresponding hand framework.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of user contact points and the plurality of stored contact points comprise a plurality of Cartesian coordinate pairs in an absolute Cartesian coordinate system.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of user contact points and the plurality of stored contact points comprise a plurality of Cartesian coordinate pairs in a relative Cartesian coordinate system.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of user contact points comprises at least 10 contact points.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein each finger of the hand of the user defines at least one contact point.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the tolerance radius is proportional to the area covered by a polygon defined by the user hand framework.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the preset maximum is proportional to the area covered by a polygon defined by the user hand framework.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the hand framework manager is further configured to, before comparing the user hand framework to the stored hand frameworks in the data repository, transform the user hand framework, by translating and rotating, to maximize overlapping area minus non-overlapping area between a polygon defined by the user hand framework and polygons defined by the stored hand frameworks in the data repository.

22. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to identify a user on a computing device using biometric hand data by executing steps comprising:

receiving an indication that a hand of the user has been placed on a touchscreen of the computing device;

determining locations of a plurality of user contact points made between the hand of the user and the touchscreen, wherein the plurality of user contact points define a user hand framework;

matching the user hand framework with a corresponding stored hand framework, defined by a plurality of stored contact points, from a data repository, wherein the matching comprises;

comparing the user hand framework to one or more stored hand frameworks in the data repository by calculating distances between the plurality of user contact points in the user hand framework and respective stored contact points in the stored hand frameworks from the data repository;

determining which of the stored contact points of the stored hand frameworks are within a predetermined tolerance radius of the user contact points in the user hand framework;

identifying one or more stored hand frameworks with at least a preset minimum number of stored contact points that are within the tolerance radii of the user contact points in the user hand framework;

selecting a stored hand framework from the identified stored hand frameworks, wherein the selecting comprises;

determining, for each identified stored hand framework, one or more stored contact points that are within the tolerance radii of the user contact points;

measuring a distance between each of the determined stored contact points and the center of a corresponding tolerance radius;

calculating an average of the measured distances for each hand framework; and

selecting a stored hand framework with a lowest average calculated distance;

determining that the selected stored hand framework is the corresponding hand framework when the average of the distances between user contact points and respective stored contact points is less than a preset maximum; and

identifying the user based on the corresponding hand framework.