Continuous authentication of mobile device users

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10140441-B2
Application number	US-201715398886-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Technology for performing continuous authentication of a mobile device utilizes user activity context data and biometric signature data related to the user. A biometric signature can be selected based on the activity context, and the selected biometric signature can be used to verify the identity of the user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for securing a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:
by one or more sensors in communication with the mobile electronic device, collecting sensor data from which a plurality of different biometric signatures of a user of the mobile electronic device can be derived;
based on at least some of the sensor data, determining an activity context relating to a current activity of the user in relation to the mobile electronic device;
in response to determining and detecting the current activity of the user of the mobile electronic device, a biometric signature representing a style of the current activity of the user is selected to be derived from the collected sensor data;
executing a routine to verify the identity of the user using the selected biometric signature; and
adjusting one or more access privileges of the mobile electronic device in response to a result of the routine to verify the identity of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising selecting a different biometric signature in response to a change in the activity context, and executing the routine to verify the identity of the user with the different biometric signature.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising computing a confidence score indicative of a likelihood that the selected biometric signature is associated with the user, and selectively configuring access to the mobile electronic device based on the confidence score.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising, over time, changing one or more access privileges of the mobile electronic device in response to changes in the confidence score.

5. The method of claim 3 , comprising detecting a change in the activity context and re-computing the confidence score in response to the change in the activity context.

6. The method of claim 3 , comprising identifying that a different user is carrying the mobile electronic device based on a change in the confidence score.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different biometric signatures of the user comprises data indicative of at least two of: gait signature, arm length, height, breathing rate, pulse rate, or blood pressure of a user interacting with the mobile electronic device; and
wherein the activity context comprises data indicative of at least one of: walking, running, sitting down, sitting still, standing up, standing still, lying down, ascending stairs, or descending stairs by a user interacting with the mobile electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity context triggers an alert and creates an event in a log.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising, in response to an unsuccessful identity verification of the user, prompting the user for another form of user-identifying information; and in response to a successful identity verification of the user of the mobile electronic device based on the other form of user-identifying information, creating a biometric signature for the user.

10. The user authentication subsystem of claim 1 , comprising, in response to an unsuccessful identity verification of the user, prompting the user for another form of user- identifying information; and in response to a successful identity verification of the user of the mobile electronic device based on the other form of user-identifying information, creating a biometric signature for the user.

11. A user authentication subsystem for a mobile electronic device, the user authentication system comprising a plurality of instructions embodied in one or more non-transitory machine accessible storage media and configured to cause a computing system of the mobile electronic device to, at regular time intervals:
collect sensor data from one or more sensors in communication with the mobile electronic device from which a plurality of different biometric signatures of a user of the mobile electronic device can be extracted;
based on at least some of the sensor data, determine an activity context relating to a current activity of the user in relation to the mobile electronic device;
in response to determining and detecting the current activity of the user of the mobile electronic device, a biometric signature representing a style of the current activity of the user is selected to be extracted from the collected sensor data;
execute a routine to verify the identity of the user using the selected biometric signature; and
adjust one or more access privileges of the mobile electronic device in response to a result of the routine to verify the identity of the user.

12. The user authentication subsystem of claim 11 , configured to detect a change in the activity context, select a different biometric signature in response to a change in the activity context, and execute the routine to verify the identity of the user with the different biometric signature.

13. The user authentication subsystem of claim 11 , configured to compute a confidence score indicative of a likelihood that the selected biometric signature is associated with the user, and configure access to the mobile electronic device based on the confidence score.

14. The user authentication subsystem of claim 13 , configured to, over time, adjust one or more access privileges of the mobile electronic device in response to changes in the confidence score.

15. The user authentication subsystem of claim 13 , configured to detect a change in the identity of a user carrying the mobile electronic device in response to a change in the confidence score.

16. The user authentication subsystem of claim 13 , configured to detect a change in the activity context and re-compute the confidence score in response to the change in the activity context.

17. The user authentication subsystem of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of different biometric signatures of the user comprises data indicative of at least two of: gait signature, arm length, height, breathing rate, pulse rate, or blood pressure of the user carrying the mobile electronic device; and
wherein the activity context comprises data indicative of at least one of: walking, running, sitting down, sitting still, standing up, standing still, lying down, ascending stairs, or descending stairs by the user carrying the mobile electronic device.

18. The user authentication subsystem of claim 11 , wherein the activity context triggers an alert and creates an event in a log.

19. A computing system comprising at least a mobile electronic device, the computing system comprising:
one or more hardware processors;
one or more sensors in communication with the one or more processors; and
memory comprising instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the mobile electronic device to, over time:
receive sensor data from the one or more sensors from which a plurality of different biometric signatures of a user of the mobile electronic device can be extracted;
based on at least some of the sensor data, determine an activity context relating to a current activity of the user in relation to the mobile electronic device;
in response to determining and detecting the current activity of the user of the mobile electronic device, a biometric signature representing a style of the current activity of the user is selected to be extracted from the collected sensor data;
adjust one or more access privileges of the mobile electronic device in response to a result of the routine to verify the identity of the user.

20. The computing system of claim 19 , wherein the memory comprises instructions configured to cause the mobi

Assignees

• Stanford Res Inst Int

Inventors

• Cheng Hui
• Javed Omar
• Zhu Jiejie

Classifications

• H04L63/12

  Applying verification of the received information (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32) · CPC title

• G06F21/316

  by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour · CPC title

• G06F21/32 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title

• H04L63/0861

  using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231) · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title