Bootstrapping and adaptive interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10554658-B2
Application number	US-201715858226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for authenticating a user of a mobile communications device entail scanning an environment of the mobile device with a low power sensor and detecting a nearby person via the first sensor. In response, a higher power sensor is activated and the person is authenticated via the second sensor using a first authentication mechanism. A first level of access is granted to the person at this point. When the person moves to within a first threshold distance of the device, the person is authenticated using a second more secure authentication mechanism, and a second, higher, level of access is granted to the person.

First claim

We claim:

1. A mobile communications device providing sensor bootstrapping and an adaptive interface, the device comprising:
a first sensor group having one or more first sensors;
a second sensor group having one or more second sensors, wherein the one or more first sensors operate at a lower power level than the one or more second sensors; and
a processor configured to detect a person with the first sensor group while the second sensor group is idle, and in response, to activate one or more of the second sensors to authenticate the person with a first level of accuracy and locate the person relative to the mobile communications device, and to detect that the distance between the mobile communications device and the person has become less than a first threshold distance, and in response, to activate an additional one of the second sensors to authenticate the person with a second level of accuracy, wherein the second level of accuracy is greater than the first level of accuracy.

2. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first sensor group includes one or more of a barometric sensor, an audio sensor, a thermal sensor, a light switching sensor, a light change sensor, vibration sensor, proximity sensor, and RF/BT/WiFi (radio frequency/Bluetooth/WiFi) sensor.

3. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second sensor group includes a non-cellular wireless transceiver.

4. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the non-cellular wireless transceiver includes at least one of a Bluetooth transceiver and a WiFi transceiver.

5. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the second sensor group includes a depth imager and camera.

6. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the person with the first level of accuracy via a first authentication mechanism and to authenticate the person with the higher second level of accuracy via a second authentication mechanism, wherein the first and second authentication mechanisms are distinct from one another.

7. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the first authentication mechanism comprises audio authentication, the second authentication mechanism comprises facial recognition.

8. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising a fingerprint sensor, and wherein the processor is further configured to detect that the distance between the mobile communications device and the person has become less than a second threshold distance and, in response, to authenticate the person via the fingerprint sensor.

9. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to grant the person access to the mobile communications device at a level that is based at least in part on the authentication mechanism applied.

10. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify one or more other persons near the device, and to grant the person access to the mobile communications device at a level based in part on the identities of the one or more other persons.

11. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to continue to allow user access without change if the mobile communications device is picked up.

12. The mobile communications device in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the mobile communications device has been put down after being picked up and that the user has then moved beyond arm's length from the device, and, in response, to revoke all access granted.

13. A method of authenticating a user of a mobile communications device via sensor bootstrapping to provide an adaptive interface comprising:
activating a first sensor group having one or more first sensors;
detecting a person via at least one of the one or more first sensors;
in response to detecting the person, activating a second sensor group having one or more second sensors, wherein the one or more first sensors operate at a lower power level than the one or more second sensors;
using at least one of the one or more second sensors to authenticate the person with a first level of accuracy and locate the person relative to the mobile communications device;
detecting that a distance between the mobile communications device and the person has become less than a first threshold distance, and in response, authenticating the person with a second level of accuracy, wherein the second level of accuracy is greater than the first level of accuracy.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein activating the first sensor group comprises activating one or more of a barometric sensor, an audio sensor, a thermal sensor, a light switching sensor, a light change sensor and an RF (radio frequency) sensor.

15. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein activating the second sensor group comprises activating at least one of a depth imager and camera.

16. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate the person with the first level of accuracy via a first authentication mechanism and to authenticate the person with the second level of accuracy via a second authentication mechanism, wherein the first and second authentication mechanisms are distinct from one another.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the first authentication mechanism comprises audio authentication, the second authentication mechanism comprises facial recognition.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising a fingerprint sensor, and wherein the processor is further configured to detect that the distance between the mobile communications device and the person has become less than a second threshold distance and, in response, to authenticate the person via the fingerprint sensor.

19. A method of authenticating a user of a mobile communications device via sensor bootstrapping to provide an adaptive interface comprising:
scanning an environment of the mobile device with a first sensor;
detecting a person via the first sensor;
in response to detecting the person, activating a second sensor, the second sensor having a higher operating a power than the first sensor;
identifying the person as an authorized user of the mobile communications device via the second sensor using a first authentication mechanism, and granting a first level of access to the person; and
detecting that the person has moved to within a first threshold distance of the mobile communications device, and in response, identifying the person as an authorized user of the mobile communications device using a second authentication mechanism, and granting a second level of access to the person, wherein the second authentication mechanism is more secure than the first authentication mechanism, and wherein the second level of access is more open than the first level of access.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc

Inventors

• Alameh Rachid
• Simerson Jarrett
• Ji Zhengping
• Corrigan Michael

Classifications

• H04L63/104

  Grouping of entities · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• H04L63/0853

  using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234) · CPC title

• H04L63/0861 Primary

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