User authentication through registered device communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11057375-B1
Application number	US-201816017709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Jun 25, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments providing user authentication through registered device communications. An authentication token is generated for a user account. The authentication token is embedded within a digital content item. The digital content item is sent to a first client device that is registered to the user account. A user is authenticated for access to the user account based at least in part on the user providing the authentication token embedded within the digital content item.

First claim

Therefore, the following is claimed:

1. A method, comprising:
generating, via one or more computing devices, a plurality of unique authentication tokens for a user account;
sending, via the one or more computing devices, individual ones of the plurality of unique authentication tokens to corresponding ones of a plurality of client devices registered to the user account, wherein a first unique authentication token of the plurality of unique authentication tokens is embedded within a digital content item, the digital content item comprising at least one of: video content, audio content, or an electronic book, and a second unique authentication token of the plurality of unique authentication tokens specifies a sequence of illuminations for at least one lighted indicator of one of the plurality of client devices, wherein the digital content item into which the first unique authentication token is embedded is sent to a corresponding one of the plurality of client devices before an authentication request is received from a user;
receiving, via the one or more computing devices, the authentication request originated by the user;
responsive to receiving the authentication request, prompting, via the one or more computing devices, the user to access the digital content item in order to provide the first unique authentication token; and
authenticating, via the one or more computing devices, the user for access to the user account based at least in part on the user providing at least N unique authentication tokens of the plurality of unique authentication tokens, the at least N unique authentication tokens including the first unique authentication token, wherein N is an integer greater than one.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of client devices include at least two of: a smartphone, an electronic book reader, a tablet computer, a voice interface device, or a laptop computer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital content item is the audio content, and the first unique authentication token is embedded into the audio content as a sequence of sounds.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising disabling, via the one or more computing devices, the user account in response to a security compromise before the authentication request is received.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital content item is the electronic book, and the first unique authentication token is embedded in the electronic book as a sequence of words on a particular page.

6. A system, comprising:
at least one computing device; and
at least one service executable in the at least one computing device, wherein when executed the at least one service causes the at least one computing device to at least:
generate an authentication token for a user account;
embed the authentication token within a digital content item, the digital content item comprising at least one of: video content, audio content, or an electronic book;
send the digital content item to a first client device that is registered to the user account so that the digital content item is preloaded on the first client device prior to receiving an authentication request to authenticate a user for access to the user account;
responsive to receiving the authentication request, prompt the user to access the digital content item in order to provide the authentication token; and
authenticate the user for access to the user account based at least in part on the user providing the authentication token embedded within the digital content item.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the digital content item is the video content, and the authentication token is embedded into one or more pixels of the video content.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein when executed the at least one service further causes the at least one computing device to at least:
generate another authentication token for the user account;
cause a second client device registered to the user account to present the other authentication token by way of a sequence of illuminations of at least one light emitting diode (LED) on the second client device; and
wherein the user is authenticated for access to the user account further based at least in part on the user providing information describing the sequence of illuminations.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the user is authenticated for access to the user account further based at least in part on the user providing location or position information associated with a second client device.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein when executed the at least one service further causes the at least one computing device to at least:
generate another authentication token for the user account;
cause a second client device registered to the user account to present the other authentication token within a user interface; and
wherein the user is authenticated for access to the user account further based at least in part on the user providing the other authentication token.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the digital content item is the video content, and the authentication token is encoded into the video content as a character string.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein the digital content item corresponds to a special-purpose digital content item provided to facilitate authentication.

13. The system of claim 6 , wherein the authentication token is embedded in the digital content item in a steganographic form, and an application executed in the first client device is configured to decode the authentication token from the steganographic form.

14. The system of claim 6 , wherein the first client device is associated with a registration authentication token that identifies the first client device to the at least one service.

15. The system of claim 6 , wherein the digital content item corresponds to an electronic book, and the authentication token corresponds to a sequence of words on a particular page.

16. The system of claim 6 , wherein the user provides the authentication token to an agent via a text message or a telephone call.

17. A method, comprising:
generating, via one or more computing devices, an authentication token for a user account;
embedding, via the one or more computing devices, the authentication token within a digital content item, the digital content item comprising at least one of: video content, audio content, or an electronic book;
sending, via the one or more computing devices, the digital content item to a first client device that is registered to the user account so that the digital content item is preloaded on the first client device prior to receiving an authentication request to authenticate a user for access to the user account;
responsive to receiving the authentication request, prompting, via the one or more computing devices, the user to access the digital content item in order to provide the authentication token; and
authenticating, via the one or more computing devices, the user for access to the user account based at least in part on the user providing the authentication token embedded within the digital content item.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein embedding the authentication token within the digital content item further comprises embedding, via the one or more computing devices, the authentication token within the digital content item in a steganographic form, and an application executed in the first client device is configured to decode the authentication token from the steganographic form.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
generatin

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Conley Myles
• Brown Aaron Michael

Classifications

• H04L63/0853 Primary

  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

• H04L9/3213

  using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos (network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807) · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title

• H04L63/0807 Primary

  using tickets, e.g. Kerberos (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213) · CPC title

• G06F2221/2103

  Challenge-response · CPC title