Authentication by dielectric properties of skin

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11683107-B2
Application number	US-202117474458-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2021
Priority date	Sep 23, 2020
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided an apparatus comprising means for: obtaining a propagation profile for wireless signals transmitted between at least two devices via a creeping wave along a user's skin; causing transmission of electromagnetic radiation towards a plurality of locations on a target user's body to obtain dielectric properties of their skin at the plurality of locations based on an amount of the electromagnetic radiation reflected from each location; determining whether the propagation profile correlates with a realizable creeping wave along the target user's skin, the realizability being based on the obtained dielectric properties of their skin; and forming an association between the target user and the at least two devices based on a strength of correlation between the propagation profile and a realizable creeping wave.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

obtain a propagation profile for wireless signals transmitted between at least two devices via a creeping wave along a user's skin;
cause transmission of electromagnetic radiation towards a plurality of locations on a target user's body to obtain dielectric properties of the target user's skin at the plurality of locations based on an amount of the electromagnetic radiation reflected from each location;
determine whether the propagation profile correlates with a realizable creeping wave along the target user's skin, the realizability being based on the obtained dielectric properties of the target user's skin; and
form an association between the target user and the at least two devices based on a strength of correlation between the propagation profile and a realizable creeping wave.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the propagation profile indicates attenuation of one or more frequencies of the wireless signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: receive the propagation profile from at least one of one of the at least two devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is or is comprised in one of the at least two devices and obtains the propagation profile by analysis of wireless signals received from another of the at least two devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least two devices are Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic radiation transmitted towards the plurality of locations comprises at least one radiofrequency beam having a wavelength below 10 mm.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of locations towards which the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted comprise expected locations on the target user's body of the at least two devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dielectric properties of the target user's skin at the plurality of locations are obtained based on the amount of the electromagnetic radiation reflected back to the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: predict propagation profiles for realizable creeping waves based on obtained dielectric properties of the target user's skin.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the propagation profiles are predicted for realizable creeping waves between expected locations on the target user's body of the at least two devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: predict dielectric properties of the target user's skin based on the obtained propagation profile.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: in response to an association between the target user and the at least two devices being made, and in response to the target user being an authorized user of the apparatus, approve connection of the apparatus with the at least two devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: in response to an association between the target user and at least two devices being made, and in response to the target user being approved to connect the with the apparatus, approve access for the target user to applications run on the apparatus.

14. A method comprising:
obtaining a propagation profile for wireless signals transmitted between at least two devices via a creeping wave along a user's skin;
causing transmission of electromagnetic radiation towards a plurality of locations on a target user's body to obtain dielectric properties of the target user's skin at the plurality of locations based on an amount of the electromagnetic radiation reflected from each location;
determining whether the propagation profile correlates with a realizable creeping wave along the target user's skin, the realizability being based on the obtained dielectric properties of the target user's skin; and
forming an association between the target user and the at least two devices based on a strength of correlation between the propagation profile and a realizable creeping wave.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving the propagation profile from at least one of the at least two devices.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least two devices are Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) devices.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation transmitted towards the plurality of locations comprises at least one radiofrequency beam having a wavelength below 10 mm.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following:
obtaining a propagation profile for wireless signals transmitted between at least two devices via a creeping wave along a user's skin;
causing transmission of electromagnetic radiation towards a plurality of locations on a target user's body to obtain dielectric properties of the target user's skin at the plurality of locations based on an amount of the electromagnetic radiation reflected from each location;
determining whether the propagation profile correlates with a realizable creeping wave along the target user's skin, the realizability being based on the obtained dielectric properties of the target user's skin; and
forming an association between the target user and the at least two devices based on a strength of correlation between the propagation profile and a realizable creeping wave.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to cause: receiving the propagation profile from at least one of the at least two devices.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation transmitted towards the plurality of locations comprises at least one radiofrequency beam having a wavelength below 10 mm.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Wright Christopher
• Catton Phil
• Lau Wai

Classifications

• H04B13/005

  Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body · CPC title

• G01N27/02

  by investigating impedance · CPC title

• H04B17/391 Primary

  Modelling the propagation channel · CPC title

• A61B5/1072

  measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness (A61B5/1076 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/0024

  for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network · CPC title