Body area network facilitated authentication or payment authorization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11699151-B2
Application number	US-202016907536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2020
Priority date	Jul 17, 2019
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are examples of a method, a wearable device and a system enabling authentication of a user of a payment account or completion of a purchase transaction via signals generated by the wearable device. A process may include a wearable device generating a modulated signal using an encryption algorithm. The modulated signal may contain authentication information related to the wearable device including a cryptographic authentication message. The modulated signal is output to a biological medium interface of the wearable device that is coupled to a biological medium of a wearer of the wearable device. The biological medium is operable to conduct the modulated signal. A receiving device processes including decrypting and demodulating the modulated signal received from the biological medium. Using the demodulated signal, the authentication information transmitted from the wearable device is obtained. Based on the obtained authentication information, a transaction may be authorized, or a user authenticated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable device, comprising:
an antenna;
a logic circuit including an input interface;
a memory operable to store authentication information;
a modulated signal generator operable to generate a modulated electrical signal, wherein the logic circuit, the memory, the antenna and the modulated signal generator are coupled to one another; and
wherein the logic circuit is operable to:
determine based on receipt of a control signal that an authentication signal is required to authorize a purchase transaction;
in response to the determination that the authentication signal is required, instruct the modulated signal generator to generate a modulated radio frequency signal using an encryption algorithm, wherein the modulated signal contains authentication information related to the wearable device including a cryptographic token related to the encryption algorithm;
output the modulated radio frequency signal to the antenna, wherein the antenna is coupled to a biological medium of a wearer of the wearable device and is not in physical contact with the biological medium of the wearer, and the biological medium is operable to conduct the modulated radio frequency signal; and
receive, by the wearable device, in response to the outputted modulated radio frequency signal, an indication that the purchase transaction has been authorized.

2. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the logic circuit is further operable to perform:
present the indication that the purchase transaction has been authorized on a display device coupled to the wearable device.

3. The wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display device coupled to the processor; and
wherein the logic circuit is further operable to perform:
prior to generating the modulated radio frequency signal by the wearable device, present a menu of one or more authentication options on the display device;
receive an input selecting one or more authentication options on the display device;
select an authentication option via another input; and
retrieve authentication information associated with the selected authentication option from the memory, wherein the selected authentication option utilizes the cryptographic token.

4. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein:
the authentication information further includes at least one of: a payment card identifier, a payment card number, an account number, an account identifier, an issuer identifier, or biometric data.

5. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the modulated signal generator is operable to:
generate an authentication signal in response to an authentication control signal received from the logic circuit, wherein the authentication signal is a modulated radio frequency signal containing an encrypted message including information usable to authenticate that the wearable device is associated with a payment account; and
output the authentication signal from the antenna to a biological medium of a wearer of the wearable device to complete a purchase transaction.

6. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is a ring, eyeglasses, a necklace, or a wristwatch.

7. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the logic circuit is operable to communicate with a mobile device.

8. A computer-implemented method for a wearable device system, comprising:
determining, by a logic circuit, based on receipt of a control signal that an authentication signal is required to authorize a purchase transaction;
in response to the determination that the authentication signal is required, instructing, by the logic circuit, a modulated signal generator generates a modulated radio frequency signal using an encryption algorithm, wherein the modulated signal contains authentication information related to a wearable device including a cryptographic token related to the encryption algorithm;
outputting, by the logic circuit, the modulated radio frequency signal to an antenna, wherein the antenna is coupled to a biological medium of a wearer of the wearable device and is not in physical contact with the biological medium of the wearer, and the biological medium is operable to conduct the modulated radio frequency signal; and
receiving, by the wearable device, in response to the outputted modulated radio frequency signal, an indication that the purchase transaction has been authorized.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising presenting the indication that the purchase transaction has been authorized on a display device coupled to the wearable device.

10. The method of claim 8 , comprising:
presenting, via a display device by the logic circuit, a menu of one or more authentication options on the display device;
receiving, by the logic circuit, an input selecting one or more authentication options on the display device;
selecting, by the logic circuit, an authentication option via another input; and
retrieving, by the logic circuit, authentication information associated with the selected authentication option from memory, wherein the selected authentication option utilizes the cryptographic token.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the authentication information further includes at least one of: a payment card identifier, a payment card number, an account number, an account identifier, an issuer identifier, or biometric data.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the modulated signal generator is operable to:
generating, by the modulated signal generator, an authentication signal in response to an authentication control signal received from the logic circuit, wherein the authentication signal is a modulated radio frequency signal containing an encrypted message including information usable to authenticate that the wearable device is associated with a payment account; and
outputting, the authentication signal from the antenna to a biological medium of a wearer of the wearable device to complete a purchase transaction.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the wearable device is a ring, eyeglasses, a necklace, or a wristwatch.

Assignees

• Capital One Services Llc

Inventors

• Osborn Kevin
• Rule Jeffrey
• Wurmfeld David

Classifications

• G06Q20/3825

  Use of electronic signatures · CPC title

• G06Q20/38215 Primary

  Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights · CPC title

• G06Q2220/00

  Business processing using cryptography · CPC title

• G06Q20/3227

  using secure elements embedded in M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/401

  Transaction verification · CPC title