Bioacoustic authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11699299-B2
Application number	US-202117350302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2021
Priority date	Jul 2, 2020
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided an apparatus comprising means for: determining at least two locations at which a user touches a device; selecting a first location and a second location from the at least two locations to define a transmission path for an acoustic signal through the user; applying an acoustic signal to the user through the first location; detecting an acoustic signal transmitted through the user at the second location; and analysing the detected acoustic signal to determine if it is indicative of transmission of the applied acoustic signal through an authorised user based on a known bioacoustic signature of the authorised user.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory 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 to:
determine at least two locations at which a user touches a device;
select a first location and a second location from the at least two locations to define a transmission path for an acoustic signal through the user;
apply an acoustic signal to the user through the first location;
detect an acoustic signal transmitted through the user at the second location;
analyse the detected acoustic signal to determine if it is indicative of transmission of the applied acoustic signal through an authorised user based on a known bioacoustic signature of the authorised user;
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: for the at least two touch locations, determine which parts of the user's hand provide the touch contact; and
wherein selecting the first location and a second location comprises: identifying available transmission paths, for an acoustic signal, through the user between the parts of the user's hand which provide the touch contact; and selecting one of the available transmission paths.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein selecting of one of the available transmission paths is based on authentication confidence scores associated with the available transmission paths.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein selecting the first location is conditional on the first location being one for which localised vibrations can be controlled to produce a target acoustic signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein selection of the second location is conditional on the second location being one for which localised vibrations can be measured.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the applied acoustic signal is adapted for the defined transmission path.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the applied acoustic signal is adapted based on one or more touch properties at the first and/or second locations.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein analysing the detected acoustic signal comprises: processing the detected acoustic signal to extract the transfer function of the transmission path; and determining whether the extracted transfer function corresponds to the known bioacoustic signature of the authorised user.

8. 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, cause the apparatus to:
control access to at least one application in dependence on whether or not the detected acoustic signal is indicative of transmission of the applied acoustic signal through an authorised user.

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, cause the apparatus to:
enable guidance to be provided to the user which indicates where the user should touch the device based on which possible transmission paths have the highest associated authentication confidence scores.

10. 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, cause the apparatus to:
determine a hand posture of the user when touching the device at the at least two locations, and wherein selection of the first location and the second location is conditional on a hand posture corresponding to a predefined hand posture for the user.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein applying an acoustic signal to the user through the first location comprises causing multiple movable elements of an actuator, or a plurality of actuators, to vibrate a panel forming at least part of a display or casing of the device so that a superposition of vibrations at the first location produces the acoustic signal.

12. A method comprising:
determining at least two locations at which a user touches a device;
selecting a first location and a second location from the at least two locations to define a transmission path for an acoustic signal through the user;
applying an acoustic signal to the user through the first location;
detecting an acoustic signal transmitted through the user at the second location;
analysing the detected acoustic signal to determine if it is indicative of transmission of the applied acoustic signal through an authorised user based on a known bioacoustic signature of the authorised user; and
for the at least two touch locations, determining which parts of the user's hand provide the touch contact;
wherein selecting the first location and a second location comprises: identifying available transmission paths, for an acoustic signal, through the user between the parts of the user's hand which provide the touch contact; and selecting one of the available transmission paths.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
enabling guidance to be provided to the user which indicates where the user should touch the device based on which possible transmission paths have the highest associated authentication confidence scores.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
determining a hand posture of the user when touching the device at the at least two locations, and wherein selection of the first location and the second location is conditional on a hand posture corresponding to a predefined hand posture for the user.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following:
causing determination of at least two locations at which a user touches a device;
selecting a first location and a second location from the at least two locations to define a transmission path for an acoustic signal through the user;
causing application of an acoustic signal to the user through the first location;
causing detection of an acoustic signal transmitted through the user at the second location;
analysing the detected acoustic signal to determine if it is indicative of transmission of the applied acoustic signal through an authorised user based on a known bioacoustic signature of the authorised user; and
for the at least two touch locations, determining which parts of the user's hand provide the touch contact;
wherein selecting the first location and a second location comprises: identifying available transmission paths, for an acoustic signal, through the user between the parts of the user's hand which provide the touch contact; and selecting one of the available transmission paths.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following:
enabling guidance to be provided to the user which indicates where the user should touch the device based on which possible transmission paths have the highest associated authentication confidence scores.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Wright Christopher
• Catton Phil
• Lau Wai

Classifications

• G06V40/1306 Primary

  non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing · CPC title

• G06V40/67

  by interactive indications to the user · CPC title

• G06F21/32 Primary

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