Methods and systems for altering settings or performing an action by a user device based on detecting or authenticating a user of the user device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017024229-A1
Application number	US-201615287396-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2016
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Jan 26, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for detecting or recognizing a user and intelligently altering or adjusting user device settings appropriate for the detected user. In an embodiment, a method comprises detecting, electronically by a processor, a first user interacting with a user device via a user input interface of the user device; determining, electronically by the processor, one or more characteristics associated with a primary user of the user device; determining, electronically by the processor, the first user is not the primary user based at least in part on comparing interactions of the first user with the user device and the one or more characteristics associated with the primary user of the user device; and altering one or more settings of the user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a non-transitory memory; and one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising:
receiving first sensor data generated by a sensor of a touchscreen of a user device responsive to a finger of a first user contacting the touchscreen at a first time period while the first user is interacting with the user device in an unlocked state;
receiving second sensor data generated by the sensor of the touchscreen responsive to a finger of a second user contacting the touchscreen at a second time period while the second user is interacting with the user device in the unlocked state;
detecting a change from a first pattern at the first time period to a second pattern at the second time period based on the first sensor data and the second sensor data; and
in response to the detecting, altering one or more settings of the user device.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a first fingertip contact size pattern, a first pressure pattern, or both associated with the first user based on the first sensor data; and determining a second fingertip contact size pattern, a second pressure pattern, or both associated with the second user based on the second sensor data, wherein the detecting comprises comparing the first fingertip contact size pattern with the second fingertip contact size pattern, comparing the first pressure pattern with the second pressure pattern, or both.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
analyzing a fingertip contact size pattern, a pressure pattern, or both associated with the finger of the second user based on the second sensor data, wherein the altering is in response to determining the fingertip contact size pattern is below a size threshold, the pressure pattern is below a pressure threshold, or both.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detecting is performed as a background process.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the altering comprises restricting access to one or more applications, restricting access to one or more types of content, restricting the second user from making a purchase using the user device, or a combination thereof.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
comparing the second sensor data with third sensor data associated with a finger of a primary user; and determining whether the second user is the primary user based on the comparing, wherein the altering is in response to determining the second user is not the primary user.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
in response to the finger of the second user touching the touchscreen of the user device, receiving an image of the second user captured by a front-facing camera of the user device; and performing image recognition on the image to identify the second user, wherein the altering is in response to performing the image recognition.

8 . A method, comprising:
receiving first sensor data generated by a sensor of a touchscreen of a user device responsive to a finger of a first user contacting the touchscreen at a first time while the first user is interacting with the user device in an unlocked state; receiving second sensor data generated by the sensor of the touchscreen responsive to a finger of a second user contacting the touchscreen at a second time while the second user is interacting with the user device in the unlocked state; detecting a change in user from the first user at the first time to the second user at the second time based on the first sensor data and the second sensor data; and altering one or more settings of the user device based on the detecting.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a first fingertip contact size, a first pressure, or both based on the first sensor data; and determining a second fingertip contact size, a second pressure, or both based on the second sensor data, wherein the detecting comprises comparing the first fingertip contact size with the second fingertip contact size, comparing the first pressure with the second pressure, or both.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining a fingertip contact size is below a size threshold, a pressure is below a pressure threshold, or both based on the second sensor data; wherein the altering is further based on the determining.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the detecting is performed as a background process.

12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the altering comprises restricting access to one or more applications, restricting access to one or more types of content, restricting the second user from making a purchase using the user device, or a combination thereof.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
accessing third sensor data associated with a finger of a primary user of the user device stored in a memory; comparing the second sensor data with the third sensor data; and determining whether the second user is the primary user based on the comparing, wherein the altering is further based on determining the second user is not the primary user.

14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
in response to the finger of the second user contacting the touchscreen of the user device, receiving an image of the second user captured by a front-facing camera of the user device, wherein the altering is further based on the image of the second user.

15 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
in response to a finger of a first user contacting a touchscreen of a user device at a first time period while the first user is interacting with the user device in an unlocked state, receiving first sensor data generated by a sensor of the touchscreen; in response to a finger of a second user contacting the touchscreen at a second time period while the second user is interacting with the user device in the unlocked state, receiving second sensor data generated by the sensor of the touchscreen; detecting a change from a first pattern at the first time period to a second pattern at the second time period based on the first sensor data and the second sensor data; and in response to the detecting, altering one or more settings of the user device.

16 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the detecting comprises:
determining a first fingertip contact pattern, a first pressure pattern, or both based on the first sensor data; determining a second fingertip contact pattern, a second pressure pattern, or both based on the second sensor data; and comparing the first fingertip contact pattern with the second fingertip contact pattern, comparing the first pressure pattern with the second pressure pattern, or both.

17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a fingertip contact pattern is below a size threshold, a pressure pattern is below a pressure threshold, or both based on the second sensor data, wherein the altering is performed automatically in response to the determining.

18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the detecting is performed continuously or at regular time intervals as a background process.

Assignees

• Paypal Inc

Inventors

• Chatterton Geoffrey W
• Khanna Ramaneek
• Nichols Timothy C

Classifications

• G06F9/4451 Primary

  User profiles; Roaming · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F21/316

  by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title