Embedded authentication systems in an electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9304624-B2
Application number	US-201414479088-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2014
Priority date	Sep 24, 2007
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

An electronic device with a display and a fingerprint sensor may authenticate a user for a respective function. While access to one or more resources of the device is restricted, the device displays an irregular arrangement of shapes on the touch-sensitive display. The device receives input based on the displayed irregular arrangement of the shapes. In accordance with a determination that the input meets input pattern criteria, the device provides access to the one or more restricted resources. In accordance with a determination that the input does not meet the input pattern criteria, the devices forgoes providing access to the one or more restricted resources of the device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display:
while access to one or more resources of the device is restricted, displaying an irregular arrangement of shapes that are irregularly distributed on the touch-sensitive display;
while displaying the irregular arrangement of shapes, receiving input based on a plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes; and
in response to receiving the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes:
in accordance with a determination that the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes meets input pattern criteria comprising temporal pattern criteria based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes, providing access to the one or more restricted resources of the device; and
in accordance with a determination that the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes does not meet the input pattern criteria, forgoing providing access to the one or more restricted resources of the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input pattern criteria comprises visual pattern criteria.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input pattern criteria comprises spatial pattern criteria.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the irregular arrangement of shapes changes in response to satisfaction of a predetermined condition.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the device receives a subsequent request to access the one or more resources of the device while the access to the one or more resources of the device is restricted.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is based on the locations of the irregular arrangement of the shapes displayed on the touch-sensitive display.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is based on the plurality of shapes having a common attribute in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is based on the plurality of shapes displayed in predetermined locations in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is based on one or more contours of the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the input meets the temporal pattern criteria based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes comprises determining that the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes is received at a predefined rate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining that the input meets the temporal pattern criteria based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes comprises determining that a motion input, detected by a sensor of the device, based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes corresponds to an authorized temporal pattern of the motion.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temporal pattern criteria are based on direct shape input for the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions for an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, which when executed by the electronic device, cause the device to:
while access to one or more resources of the device is restricted, display an irregular arrangement of shapes that are irregularly distributed on the touch-sensitive display;
while displaying the irregular arrangement of shapes, receive input based on a plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes; and
in response to receiving the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes:
in accordance with a determination that the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes meets input pattern criteria comprising temporal pattern criteria based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes, provide access to the one or more restricted resources of the device; and
in accordance with a determination that the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes does not meet the input pattern criteria, forgo providing access to the one or more restricted resources of the device.

14. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the input pattern criteria comprises visual pattern criteria.

15. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the input pattern criteria comprises spatial pattern criteria.

16. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the irregular arrangement of shapes changes in response to satisfaction of a predetermined condition.

17. The medium of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the device receives a subsequent request to access the one or more resources of the device while the access to the one or more resources of the device is restricted.

18. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the input is based on the locations of the irregular arrangement of the shapes displayed on the touch-sensitive display.

19. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the temporal pattern criteria are based on direct shape input for the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

20. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the input is based on the plurality of shapes having a common attribute in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

21. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the input is based on the plurality of shapes displayed in predetermined locations in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

22. The medium of claim 13 , wherein the input is based on one or more contours of the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes.

23. The medium of claim 13 , wherein determining that the input meets the temporal pattern criteria based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes comprises determining that the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes is received at a predefined rate.

24. The medium of claim 13 , wherein:
determining that the input meets the temporal pattern criteria based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes comprises determining that a motion input, detected by a sensor of the device, based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes corresponds to an authorized temporal pattern of the motion.

25. An electronic device, comprising:
a touch-sensitive display;
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
while access to one or more resources of the device is restricted, displaying an irregular arrangement of shapes that are irregularly distributed on the touch-sensitive display;
while displaying the irregular arrangement of shapes, receiving input based on a plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes; and
in response to receiving the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement of the shapes:
in accordance with a determination that the input based on the plurality of shapes in the irregular arrangement

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Fadell Anthony
• Hodge Andrew
• Schell Stephan
• Caballero Ruben
• Dorogusker Jesse Lee
• Zadesky Stephen
• Sanford Emery

Classifications

• G06F21/36

  by graphic or iconic representation · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F21/32 Primary

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

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title