Maintaining user authentications with common trusted devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9866555-B2
Application number	US-201514757769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus, method, and other techniques to maintain user authentications with common trusted devices. If a user is in possession of a first computing device (e.g., a smartphone), an unlocked state of the first trusted device is maintained if the user is using a nearby trusted device (e.g., a computer) within a certain amount of time. If the first trusted device is in a pocket or other container, a longer span of time is granted to the user to register an on-body state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for maintaining a user authentication status comprising:
a processor circuit;
a network interface to exchange data communications with a trusted device; and
a memory, comprising instructions executable by the processor circuit, the instructions to cause the processor circuit to:
determine whether the trusted device has received user input within a screen-lock-timeout time of the apparatus;
determine whether the apparatus is disposed within a container based at least in part on data received from an in-container detection sensor;
determine whether the apparatus is in an on-body state based at least in part on data received from an on-body detection sensor;
authenticate a user to the apparatus and thereafter transition a display of the apparatus from a locked state to an unlocked state; and
maintain the unlocked state of the display of the apparatus for a length of time greater than the screen-lock-timeout time based on determinations, within a time-out time, that the trusted device has received user input within the screen-lock-timeout time of the apparatus, the apparatus is disposed within the container, and the apparatus is in the on-body state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the network interface comprising a direct network link between the apparatus and the trusted device or an indirect network link comprising a network device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions to cause the processor circuit to determine that the apparatus is not in the on-body state based at least in part on data received from the on-body detection sensor and, thereafter, to transition the display of the apparatus from the unlocked state to the locked state.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , the time-out time predetermined or developed by machine learning.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions to cause the processor circuit to distinguish the on-body state from the apparatus being disposed face-down on a surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions to cause the processor circuit to determine that the apparatus and trusted device are within a distance of each other and to transition the display of the apparatus or trusted device from a locked state to an unlocked state.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , the distance comprising a first distance in a trusted environment and a second distance shorter than the first distance in an untrusted environment.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the memory comprising instructions to cause the processor circuit to transition the display of the apparatus from the unlocked state to the locked state if a distance between the apparatus and the trusted device exceeds a threshold, if an acceleration of the apparatus exceeds a threshold, or if a network connection between the apparatus and the trusted device is lost.

9. A computer-implemented method for maintaining a user authentication status comprising:
authenticating a user to a computing device and thereafter transitioning a display of the computing device from a locked state to an unlocked state;
determining that a trusted device in electronic communication with the computing device has received input from the user within a screen-lock-timeout time of the computing device;
determining that the computing device is disposed within a container based at least in part on data received from an in-container detection sensor;
determining that the computing device is in an on-body state based at least in part on data received from an on-body detection sensor; and
maintaining the unlocked state of the display of the computing device for a length of time greater than the screen-lock-timeout time based on determining, within a time-out time, that the trusted device received input from the user within the screen-lock-timeout time of the computing device, the computing device is disposed within the container, and the computing device is in the on-body state.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising communicating between the computing device and trusted device using a network interface comprising a direct network link between the computing device and the trusted device or an indirect network link comprising a network device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising determining that the computing device is not in the on-body state based at least in part on data received from the on-body detection sensor and, thereafter, transitioning the display of the computing device from the unlocked state to the locked state.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , the time-out time predetermined or developed by machine learning.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising distinguishing the on-body state from the computing device being disposed face-down on a surface.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising determining that the computing device and trusted device are within a distance of each other and transitioning the display of the computing device or trusted device from a locked state to an unlocked state.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , the distance comprising a first distance in a trusted environment and a second distance shorter than the first distance in an untrusted environment.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising transitioning the display of the computing device from the unlocked state to the locked state if a distance between the computing device and the trusted device exceeds a threshold, if an acceleration of the computing device exceeds a threshold, or if a network connection between the computing device and the trusted device is lost.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:
authenticate a user to a computing device and thereafter transition a display of the computing device from a locked state to an unlocked state;
determine that a trusted device has received input from the user within a screen-lock-timeout time of the computing device;
determine that the computing device is disposed within a container based at least in part on data received from an in-container detection sensor;
determine that the computing device is in an on-body state based at least in part on data received from an on-body detection sensor; and
maintain the unlocked state of the display of the computing device for a length of time greater than the screen-lock-timeout time based on determinations, within a time-out time, that the trusted device received input from the user within the screen-lock-timeout time of the computing device, the computing device is disposed within the container, and the computing device is in the on-body state.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the instructions further comprising communicating between the computing device and trusted device using a network interface comprising a direct network link between the computing device and the trusted device or an indirect network link comprising a network device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the instructions further causing the processing device to determine that the computing device is not in the on-body state based at least in part on data received from the on-body detection sensor and, thereafter, transition the display of the computing device from the unlocked state to the locked state.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Sheller Micah J
• Huang Yonghong
• Bhasker Narjala P
• Martin Jason
• Cornelius Cory

Classifications

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G06F3/01

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title