Patent Issued for Authentication based on user interaction with images or objects (USPTO 11696140): United Services Automobile Association

2023 JUL 26 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Billman, Bradly Jay (Celina, TX, US), Erickson, Jennifer Hunt (San Antonio, TX, US), filed on April 26, 2021, was published online on July 4, 2023.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 11696140, is United Services Automobile Association (San Antonio, Texas, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for authentication of users. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to techniques for increasing an accuracy of detecting inauthentic user requests for an access into protected, secretive, sensitive, and/or personal data associated with an authentic user.

“This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

“Modern organizations typically offer access to services and sensitive data via online portals (e.g., the Internet), which may be accessed from numerous locales across the globe. Because the data and/or services provided by these entities may be valuable, nefarious individuals may attempt to impersonate a user from one of the access sites, in an effort to gain unauthorized access to the data and/or to initiate unauthorized service transactions. To curb these efforts, businesses and other organizations (churches, government, clubs, etc.) typically implement authentication processes. Further, individuals that store sensitive and/or personal information on an electronic device may implement authentication processes to access their electronic devices or accounts or applications associated with their electronic devices. Authentication processes may include asking for username/password combinations. Moreover, some authentication methods include facial and/or voice identification to increase a level of security. Unfortunately, authentication processes are vulnerable to unauthorized intrusions. For example, hackers (e.g., unauthorized users) have exposed vulnerabilities in authentication methods that include facial recognition and/or audio recognition processes using prerecorded and altered video/audio feeds. Accordingly, improved techniques for authentication are desirable.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

“Provided is an authentication system that includes a sensor system of a mobile device. The sensor system includes a camera. The authentication system also includes a processor of the mobile device that executes instructions of an application stored on the mobile device. The instructions cause the mobile device to activate the camera of the sensor system in response to requesting an authentication request; receive user input to cause the camera to capture an image comprising image data in a field of view of the camera; communicate the captured image to an authenticator of the service; receive authentication based on the authenticator determining that the image data is indicative of a pattern or arrangement of a plurality of real-world objects that is associated with an authorized authentication request; and access the service on the mobile device based on receiving the authentication.

“Provided is an authentication system that includes a user interface that generates an authentication request. The authentication system also includes communication circuitry configured to communicate the authentication request. The authentication system also includes one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data indicative of interaction of the one or more sensors with one or more real-world objects or interaction with an image displayed on a display screen. The authentication system also includes an authenticator comprising a processor and a memory. The authenticator is configured to: receive the authentication request and the sensor data; determine that the sensor data is indicative of an authorized interaction with the one or more real-world objects or with the image; and in response to the determination, grant the authentication request.

“Provided is a method that includes the steps of receiving an authentication request; providing an authentication image to a device associated with the authentication request to cause the authentication image to be displayed on the device; receiving sensor data indicative of a requestor response to the authentication image; determining that the sensor data indicative of the requestor response is associated with an authorized user; and granting the authentication request based on the determination.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. An authentication system: a sensor system of a mobile device, the sensor system comprising a camera; and a processor of the mobile device, the processor executing instructions of an application stored on the mobile device, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the mobile device to: activate the camera of the sensor system in response to an authentication request; cause the camera to capture an image comprising image data in a field of view of the camera and over a period of time; communicate the image data to an authenticator stored on the mobile device; receive authentication based on the authenticator determining that the image data is indicative of a plurality of real-world objects being assembled in a predetermined order relative to one another over the period of time to form an ordered arrangement that is associated with an authorized authentication request; wherein determining that the image data of the ordered arrangement of the plurality of real-world objects corresponds to the predetermined order associated with the authorized authentication comprises determining that the ordered arrangement comprises a first individual real-world object that forms an angle with a second individual real-world object, wherein the angle is within a predetermined range and wherein the authenticator is configured to recognize that an individual object of the plurality of real-world objects comprises a type of object corresponding to an assigned physical key associated with a user identified in the authentication request; and access a service on the mobile device based on receiving the authentication.

“2. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein a memory of the mobile device automatically discards the captured image after a threshold time or after the image data has been communicated to the authenticator.

“3. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the authenticator is further configured to identify colors of individual objects of the plurality of real-world objects in the image data to determine that the image data of the plurality of real-world objects corresponds to the ordered arrangement of the plurality of real-world objects associated with the authorized authentication request.

“4. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the authenticator is configured to determine that the ordered arrangement comprises a first individual real-world object spaced apart a distance from a second individual real-world object, wherein the distance is within a predetermined range.

“5. The authentication system of claim 1, comprising: automatically deactivating the camera after capturing the image; and displaying the received authentication.

“6. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the instructions of the application comprise instructions to perform a preliminary analysis of the image data to identify one or more of the real-world objects in the image data; and communicate the captured image to an authenticator of the service only when the real-world objects are identified by the application.

“7. An authentication system, comprising: a user interface that generates an authentication request; communication circuitry configured to communicate the authentication request; one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data indicative of an interaction of the one or more sensors with a plurality of real-world objects; and an authenticator comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the authenticator is configured to: receive the authentication request and the sensor data; determine that the sensor data is indicative of an authorized interaction with the plurality of real-world objects, wherein the authenticator is configured to: identify shared features among individual objects of the plurality of real-world objects in the sensor data and a number of the plurality of real-world objects; identify in the sensor data that the plurality of real-world objects are assembled into a particular shape via laying out individual objects of the plurality of real-world objects in a predetermined order relative to one another on a surface, wherein the authenticator is configured to determine that the authorized interaction is based on the identified shared features and the identified number of the plurality of real-world objects, and identifying that the plurality of real-world objects are laid out to form the particular shape in the predetermined order and that the particular shape comprises a first individual real-world object that forms an angle with a second individual real-world object, wherein the angle is within a predetermined range and wherein the authenticator is configured to recognize that an individual object of the plurality of real-world objects comprises a type of object corresponding to an assigned physical key associated with a user identified in the authentication request; and in response to the determination, grant the authentication request.

“8. The authentication system of claim 7, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a camera configured to capture image data of the interaction with the plurality of real-world objects.

“9. The authentication system of claim 7, comprising a display screen comprising a capacitive touch screen and wherein the sensor data indicative of the authorized interaction with the plurality of real-world objects comprises sensor data captured by the capacitive touch screen and indicative of an arrangement of the plurality of real-world objects in the predetermined order on the capacitive touch screen.

“10. The authentication system of claim 9, wherein the authenticator is configured to: determine a shape of a contact surface of the display screen with the plurality of real-world objects based on the sensor data; and identify the plurality of real-world objects based on the determined shape of the contact surface, wherein the identified plurality of real-world objects is associated with the authorized interaction.

“11. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined order relative to one another is a left to right assembly of individual real-world objects of the plurality over the period of time to form the ordered arrangement.

“12. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined order relative to one comprises an alternating assembly of individual real-world objects over the period of time to form the ordered arrangement.

“13. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined order relative to one another comprises a clockwise or counterclockwise assembly of individual real-world objects over the period of time to form the ordered arrangement.

“14. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the authenticator is configured to recognize that an individual object of the plurality of real-world objects comprises a type of object corresponding to an assigned physical key associated with a user identified in the authentication request.

“15. The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of real-world objects comprises separate objects that are configured to be positioned relative to one another on a surface to assemble the ordered arrangement.

“16. The authentication system of claim 15, wherein each of the separate objects of the plurality has a uniform size and shape relative to one another.”

For more information, see this patent: Billman, Bradly Jay. Authentication based on user interaction with images or objects. U.S. Patent Number 11696140, filed April 26, 2021, and published online on July 4, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11696140)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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