Preauthorized wearable biometric device, system and method for use thereof

Inventors

Agrafioti, Foteini • Martin, Karl • Oung, Stephen

Assignees

Nymi Inc

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards authenticating users using biometric devices. The biometric device may be arranged to capture one or more biometric feature of a user that may be wearing the biometric device such as biometric features that correspond to an electrocardiogram of the user. The user of the biometric device may be authenticated based on one or more biometric features, or a combination thereof. Authenticating the user of the biometric device, may include communicating information that includes biometric features to an authorized authentication device (AAD). When the user is authenticated, the biometric device may be preauthorized for the user. When the preauthorized biometric device senses at least one access point, an authorization signal may be provided to the access point. If the preauthorized biometric device is removed from the user, the biometric device is deauthorized, disabling access to access points by the user.

Core Innovation

The invention authenticates a user using a biometric device that captures one or more biometric features of the user. The authentication includes communicating information that includes the one or more biometric features to an authorized authentication device (AAD) that is separate from the biometric device, and comparing the one or more biometric features to a biometric profile corresponding to the user stored on the AAD. The AAD preauthorizes the biometric device for the user when the biometric profile corresponds to the one or more biometric features.

After preauthorization, the invention provides the preauthorization to one or more access points, and provides the user access to the one or more access points based on the preauthorization of the biometric device. The invention includes access authorization scenarios in which the system grants access based on preauthorization and additional authorization conditions. The preauthorization approach is positioned to reduce repeated biometric checking by using AAD-based preauthorization rather than per-access biometric comparison at the access points.

The invention further includes biometric-device behaviors and logic for authentication and access control. Example refinements include capturing biometric features that correspond to an electrocardiogram, and using an electronic continuity detector circuit running around the user’s wrist with deauthorization for the user when the device clasp is opened. The invention also supports multiple access points, including granting access to one or more access points based on at least one secondary condition when two or more access points are sensed, and provisioning permitted access points based on user profile information.

Claims Coverage

The document provides four independent claims (clm-00001, clm-00009, clm-00017, clm-00024) that share a common core flow: capture biometric features, communicate them to a separate AAD for comparison with a stored biometric profile to preauthorize the biometric device, and provide the resulting preauthorization to one or more access points. Across the independent claims, the inventive features are implemented as a method, a biometric device, a system including an access point computer, and a processor readable non-transitory storage media.

Across the independent claims, the central inventive concept is preauthorization of a biometric device by an AAD that compares communicated biometric features to a stored biometric profile, followed by granting access at one or more access points based on that preauthorization. The independent claims differ mainly in whether the concept is claimed as a method, a biometric device, a system including an access point computer, or processor readable non-transitory storage media.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications