Leveraging biometrics for authentication and touch differentiation

摘要

Biometric authentication and touch differentiation embodiments are described which use a handheld mobile computing device having a signal injection site that injects a signal into a user's hand for a prescribed period of time, and at least one signal sensing site each of which captures a signal emanating from a finger of either of the user's hands that is touching the signal sensing site during at least the period of time the signal is injected. The captured signal or signals are analyzed to determine whether they match, to a prescribed degree, a pre-established signal model that is indicative of a signal or signals expected to be captured. The signal matching determination can be employed to authenticate a user, or identify which finger of a user's hand is touching the computing device.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented process for authenticating a user of a handheld mobile computing device, comprising:
using the handheld mobile computing device to perform the following process actions: detecting whether a part of a user's first hand is touching a signal injection site on the exterior of the handheld mobile computing device; whenever it is detected that said part of a user's first hand is touching the signal injection site, injecting a signal into that part of the user's first hand for a prescribed period of time; capturing signals emanating from a part or parts of the user's first or second hand that are touching one or more signal sensing sites on the exterior of the handheld mobile computing device during at least the period of time said signal is injected into the user's first hand, said captured signals being caused by the injected signal traveling through the user's body; determining whether the captured signals match, to a prescribed degree, a pre-established signal model that is indicative of signals expected to be captured from said part or parts of the user's first or second hand that are touching one or more signal sensing sites on the exterior of the handheld mobile computing device during at least the period of time said signal is injected into the user's first hand; and whenever it is determined that the captured signals match to the prescribed degree, authenticating the user as an authorized user of the handheld mobile computing device.