# US 11,115,409 B2 · User authentication by emotional response > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,409 B2 - Document ID: US11115409B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/163,909 - Filed: 2018-10-18 - Published: 2020-04-23 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-18 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Susannah Shattuck; Annabella Cavello; Barak Krakauer; Ryan R. Anderson; Al Chakra; Hugh G. Kohl - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115409B2 ## CPC - H04L 63/0861: {using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231)} - G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints - G06N 3/04: Architecture, e.g. interconnection topology - G06N 3/0499: Feedforward networks - G06N 3/084: Backpropagation, e.g. using gradient descent - G06N 3/09: Supervised learning - H04W 12/68: Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method authenticates a user in order to activate an access mechanism for a device. One or more processors detect a real-time initial emotional state of the user, where the real-time initial emotional state of the user dynamically changes over time. The processor(s) present content as a stimulus to the user, and predict a predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user, where the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user is predicted to be caused by the content being presented to the user, and where the predicted post-stimulus emotional state is dependent upon the real-time initial emotional state of the user. The processor(s) detect a real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user. The processor(s) match the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user to the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user, and then authenticate the user and activate an access mechanism for a device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: detecting, by one or more processors, a real-time initial emotional state of a user, wherein the real-time initial emotional state of the user is a current version of an emotional state of the user that dynamically changes over time, and wherein detecting the real-time initial emotional state of the user in real-time is performed by: identifying, by the one or more processors, a time of day for the real-time; and determining, by the one or more processors, the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the time of day for the real-time; presenting, by the one or more processors, content to the user as a stimulus to the user, wherein the content is presented after the user is in the real-time initial emotional state; predicting, by the one or more processors, a predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user, wherein the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user is predicted to be caused by the content being presented to the user, and wherein the predicted post-stimulus emotional state is dependent upon the real-time initial emotional state of the user; detecting, by the one or more processors, a real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user, wherein the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user is caused by the content being presented to the user, and wherein the real-time post-stimulus emotional state is dependent upon the real-time initial emotional state of the user; matching, by the one or more processors, the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user to the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user; and in response to the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user matching the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user, authenticating the user, by the one or more processors, and activating, by the one or more processors, an access mechanism for a device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: data mining, by the one or more processors, a calendar of the user to identify a current activity of the user; determining, by the one or more processors, the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the current activity of the user; and further predicting, by the one or more processors, the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user based on the current activity of the user. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, a real-time location of the user; and determining, by the one or more processors, the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the real-time location of the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying, by the one or more processors, other persons who are with the user in real-time; and determining, by the one or more processors, the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the other persons who are with the user in real-time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying, by the one or more processors, a date of the real-time; and determining, by the one or more processors, the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the date of the real-time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content is a visual image of a physical scene. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content is text content. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content is audio content. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content is audio-visual content. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user is predicted by: inputting, by the one or more processors, data that describes the real-time initial emotional state of the user and the content into a neural network (NN), wherein an output of the NN describes the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining, by the one or more processors, that the output of the NN fails to describe the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user; and adjusting neurons in the NN until the output of the NN describes the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user. ### Claim 12 A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein the program code is readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising: detecting a real-time initial emotional state of a user, wherein the real-time initial emotional state of the user is a current version of an emotional state of the user that dynamically changes over time, and wherein detecting the real-time initial emotional state of the user in real-time is performed by: identifying a time of day for the real-time; and determining the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the time of day for the real-time; presenting content to the user as a stimulus to the user, wherein the content is presented after the user is in the real-time initial emotional state; predicting a predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user, wherein the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user is predicted to be caused by the content being presented to the user, and wherein the predicted post-stimulus emotional state is dependent upon the real-time initial emotional state of the user; detecting a real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user, wherein the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user is caused by the content being presented to the user, and wherein the real-time post-stimulus emotional state is dependent upon the real-time initial emotional state of the user; matching the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user to the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user; and in response to the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user matching the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user, authenticating the user and activating an access mechanism for a device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises: data mining a calendar of the user to identify a current activity of the user; and determining the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the current activity of the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises: determining a real-time location of the user; and determining the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the real-time location of the user. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the current version of the emotional state of the user that dynamically changes over time is based on experiences of the user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content is randomly chosen for presentation to the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are provided as a service in a cloud environment. ### Claim 18 A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer readable memories, and one or more computer readable non-transitory storage mediums, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable non-transitory storage mediums for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer readable memories, the stored program instructions executed to perform a method comprising: detecting a real-time initial emotional state of a user, wherein the real-time initial emotional state of the user is a current version of an emotional state of the user that dynamically changes over time, and wherein detecting the real-time initial emotional state of the user in real-time is performed by: identifying a time of day for the real-time; and determining the real-time initial emotional state of the user based on the time of day for the real-time; presenting content to the user as a stimulus to the user, wherein the content is presented after the user is in the real-time initial emotional state; predicting a predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user, wherein the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user is predicted to be caused by the content being presented to the user, and wherein the predicted post-stimulus emotional state is dependent upon the real-time initial emotional state of the user; detecting a real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user, wherein the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user is caused by the content being presented to the user, and wherein the real-time post-stimulus emotional state is dependent upon the real-time initial emotional state of the user; matching the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user to the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user; and in response to the real-time post-stimulus emotional state of the user matching the predicted post-stimulus emotional state of the user, authenticating the user and activating an access mechanism for a device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer system of claim 18, wherein the program instructions are provided as a service in a cloud environment.