# US 12,182,283 B1 · Authentication systems and methods for interconnected devices

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- Number: US 12,182,283 B1
- Document ID: US12182283B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/401,991
- Filed: 2021-08-13
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-14
- Assignees: United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
- Applicants: Uipco, LLC
- Inventors: Celena Dortch; Thomas Bret Buckingham; Diego Contreras; William Daniel Farmer; Eric LeRoy; Bharat Prasad; Thomas Wayne Schwarz, Jr.; Qian Zhao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182283B1

## CPC

- G06F 21/6209: {to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself}
- G06F 21/316: {by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour}
- G06F 21/34: involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
- G06Q 40/02: Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance (credit or loans G06Q40/03)
- G16Y 30/10: Security thereof
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G06Q 20/308: {using the Internet of Things}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G16Y: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS [IoT]
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)

## Abstract

An authentication system includes processing circuitry that is configured to receive an indication of a number of interconnected devices that are in communication with a user device, compare the number of interconnected devices that are in communication with the user device to a threshold, and grant access to an application on the user device in response to the number of interconnected devices meeting or exceeding the threshold.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An authentication system, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
receive an indication of a number of interconnected devices that are in communication with a user device;
compare the number of interconnected devices that are in communication with the user device to a threshold;
enable an application on the user device to control a first portion of the interconnected devices in response to the number of interconnected devices meeting or exceeding the threshold; and
enable the application to control a second portion of the interconnected devices in response to the number of interconnected devices not meeting the threshold, wherein the second portion excludes the first portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to facilitate a set up process in which the processing circuitry:
receives a list of a plurality of interconnected devices that are likely to be brought into communication with the user device; and
receives a priority designation for each interconnected device of the plurality of interconnected devices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The authentication system of claim 2, wherein the priority designation is based on a reliability of a respective communication connection between each interconnected device and the user device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The authentication system of claim 3, wherein the threshold varies based on the priority designation for each interconnected device that is in communication with the user device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The authentication system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to enable access to an account on the user device in response to the number of interconnected devices meeting or exceeding the threshold.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The authentication system of claim 5, wherein the account comprises a financial account.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The authentication system of claim 1, wherein enabling the application to control the first portion of the interconnected devices comprises providing a credential to a vendor computing system, wherein the vendor computing system is configured to communicate with at least one of the interconnected devices.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The authentication system of claim 7, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
receive a control input from a user;
provide the control input to the vendor computing system; and
control the at least one of the interconnected devices via an application programming interface (API) of the vendor computing system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The authentication system of claim 8, wherein the API is configured to provide actuation signals to actuate the at least one of the interconnected devices.

### Claim 10

An authentication system, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to:
receive a request to authenticate a user via an authentication application installed on a user device;
perform a first authentication step that comprises determining that a number of interconnected devices in communication with the user device exceeds a threshold;
confirm that a support application that is configured to enable the user to control the interconnected devices is installed on the user device; and
in response to completion of the first authentication step and confirmation that the support application is installed on the user device, provide a credential that indicates authentication of the user to the support application to enable control of a first subset of the interconnected devices via the support application, wherein the support application is configured to enable control of a second subset of the interconnected devices via the support application without the completion of the first authentication step, and the second subset excludes the first subset.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The authentication system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
perform a second authentication step that comprises providing another passcode or another password to a registered email address or a registered phone number; and
in response to completion of the second authentication step, provide the credential that indicates the authentication of the user to the support application.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The authentication system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
perform a second authentication step that comprises obtaining and verifying a passcode, a password, or biometric data; and
in response to completion of the second authentication step, provide the credential that indicates the authentication of the user to the support application.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The authentication system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
confirm that a financial services application that is configured to enable the user to access an account is installed on the user device; and
in response to confirmation that the financial services application is installed on the user device, provide the credential that indicates authentication of the user to the financial services application.

### Claim 14

A method of operating an authentication system, the method comprising:
receiving, at processing circuitry, an indication of a number of interconnected devices that are in communication with a user device;
comparing, with the processing circuitry, the number of interconnected devices that are in communication with the user device to a threshold;
facilitating, with the processing circuitry, control of a first set of the interconnected devices by an application on the user device in response to the number of interconnected devices meeting or exceeding the threshold; and
facilitating, with the processing circuitry, control of a second set of the interconnected devices by the application in response to the number of interconnected devices not meeting the threshold, wherein the second set excludes the first set.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising:
receiving, at the processing circuitry, a list of a plurality of interconnected devices that are likely to be brought into communication with the user device; and
receiving, at the processing circuitry, a priority designation for each interconnected device of the plurality of interconnected devices.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, comprising generating, with the processing circuitry, the priority designation for each interconnected device of the plurality of interconnected devices based on a respective reliability, a respective security, or both for each interconnected device of the plurality of interconnected devices.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, comprising setting, with the processing circuitry, the threshold based on the priority designation for each interconnected device that is in communication with the user device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein facilitating, with the processing circuitry, control of the first set and the second set of the interconnected devices by the application on the user device comprises automatically opening the application.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, comprising facilitating, with the processing circuitry, access to an account on the user device in response to the number of interconnected devices meeting or exceeding the threshold.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the application is configured to control at least one of the interconnected devices via an application programming interface (API), wherein the API is configured to provide actuation signals to actuate the at least one of the interconnected devices.