US 8,371,501 B1Granted

Systems and methods for a wearable user authentication factor

AssigneeUnited Services Automobile Association (USAA)

InventorJohn C. Hopkins

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Abstract

A system, method, and computer-usable medium are disclosed for providing multi-factor authentication with a wearable user authentication factor. A multi-factor authentication module is implemented to use a plurality of authentication factors, including a unique tag identifier associated with an electronic tag embedded within a wearable article, such as a ring or watch, for the authentication of a user. A user of a wearable user authentication factor approaches a multi-factor terminal, which detects the electronic tag and reads its unique identifier. The user is then requested to provide a predetermined biometric feature, such as a fingerprint, to a biometric reader. The biometric feature is processed to generate a unique biometric identifier. The unique identifier of the electronic tag and the unique biometric identifier is then submitted to a multi-factor authentication module, which compares it to authentication information associated with the user. If the submitted unique identifiers match the user's authentication information, then the user is authenticated.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for authenticating a user, comprising:

an authentication terminal comprising:
a biometric feature reader operable to read a biometric feature of said user and to generate a unique biometric identifier therefrom;
an electronic tag reader operable to read a first electronic tag to obtain a first unique tag identifier therefrom and a second electronic tag to obtain a second unique tag identifier therefrom, wherein the second unique tag identifier is different from the first unique tag identifier, and wherein said electronic tags are attached to different articles worn by said user at a location proximate to said biometric feature and wherein said electronic tag reader receives said unique tag identifier in an identification signal from said electronic tag;
wherein said authentication terminal is operable to provide said unique tag identifiers to a multi-factor authentication module operable to process said unique tag identifier information to generate a first authentication action associated with the first unique tag identifier and a second authentication action associated with the second unique tag identifier and present said authentication actions to said user on a user interface for a period of time equal to a period of time that said electronic tag reader receives said identification signal from said electronic tag;
and
wherein said authentication actions request said user to provide a predetermined biometric feature as a biometric authentication factor to the multi-factor authentication module operable to process said biometric feature to authenticate said user.

3 more elements

A computer-implementable method for authenticating a user, comprising:

using a biometric feature reader to read a biometric feature of said user and to generate a unique biometric identifier therefrom;
using an electronic tag reader to read a first electronic tag to obtain a first unique tag identifier therefrom and a second electronic tag to obtain a second unique tag identifier therefrom, wherein the second unique tag identifier is different from the first unique tag identifier, and wherein said electronic tags are attached to different articles worn by said user at a location proximate to said biometric feature;
providing said unique tag identifiers to a multi-factor authentication module operable to process said unique tag identifier information to generate a first authentication action associated with the first unique tag identifier and a second authentication action associated with the second unique tag identifier and presenting said authentication actions to said user on a user interface for a period of time equal to a period of time that said electronic tag reader receives said identification signal from said electronic tag;
and
requesting said user to provide a predetermined biometric feature as a biometric authentication factor to the multi-factor authentication module operable to process said biometric feature to authenticate said user.

2 more elements

A non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

using a biometric feature reader to read a biometric feature of a user and to generate a unique biometric identifier therefrom;
using an electronic tag reader to read a first electronic tag to obtain a first unique tag identifier therefrom and a second electronic tag to obtain a second unique tag identifier therefrom, wherein the second unique tag identifier is different from the first unique tag identifier, and wherein said electronic tags are attached to different articles worn by said user at a location proximate to said biometric feature;
providing said unique tag identifiers to a multi-factor authentication module operable to process said unique tag identifier information to generate a first authentication action associated with the first unique tag identifier and a second authentication action associated with the second unique tag identifier and presenting said authentication actions to said user on a user interface for a period of time equal to a period of time that said electronic tag reader receives said identification signal from said electronic tag;
and
requesting said user to provide a predetermined biometric feature as a biometric authentication factor to the multi-factor authentication module operable to process said biometric feature to authenticate said user.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.