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US 9,230,430 B2Granted
Detecting removal of wearable authentication device
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsJay Pierre Civelli, Aaron Leiba, Chris Hopman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wearable device is disclosed that, while being worn by a user, may allow a user to authenticate to a second device such as a smartphone without having to enter an unlock code such as a personal identification number. The wearable device may detect when the user removes it. Removal of the wearable device may cause it to be disabled and prevent it from being used to authenticate a subsequent user to the second device until it is re-enabled.
Claims18
A wearable device, comprising:
- a photocell configured to provide power to at least one of a microcontroller, an infrared light emitting diode, and a computer readable storage module;
- the computer readable storage module configured to temporarily store an unlock code;
- an infrared light emitting diode configured to emit a first signal received from the microcontroller;
- a reflective material configured to reflect the first signal from the infrared light emitting diode to an infrared receptor, wherein the reflected first signal is a second signal;
- the infrared receptor configured to receive the second signal from the infrared light emitting diode, wherein the infrared receptor is disposed at a distance from the reflective material;
- the microcontroller configured to:
- accumulate power from the photocell;
- provide the first signal to the infrared light emitting diode when a threshold amount of power has been accumulated by the microcontroller;
- receive the second signal from the infrared receptor;
- and
- compare the first signal to the second signal.
8 more elements
A system comprising:
- a wearable device comprising a photocell, a wear trigger, a microcontroller, a coil, a microchip, and a computer readable storage module,
- wherein the wear trigger is configured to provide an indication of whether or not the wearable device is being worn to the microcontroller, the wear trigger comprising:
- a light emitting diode configured to emit a first signal received from the microcontroller,
- a reflective material configured to reflect the first signal from the light emitting diode, wherein the reflected first signal is a second signal, and
- a receptor configured to receive the second signal;
- wherein the microcontroller disguises an unlock code stored in the computer readable storage module if it receives an indication that the wearable device is not being worn;
- wherein the coil generates power from an electromagnetic field of a second device that powers the microchip;
- wherein the microchip is configured to:
- obtain the unlock code from the computer readable storage module;
- and
- communicate the unlock code to the second device, wherein the unlock code authenticates the wearable device to the second device;
- the second device configured to:
- emit the electromagnetic field;
- request authentication from the microchip of the wearable device;
- receive the unlock code from the microchip;
- authenticate the wearable device to the second device.
13 more elements
A wearable device, comprising:
- a wear trigger comprising:
- a light emitting diode configured to emit a first signal received from the microcontroller,
- a reflective material configured to reflect the first signal from the light emitting diode, wherein the reflected first signal is a second signal, and
- a receptor configured to receive the second signal;
- a photocell configured to provide power to at least one of a microcontroller, the wear trigger, and a computer readable storage module;
- wherein the wearable device comprises an interior cavity to accommodate a portion of a user's body;
- the computer readable storage module configured to temporarily store an unlock code;
- the wear trigger configured to:
- detect the presence of a part of a user's body within the interior cavity;
- provide an indication to the microcontroller whether the part of the user's body is detected within the interior cavity;
- and
- the microcontroller configured to disable the wearable device if the wear trigger does not detect the part of the user's body within the interior cavity.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.