Authenticating with active stylus
In one embodiment, a stylus operable to communicate wirelessly with a device through a touch sensor of the device contains one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying logic that is operable when executed to access first data representing a recently occurred authentication event involving the stylus or the device. The logic is further operable to access second data representing a pre-defined authentication event. The logic is further operable to compare the first data with the second data to authenticate a user to the stylus or the device, a stylus to the user or the device, or a device to the user or the stylus.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a stylus comprising one or more electrodes for transmitting signals wirelessly to a device through a touch sensor of the device;
one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media within the stylus and embodying logic that is operable when executed to perform operations comprising:
accessing first data representing a recently occurred authentication event involving the stylus or the device;
accessing second data representing a pre-defined authentication event;
comparing the first data with the second data; and
based on the comparison, determining an access level from a first access level and a second access level, the first access level and the second access level each requiring authentication, the first access level enabling access to a plurality of actions, the second access level enabling access to a subset of the plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising:
reading data on the stylus or the device;
writing data on the stylus or the device; and
accessing administrative or security settings on the stylus or the device.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the stylus.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the device.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the recently-occurred authentication event comprises one or more manipulations of the stylus.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the stylus.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the device.
7. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media on or in a stylus and embodying logic operable when executed to perform operations comprising:
accessing first data representing a recently-occurred authentication event involving a stylus or a device, the stylus comprising one or more electrodes operable to transmit signals wirelessly to the device through a touch sensor of the device;
accessing second data representing a pre-defined authentication event;
comparing the first data with the second data; and
based on the comparison, determining an access level from a first access level and a second access level, the first access level and the second access level each requiring authentication, the first access level enabling access to a plurality of actions, the second access level enabling access to a subset of the plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising:
reading data on the stylus or the device;
writing data on the stylus or the device; and
accessing administrative or security settings on the stylus or the device.
8. The media of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the stylus.
9. The media of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element of the device.
10. The media of claim 7 , wherein the recently-occurred authentication event comprises one or more manipulations of the stylus.
11. The media of claim 7 , wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the stylus.
12. The media of claim 7 , wherein the logic is operable when executed to perform operations comprising enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the device.
13. A method comprising:
accessing, by a stylus, first data representing a recently-occurred authentication event involving the stylus or a device, the stylus comprising one or more electrodes operable to transmit signals wirelessly to the device through a touch sensor of the device;
accessing, by the stylus, second data representing a pre-defined authentication event;
comparing, by the stylus, the first data with the second data; and
based on the comparison, determining an access level from a first access level and a second access level, the first access level and the second access level each requiring authentication, the first access level enabling access to a plurality of actions, the second access level enabling access to a subset of the plurality of actions, the plurality of actions comprising:
reading data on the stylus or the device;
writing data on the stylus or the device; and
accessing administrative or security settings on the stylus or the device.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element in the stylus.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more of the first and second data is accessed from a memory element in the device.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the recently-occurred authentication event comprises one or more manipulations of the stylus.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method comprises enabling, based on the comparison, access to data on the stylus.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first data comprises:
output from the stylus element comprising the pressure sensor; and
output from a stylus element configured to record a motion of the stylus.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second data comprises:
first-event data corresponding to a first event comprising a predetermined pressure on the stylus;
second-event data corresponding to a second event comprising a predetermined motion of the stylus; and
temporal data identifying a predetermined sequence of the first event and the second event.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the temporal data identifies the first event as occurring before the second event or after the second event.