Device, system, and method of detecting user identity based on motor-control loop model

1. A method comprising:

(a) during a first session of a user who utilizes a pointing device for interacting with a computerized service, monitoring on-screen movements of an on-screen pointer;

(b) analyzing the on-screen movements of the on-screen pointer to derive from them estimated dynamics and gestures of the pointing device as utilized by said user;

(c) defining a sensorimotor control loop model by utilizing at least a function that takes into account at least (A) a first trajectory parameter indicating current velocity of pointing device movement, and (B) a second trajectory parameter indicating translation error;

(d) by analyzing the estimated dynamics and gestures of the pointing device, determining (AA) at least one sensorimotor control loop parameter that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user, and (BB) at least one parameter corresponding to a noise characteristics of the sensorimotor control loop that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user;

wherein said determining comprises: generating a function that describes the sensorimotor control loop model that causes said on-screen movements of said on-screen pointer;

(e) differentiating between (i) said user and (ii) one or more other users, based on (AA) said at least one sensorimotor control loop parameter that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user, and (BB) said at least one parameter corresponding to the noise characteristics of the sensorimotor control loop that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

storing in a database a record indicating that said user is associated with said parameters that characterize the sensorimotor control loop model of said user.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

in a subsequent session of interaction with said computerized service,

monitoring pointing device dynamics and gestures of a subsequent user,

estimating current parameters that characterize a sensorimotor control loop of said subsequent user,

comparing the current parameters to said record of parameters, and

based on results of said comparing, determining whether said subsequent user of the second session is the same person as said user of the first session.

4. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

in a subsequent session of interaction with said computerized service,

monitoring pointing device gestures of a subsequent user,

estimating current parameters that characterize a sensorimotor control loop of said subsequent user,

comparing the current parameters to said record of parameters, and

based on results of said comparing, determining whether to authenticate identity of said subsequent user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating parameters of a motor control loop of said user comprises:

estimating the parameters that characterize the sensorimotor control loop as a function of translation error, current velocity, and motor control noise, based on monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating a linear control loop model as a linear function of translation error, current velocity, and motor control noise, based on monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating parameters of a first sensorimotor control loop, associated with pointing device based interaction of a first user during a first session at said computerized service;

estimating parameters of a second sensorimotor control loop, associated with pointing device based interaction of a second user during a second session at said computerized service;

if the parameters of the first sensorimotor control loop match the parameters of the second sensorimotor control loop, then determining that the first user and the second user are the same person.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating parameters of a first sensorimotor control loop, associated with pointing device based interaction of a first user during a first session at a first computerized service;

estimating parameters of a second sensorimotor control loop, associated with pointing device based interaction of a second user during a second session at a second, different, computerized service;

if the parameters of the first sensorimotor control loop match the parameters of the second sensorimotor control loop, then determining that the first user and the second user are the same person.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating parameters of a sensorimotor control loop which comprises sensory organ, muscle, and brain.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating parameters of a sensorimotor control loop which comprises eye, hand, and brain coordination and control of the pointing device.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating a first user-specific biometric feature corresponding to a first motor control loop of said user across an x-axis;

estimating a second user-specific biometric feature corresponding to a second motor control loop of said user across a y-axis.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising:

estimating a third user-specific biometric feature by calculating a statistics function, applied to one of said first and second motor control loops;

wherein the statistics function is selected from the group consisting of: mean, standard deviation, range, maximum, minimum, kurtosis, skewness, quantiles.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating a first user-specific biometric feature corresponding to a motor control loop of said user across a combination of x-axis and y-axis.

14. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

estimating a user-specific muscular profile which characterizes the motor control loop;

estimating a user-specific coordination index which characterizes the motor control loop;

differentiating between two or more users based on the user-specific muscular profile and the user-specific coordination index.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating level of flexibility of movement of a wrist of said user;

based on the estimated level of flexibility of movement of wrist of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

16. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating movement agility of said user;

based on the estimated movement agility of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

17. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating movement dexterity of said user;

based on the estimated movement dexterity of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

18. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a movement range of fingers of said user;

based on the estimated movement range of fingers of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

19. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a movement range of a mouse-wheel operating finger of said user;

based on the estimated movement range of the mouse-wheel operating finger of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

20. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating whether or not an elbow of said user is resting on a surface;

based on estimation of whether or not the elbow of said user is resting on the surface, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

21. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating one or more parameters characterizing an eye-hand cognitive correction feedback of said user;

based on the estimated one or more parameters characterizing the eye-hand cognitive correction feedback of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

22. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a level of accuracy of said user in reaching an on-screen user interface element;

based on the estimated level of accuracy of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

23. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating an eye saccade model of said user;

based on the estimated eye saccade model of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

24. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a smooth pursuit movement model of said user;

based on the estimated smooth pursuit movement model of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

25. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating an eye-hand coordination model of said user in response to an introduced interference to user experience at said computerized service;

based on the estimated eye-hand coordination model of said user in response to the introduced interference to user experience at said computerized service, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

26. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a level of awareness of said user to a freshly-loaded page of said computerized service;

based on the estimated level of awareness of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

27. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a level of awareness of said user to a freshly-modified non-reloaded page of said computerized service;

based on the estimated level of awareness of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

28. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a level of awareness of said user to a modification in one or more user interface elements of said computerized service;

based on the estimated level of awareness of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

29. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

presenting to said user a number of choices;

subsequently, modifying the number of choices presented to said user;

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating a level of awareness of said user to modification of the number of choices;

based on the estimated level of awareness of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

30. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

based on the monitored pointing device dynamics and gestures of said user, estimating parameters of a Fitts's Law function indicating ability of said user to rapidly reach an on-screen target;

based on the estimated parameters of the Fitts's Law function of said user, differentiating between said user and another user interacting with said computerized service.

31. A system comprising:

(a) a monitoring module configured to operate during a first session of a user who utilizes a pointing device for interacting with a computerized service, wherein the monitoring module is to monitor on-screen movements of an on-screen pointer;

a motor control loop model estimator, to perform:

(b) analyzing the on-screen movements of the on-screen pointer to derive from them estimated dynamics and gestures of the pointing device as utilized by said user;

(c) defining a sensorimotor control loop model by utilizing at least a function that takes into account at least (A) a first trajectory parameter indicating current velocity of pointing device movement, and (B) a second trajectory parameter indicating translation error;

(d) by analyzing the estimated dynamics and gestures of the pointing device, determining (AA) at least one sensorimotor control loop parameter that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user, and (BB) at least one parameter corresponding to a noise characteristics of the sensorimotor control loop that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user;

wherein said determining comprises: generating a function that describes the sensorimotor control loop model that causes said on-screen movements of said on-screen pointer;

(e) differentiating between (i) said user and (ii) one or more other users, based on (AA) said at least one sensorimotor control loop parameter that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user, and (BB) said at least one parameter corresponding to the noise characteristics of the sensorimotor control loop that characterizes utilization of said pointing device by said user.

32. The system of claim 31 , further comprising:

a database to store a record indicating that said user is associated with said parameters that characterize the sensorimotor control loop model of said user;

wherein, in a subsequent session of interaction with said computerized service, the monitoring module is to monitor pointing device dynamics and gestures of a subsequent user,

wherein the motor control loop model estimator is to estimate current parameters that characterize a sensorimotor control loop of said subsequent user;

wherein the system comprises a comparator to compare the current parameters to said record of parameters, and based on comparison results, to determine whether said subsequent user of the second session is the same person as said user of the first session.