Granted Patent B2

US 12,321,428 · App. 17/370,946 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Inventors: Shmuel Ur (Shorashim, IL); David Ash (Kirkland, WA); Vlad Dabija (Mountain View, CA)

Assignee: NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION

G06F21/316G06F40/20G06F40/30G06F40/40G06F2221/2103

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. A user authentication device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and programmed to execute a process comprising;

collecting information of a user, wherein the information specifies a user skill;

constructing, using the collected information, a skill model that has learned a category of a task to be performed by the user and the user skill, wherein the task is according to the user skill;

generating, using the constructed skill model, a question for the user that causes the user to perform a task corresponding to the category and the user skill;

presenting the generated question to the user via an application that outputs the question and instructing the user to perform the task, when authentication of the user is required;

receiving, from the user via an application into which the response is input, an accuracy of an answer of the user to the question, a response time, or characteristics at a time of solving the question a result of performing the task as a response to the presented question;

determining that the authentication of the user is successful if the accuracy of an answer to the question, the response time, and the characteristics at a time of solving the question are within a range of parameters set by the skill model;

applying, by the application, a given flag indicating that the received response does not satisfy a given condition, as two-element authentication of the user, wherein an element of the two-element authentication comprises authentication of the user on the basis of the user skill of the performed task indicated by the received response, and the other element of the two-element authentication comprises authentication that is distinct from the authentication on the basis of the user skill;

updating the skill model each time the user is authenticated, by inputting the accuracy of an answer of the user to the question, the response time, or the characteristics at a time of solving the question of data; and

granting intended access to data by logging into the application by indicating, by the application, on the basis of a result of the two-element authentication, a warning on a display to the user to control the intended access to data by logging into the application.

2. The user authentication device according to claim 1 , further comprising collecting the information using text analysis, natural language processing, or semantic analysis.

3. The user authentication device according to claim 1 , further comprising generating, as the question, a numerical question, a mathematic question, a physical question, a mechanical question, a reading exercise, or a speed chess.

4. The user authentication device according to claim 1 , further comprising presenting another question if the response does not satisfy a given condition.

5. The user authentication device according to claim 1 , further comprising applying a given flag to the response if the response does not satisfy a given condition.

6. A user authentication method performed by a user authentication device, the user authentication method comprising:

collecting information of a user, wherein the information specifies a user skill;

constructing, using the collected information, a skill model that has learned a category of a task to be performed by the user and the user skill, wherein the task is according to the user skill;

generating, using the constructed skill model, a question for the user, that causes the user to perform a task corresponding to the category and the user skill;

presenting the generated question to the user via an application that outputs the question and instructing the user to perform the task, when authentication of the user is required;

receiving, from the user via an application into which the response is input, an accuracy of an answer of the user to the question, a response time, or characteristics at a time of solving the question as a response to the presented question;

determining that the authentication of the user is successful if the accuracy of an answer to the question, the response time, and the characteristics at a time of solving the question are within a range of parameters set by the skill model;

applying, by the application, a given flag indicating that the received response does not satisfy a given condition, as two-element authentication of the user, wherein an element of the two-element authentication comprises authentication of the user on the basis of the user skill of the performed task indicated by the received response, and the other element of the two-element authentication comprises authentication that is distinct from the authentication on the basis of the user skill;

updating the skill model each time the user is authenticated, by inputting the accuracy of an answer of the user to the question, the response time, or the characteristics at a time of solving the question as data; and

granting intended access to data by logging into the application by indicating, by the application, on the basis of a result of the two-element authentication, a warning on a display to the user to control the intended access to data by logging into the application.

7. A non-transitory recording medium recording a user authentication computer program to be executed by a computer, the program causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

collecting information of a user, wherein the information specifies a user skill;

constructing, using the collected information, a skill model that has learned a category of a task to be performed by the user and the user skill, wherein the task is according to the user skill;

generating, using the constructed skill model, a question for the user that causes the user to perform a task corresponding to the category and the user skill;

presenting the generated question to the user via an application that outputs the question and instructing the user to perform the task, when authentication of the user is required;

receiving, from the user via an application into which the response is input, an accuracy of an answer of the user to the question, a response time, or characteristics at a time of solving the question as a response to the presented question;

determining that the authentication of the user is successful if the accuracy of an answer to the question, the response time, and the characteristics at a time of solving the question are within a range of parameters set by the skill model;

applying, by the application, a given flag indicating that the received response does not satisfy a given condition, as two-element authentication of the user, wherein an element of the two-element authentication comprises authentication of the user on the basis of the user skill of the performed task indicated by the received response, and the other element of the two-element authentication comprises authentication that is distinct from the authentication on the basis of the user skill;

updating the skill model each time the user is authenticated, by inputting the accuracy of an answer of the user to the question, the response time, or the characteristics at a time of solving the question as data; and

granting intended access to data by logging into the application by indicating, by the application, on the basis of the two-element authentication, a warning on a display to the user to control the intended access to data by logging into the application.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (400)