IP Library Granted Patent US 12,418,543
Granted Patent B2
US 12,418,543 · App. 18/303,011 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

User authentication based on periodic sampling of location coordinates

Inventors: Krishnan Sugavanam (Mahopac, NY); Aris Gkoulalas-Divanis (Waltham, MA); Sophie Batchelder (Cambridge, MA); Uri Kartoun (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H04L63/107H04L63/083
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,418,543
App. No.
18/303,011
Filed
Apr 19, 2023
Granted
Sep 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Examiner
SONG, HOSUK
Art Unit
2435
USPC
726/6
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method, computer system, and computer program product for user authentication. The embodiment may include receiving, from a first device, multiple location coordinates of the first device. The embodiment may include storing, on a second device, a second moving window comprising last n location coordinates of the multiple location coordinates. The embodiment may include receiving, from the first device, a request to access the second device, wherein the request comprises log-in credentials and a first hash value. The embodiment may include computing, on the second device, a second hash value based on the second moving window. The embodiment may include verifying the log-in credentials. The embodiment may include comparing the first hash value and the second hash value. In response to the first and the second hash values being equal, and the log-in credentials being verified, the embodiment may include granting access.

Claims (52)

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

storing, on a first device, a first moving window comprising last n location coordinates of multiple location coordinates of the first device, wherein location coordinates of the multiple location coordinates of the first device are identified and sent to a second device according to a location coordinate identification frequency;

receiving at the second device, from the first device, multiple identified location coordinates of the first device;

storing, on the second device, a second moving window comprising last n location coordinates of the multiple identified location coordinates;

receiving, from the first device, a request to access the second device, wherein the request comprises log-in credentials of a user and a first hash value;

computing, on the second device, a second hash value based on a set of the last n location coordinates of the second moving window;

verifying the log-in credentials of the user;

comparing the first hash value and the second hash value; and

in response to the first hash value and the second hash value being equal, and the log-in credentials being verified, granting access to the second device via the first device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first hash value is computed on the first device and is based on a set of the last n location coordinates of the first moving window.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first hash value and the second hash value are computed using a same hashing algorithm, and wherein the set of the last n location coordinates of the first moving window and the set of the last n location coordinates of the second moving window have a same set size, and wherein a set size comprises a number of location coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying the log-in credentials of the user further comprises:

extracting a user id and a password from the log-in credentials;

comparing the user id and the password against user ids and passwords stored in a database of authorized users of the second device; and

determining a match for the user id and the password.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is co-located with the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple location coordinates comprise Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.

7. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:

storing, on a first device, a first moving window comprising last n location coordinates of multiple location coordinates of the first device, wherein location coordinates of the multiple location coordinates of the first device are identified and sent to a second device according to a location coordinate identification frequency;

receiving at the second device, from the first device, multiple identified location coordinates of the first device;

storing, on the second device, a second moving window comprising last n location coordinates of the multiple identified location coordinates;

receiving, from the first device, a request to access the second device, wherein the request comprises log-in credentials of a user and a first hash value;

computing, on the second device, a second hash value based on a set of the last n location coordinates of the second moving window;

verifying the log-in credentials of the user;

comparing the first hash value and the second hash value; and

in response to the first hash value and the second hash value being equal, and the log-in credentials being verified, granting access to the second device via the first device.

8. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the first hash value is computed on the first device and is based on a set of the last n location coordinates of the first moving window.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , wherein the first hash value and the second hash value are computed using a same hashing algorithm, and wherein the set of the last n location coordinates of the first moving window and the set of the last n location coordinates of the second moving window have a same set size, and wherein a set size comprises a number of location coordinates.

10. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein verifying the log-in credentials of the user further comprises:

extracting a user id and a password from the log-in credentials;

comparing the user id and the password against user ids and passwords stored in a database of authorized users of the second device; and

determining a match for the user id and the password.

11. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the first device is co-located with the user.

12. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the multiple location coordinates comprise Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.

13. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a processor capable of performing a method, the method comprising:

storing, on a first device, a first moving window comprising last n location coordinates of multiple location coordinates of the first device, wherein location coordinates of the multiple location coordinates of the first device are identified and sent to a second device according to a location coordinate identification frequency;

receiving at the second device, from the first device, multiple identified location coordinates of the first device;

storing, on the second device, a second moving window comprising last n location coordinates of the multiple identified location coordinates;

receiving, from the first device, a request to access the second device, wherein the request comprises log-in credentials of a user and a first hash value;

computing, on the second device, a second hash value based on a set of the last n location coordinates of the second moving window;

verifying the log-in credentials of the user;

comparing the first hash value and the second hash value; and

in response to the first hash value and the second hash value being equal, and the log-in credentials being verified, granting access to the second device via the first device.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the first hash value is computed on the first device and is based on a set of the last n location coordinates of the first moving window.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the first hash value and the second hash value are computed using a same hashing algorithm, and wherein the set of the last n location coordinates of the first moving window and the set of the last n location coordinates of the second moving window have a same set size, and wherein a set size comprises a number of location coordinates.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein verifying the log-in credentials of the user further comprises:

extracting a user id and a password from the log-in credentials;

comparing the user id and the password against user ids and passwords stored in a database of authorized users of the second device; and

determining a match for the user id and the password.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the first device is co-located with the user.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2023
From: SUGAVANAM, KRISHNAN; GKOULALAS-DIVANIS, ARIS; BATCHELDER, SOPHIE; KARTOUN, URI
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063373/0239 →
Priority Claims (1)
GR 20220100667 · Aug 9, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240056455A1 · Feb 15, 2024
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