Granted Patent B2

US 12,632,526 · App. 17/401,172 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventors: Jonathan McGrandle (Maple Ridge, CA); Roshan Lewis (Bernardsville, NJ); David J. Senci (Troy, IL)

Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED

G06F21/316G06Q20/24G06Q20/34G06F2221/2139

Abstract

Claims (84)

1 . A computer device configured to passively authenticate a user, the computer device comprising:

a memory device including a user profile based upon a plurality of interactions between the user and the computer device, wherein the user profile includes a standard routine of interactions between the user and the computer device during a plurality of periodically recurring intervals of time as well as a state of the computer device during the plurality of periodically recurring intervals of time, the state of the computer device within each of the periodically recurring intervals of time including at least one of: an orientation of the computer device, an amount of charge of the computer device, one or more wireless networks connected to the computer device, or one or more wireless devices connected to the computer device; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory device, the at least one processor programmed to execute a passive authentication system, the passive authentication system programmed to:

receive an indication that the user successfully performed a first active authentication by interacting with the computing device;

set an authentication state of the user as authenticated in response to the successful first active authentication;

store the authentication state of the user in the memory device;

continuously or periodically receive sets of interaction data, each set of interaction data indicative of one or more interactions between the user and the computer device that were performed independent of any authentication, after the indication of the successful first active authentication;

in response to receiving each set of interaction data:

compare the respective one or more interactions and the state of the computer device during the one or more interactions to the user profile to determine if there is a match;

when there is a match, maintain the authentication state of the user and stored in the memory device as authenticated; and

when there is not a match, update the authentication state of the user and stored in the memory device to not authenticated;

receive an authentication request for the user based on the user attempting to initiate an access to a secure resource or action, the access requiring the user be authenticated independent of the first active authentication;

in response to receiving the authentication request, retrieve the authentication state of the user from the memory device;

if the retrieved authentication state is authenticated, report a successful authentication in response to the authentication request, indicating the user remains authenticated independent of the first active authentication; and

if the retrieved authentication state is not authenticated, request the user perform a second active authentication.

2 . The computer device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the passive authentication system is further programmed to:

prior to receiving the sets of interaction data, receive an earlier plurality of interaction data over a period of time; and

determine the user profile based on the earlier plurality of interaction data.

3 . The computer device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

receive the authentication request for the user from a requestor;

perform the second active authentication by causing the computing device to prompt the user to perform the second active authentication; and

in response to the second active authentication being successfully performed, report to the requestor that the user is authenticated.

4 . The computer device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the standard routine of interactions between the user and the computer device includes an interaction between the user and a same webpage during a same predesignated period of time during the day.

5 . The computer device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the passive authentication system is further programmed to:

in response to requesting the user perform the second active authentication, receive a real-time, successful active authentication indicating the correct stored authentication state is authenticated; and

train a machine learning algorithm to recognize one or more details of the one or more interactions as indicative of an authenticated state to reduce false negative passive authentications.

6 . The computer device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the passive authentication system is further programmed to:

receive condition information of the computer device, the condition information including device data captured after the indication of the successful first active authentication; and

compare the condition information to the user profile, wherein updating the authentication state is further based on the comparison of the condition information.

7 . The computer device in accordance with claim 2 , wherein the device data includes at least one of: a battery state of the computer device, a location of the computer device, the orientation of the computer device, a wireless connection to a network, or a wireless connection to another device in a user local environment.

8 . The computer device in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to execute a passive authentication requestor programmed to:

perform (i) the receiving the authentication request, including receiving the authentication request from a requestor, and (ii) the retrieving the authentication state of the user from the memory device in response to receiving the authentication request; and

report to the requestor that the user is authenticated without any active authentication steps by the user subsequent to the request from the requestor.

9 . The computer device in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the passive authentication requestor is further programmed to:

receive the request for authentication from the requestor being a secure application resident on the computing device.

10 . The computer device in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the passive authentication requestor is further programmed to:

receive the request for authentication from the requestor being a remote authentication requestor system associated with a remote website or computing system.

11 . A method for passively authenticating a user, the method implemented via a computing device comprising a memory device, and at least one processor coupled to the memory device, wherein the method comprises:

storing a user profile based upon a plurality of interactions between a user and the computer device, wherein the user profile includes a standard routine of interactions between the user and the computer device during a plurality of periodically recurring intervals of time as well as a state of the computer device during the plurality of periodically recurring intervals of time, the state of the computer device within each of the periodically recurring intervals of time including at least one of: an orientation of the computer device, an amount of charge of the computer device, one or more wireless networks connected to the computer device, or one or more wireless devices connected to the computer device;

receiving an indication that the user successfully performed a first active authentication by interacting with the computing device;

setting an authentication state of the user as authenticated in response to the successful first active authentication;

storing the authentication state of the user in the memory device;

continuously or periodically receiving sets of interaction data, each set of interaction data indicative of one or more interactions between the user and the computer device that were performed independent of any authentication, after the indication of the successful first active authentication;

in response to receiving each set of interaction data:

comparing respective one or more interactions and the state of the computer device during the one or more interactions to the user profile to determine if there is a match;

when there is a match, maintaining the authentication state of the user and stored in the memory device as authenticated; and

when there is not a match, updating the authentication state of the user and stored in the memory device to not authenticated;

receiving an authentication request for the user based on the user attempting to initiate an access to a secure resource or action, the access requiring the user be authenticated independent of the first active authentication;

in response to receiving the authentication request, retrieving the authentication state of the user from the memory device;

if the retrieved authentication state is authenticated, reporting a successful authentication in response to the authentication request, indicating the user remains authenticated independent of the first active authentication; and

if the retrieved authentication state is not authenticated, requesting the user perform a second active authentication.

12 . The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising:

prior to receiving the sets of interaction data, receiving an earlier plurality of interaction data over a period of time; and

determining the user profile based on the earlier plurality of interaction data.

13 . The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising:

receiving the authentication request from a requestor;

performing the second active authentication by causing the computing device to prompt the user to perform the second active authentication; and

in response to the second active authentication being successfully performed, reporting to the requestor that the user is authenticated.

14 . The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising:

receiving condition information of the computing device, the condition information including device data captured after the indication of the successful first active authentication; and

comparing the condition information to the user profile, wherein updating the authentication state is further based on the comparison of the condition information.

15 . The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the device data includes at least one of: a battery state of the computing device, a location of the computing device, the orientation of the computing device, a wireless connection to a network, or a wireless connection to another device in a user local environment.

16 . The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising:

performing (i) the receiving the authentication request, including receiving the authentication request from a requestor, and (ii) the retrieving the authentication state of the user from the memory device in response to receiving the authentication request; and

reporting to the requestor that the user is authenticated without any active authentication steps by the user subsequent to the request from the requestor.

17 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the receiving the request for authentication comprises further comprising receiving the request for authentication from the requestor being a secure application resident on the computing device.

18 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the receiving the request for authentication comprises further comprising receiving the request for authentication from the requestor being a remote authentication requestor system associated with a remote website or computing system.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by a computing device comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, the computer-executable instructions cause the computing device to:

store a user profile based upon a plurality of interactions between a user and the computer device, wherein the user profile includes a standard routine of interactions between the user and the computer device during a plurality of periodically recurring intervals of time as well as a state of the computer device during the plurality of periodically recurring intervals of time, the state of the computer device within each of the periodically recurring intervals of time including at least one of: an orientation of the computer device, an amount of charge of the computer device, one or more wireless networks connected to the computer device, or one or more wireless devices connected to the computer device;

receive an indication that a user successfully performed a first active authentication by interacting with the computing device;

set an authentication state of the user as authenticated in response to the first successful active authentication;

store the authentication state of the user in the memory;

continuously or periodically receive sets of interaction data, each set of interaction data indicative of one or more interactions between the user and the computer device that were performed independent of any authentication, after the indication of the successful first active authentication;

in response to receiving each set of interaction data:

compare the respective one or more interactions and the state of the computer device during the one or more interactions to the user profile determine if there is a match;

when there is a match, maintain the authentication state of the user and stored in the memory as authenticated; and

when there is not a match, update the authentication state of the user and stored in the memory to not authenticated;

receive an authentication request for the user based on the user attempting to initiate an access to a secure resource or action, the access requiring the user be authenticated independent of the first active authentication;

in response to receiving the authentication request, the authentication state of the user retrieve the authentication state of the user from the memory;

if the retrieved authentication state is authenticated, report a successful authentication in response to the authentication request, indicating the user remains authenticated independent of the first active authentication; and

if the retrieved authentication state is not authenticated, request the user perform an active authentication.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19 , the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:

receive condition information of the computer device, the condition information including device data captured after the indication of the successful first active authentication; and

compare the condition information to the user profile, wherein updating the authentication state is further based on the comparison of the condition information.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (43)