Adaptive biometric and environmental authentication system

Abstract

An adaptive biometric authentication system may include a user identity reference module that is configured to maintain user identification items stored in a secure memory. The system may include a passive data aggregator that is configured to receive and aggregate data items that are passively collected by a device that is in proximity to a user. The system may include a user identity confidence level generator that is configured to generate a user identity confidence level that indicates a confidence that the user in proximity to the device is the reference user based at least in part on a comparison between the passively collected data items and the user identification items, and to update the user identity confidence level as additional passively collected data items are received. The system may include an authentication module that facilitates user authentication based at least in part on the user identity confidence level.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for environmentally adaptive passive biometric authentication, the method comprising:
 generating at least one user biometric predictive model;   passively collecting current biometric data for a user from at least one non behavioral biometric sensor;   receiving, from an authentication requesting device, a request for authentication of a reference user, the request for authentication including a tag,   in response to the request:
 generating predicted biometric data; 
 determining a match level for the current biometric data based at least on a distance between the current biometric data and the predicted biometric data generated by the at least one user biometric predictive model; and 
 granting the authentication when the match level satisfies a match threshold associated with an environment in which the user is located, wherein the match threshold is determined based on the tag included in the received request for authentication. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the at least one user biometric predictive model is for the reference user and is generated based at least on historical biometric data passively collected from at least one biometric sensor and environmental attributes associated with the reference user when the historical biometric data was passively collected. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising requesting an additional authentication measure from the user when the match level fails to satisfy the match threshold, wherein the additional authentication measure comprises requesting actively collected biometric data from the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the historical biometric data and the current biometric data comprises time-varying biometric data, and wherein the environment in which the user is located is determinable from a location information or time information that is associated with, or determinable from, at least one sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a codebook that indicates a plurality of match thresholds for a plurality of different environments; and   determining the match threshold for the environment in which the user is located based at least on the codebook.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising enhancing an authentication rating by using user interactions including entering a personal identification number (PIN), moving closer to a camera for better identification, or interacting with speech recognition requirements, and wherein enhancing the authentication rating further includes inactive to active commissioning for bio-data or environmental capture, modifications to current bio-data or environmental-data sampling parameters, and sampling updates. 
     
     
         7 . A system for environmentally adaptive passive biometric authentication, the system comprising:
 an electronic device including at least one biometric sensor and configured to:
 generate at least one user biometric predictive model; 
 passively collect current biometric data for a user from the at least one biometric sensor; and 
   an authentication requesting device configured to send to the electronic device a request for authentication of a reference user, the request for authentication including a tag;   Wherein, in response to the request, the electronic device is further configured to:
 generate predicted biometric data; 
 determine a match level for the current biometric data based at least on a distance between the current biometric data and the predicted biometric data generated by the at least one user biometric predictive model; and 
 grant the authentication when the match level satisfies a match threshold associated with an environment in which the user is located, wherein the match threshold is determined based on the tag included in the received request for authentication. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the electronic device is configured to generate the at least one user biometric predictive model for a reference user and based at least on historical biometric data passively collected from at least one biometric sensor and environmental attributes associated with the reference user when the historical biometric data was passively collected. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication requesting device is further configured to request an additional authentication measure from the user when the match level fails to satisfy the match threshold, wherein the additional authentication measure comprises requesting actively collected biometric data from the user. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication requesting device is further configured to generate a codebook that indicates a plurality of match thresholds for a plurality of different environments, and to determine the match threshold for the environment in which the user is located based at least on the codebook. 
     
     
         11 . A device comprising:
 processing circuitry that is configured to:
 gather bio-data and environmental data, wherein at least one of the bio-data and the environmental data is received from another device, wherein the at least one of bio-data and the environmental data is evaluated by the other device to identify a first authentication rating; 
 compare the first authentication rating with an authentication challenge requirement; and 
 identify a second authentication rating that meets the authentication challenge requirement. 
   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to interact, in response to the comparison, to bolster a contribution to the first authentication rating. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a trusted element configured to manage at least one of a confidence of an identity of a user being authenticated or a security level. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to aggregate multiple biometric identifiers to increase a match rating including confidence of the identity of the user being authenticated. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to enable the device to be used as a card replacement for an automated teller machines (ATM). 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to gather the bio-data by collecting a biometric capture of the user including at least one of a capture of a skin, a tissue, an implant interaction, an electrocardiogram, a moisture or a blood pressure. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 receive a series of bio-data samples over time from the another device;   analyze each sample of the series of bio-data samples to produce a corresponding series of authentication contributions; and   apply a series of authentication contributions to maintain the second authentication rating.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to adjust the second authentication rating to reflect that receipt of the series of bio-data samples has ended. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 compare each sample of the series of bio-data samples with historical data as each sample is received; and   respond to the comparison of each sample by producing an authentication contribution of the series of authentication contributions that corresponds to each sample.   
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 establish a plurality of devices that participate in a group authentication, the plurality of devices including the another device;   store authentication contribution data for each of the plurality of devices, a portion of the authentication contribution data constructed at least from the bio-data gathered by the another device;   produce the second authentication rating based on the authentication contribution data; and   modify the second authentication rating over time as further authentication contribution data is received.