Visual security mechanism for a device with a front-facing camera

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and computer readable media for locking a computing device. Periodic images are received from a camera on a computing device. Each of the images is compared to a stored image of a user. A determination is made that one of the images does not match the stored image, and the computing device is locked upon determining that one of the images does not match the stored image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving periodic images from a camera on a computing device;   comparing each of the images to a stored image of a user;   determining that one of the images does not match the stored image; and   locking the computing device upon determining that one of the images does not match the stored image.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a computing device is a mobile phone, a personal computer, or a tablet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving periodic images from a camera on a computing device comprises:
 receiving an image every predetermined number of minutes from the camera on the computing device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a stored image of the user from an owner of the computing device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein comparing each of the images to a stored image of a user comprises:
 comparing one or more features of each of the images to one or more features of the stored image.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the camera is a front-facing camera installed on the computing device. 
     
     
         7 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving periodic images from a camera on a computing device; 
 comparing each of the images to a stored image of a user; 
 determining that one of the images does not match the stored image; and 
 locking the computing device upon determining that one of the images does not match the stored image. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein a computing device is a mobile phone, a personal computer, or a tablet. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein receiving periodic images from a camera on a computing device comprises:
 receiving an image every predetermined number of minutes from the camera on the computing device.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a stored image of the user from an owner of the computing device.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein comparing each of the images to a stored image of a user comprises:
 comparing one or more features of each of the images to one or more features of the stored image.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the camera is a front-facing camera installed on the computing device. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
 receiving periodic images from a camera on a computing device;   comparing each of the images to a stored image of a user;   determining that one of the images does not match the stored image; and   locking the computing device upon determining that one of the images does not match the stored image.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein a computing device is a mobile phone, a personal computer, or a tablet. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein receiving periodic images from a camera on a computing device comprises:
 receiving an image every predetermined number of minutes from the camera on the computing device.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving a stored image of the user from an owner of the computing device.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein comparing each of the images to a stored image of a user comprises:
 comparing one or more features of each of the images to one or more features of the stored image.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the camera is a front-facing camera installed on the computing device.