System, device, and method of three-dimensional spatial user authentication

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods of user authentication. A system includes a spatial challenge unit to distinguish between a human user and a non-human user. The spatial challenge unit requires the user to perform one or more spatial operations that modify the spatial properties of an electronic device operated by the user. Correct performance of the required spatial operations, indicates that the user is human. The system also includes a spatial password unit, which tracks a manner in which a human user handles the electronic device while the user enters a password; and then utilizes this user-specific manner for user authentication, by checking whether a manner in which the user enters his password matches a reference manner of password entry or a historical manner of password entry. The system also utilizes sequence of spatial operations or spatial gestures, as a pure spatial password or purely-spatial user-authentication factor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 (a) generating a spatial sequence signature that corresponds to a sequence of particular spatial operations, that are performed by a human user on an entirety of an electronic device;   (b) subsequently, requesting from a subsequent user to perform a set of spatial operations as a user authentication factor;   (c) while said subsequent user performs spatial operations via said electronic device, sensing spatial changes in spatial properties of said electronic device;   (d) if the sensed spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device, that are sensed while the subsequent user performs spatial operations, match said spatial sequence signature, then determining that said subsequent user is authenticated as said human user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) of generating the spatial sequence signature comprises:
 constructing, from a pool of discrete spatial operations, a particular sequence of two or more selected discrete spatial operations.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the spatial sequence signature comprises:
 constructing, from a pool of discrete spatial operations, a particular sequence of two or more selected discrete spatial operations;   wherein the pool of discrete spatial operations comprise at least:   tilting the electronic device,   rotating the electronic device,   accelerating the electronic device,   lifting the electronic device,   lowering the electronic device,   orienting the electronic device,   shaking the electronic device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the spatial sequence signature comprises:
 tracking spatial gestures that the human user performs on said electronic device for a pre-defined time period;   based on the tracked spatial gestures, generating said spatial sequence signature for said human user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the spatial sequence signature comprises:
 tracking spatial gestures that the human user performs on said electronic device for a pre-defined time period;   based on the tracked spatial gestures, generating said spatial sequence signature for said human user;   wherein the spatial gestures that the human user performs on said electronic device, and that are utilized for generating the spatial sequence signature, comprise one or more spatial operations selected from the group consisting of:   tilting the electronic device,   rotating the electronic device,   accelerating the electronic device,   lifting the electronic device,   lowering the electronic device,   orienting the electronic device,   shaking the electronic device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises: generating a spatial sequence signature that corresponds to a sequence of particular spatial operations, that are performed by said human user on an entirety of an electronic device, and that can be measured by an accelerometer of said electronic device;
 wherein step (c) comprises: while said subsequent user performs spatial operations via said electronic device, sensing via said accelerometer spatial changes in spatial properties of said electronic device;   wherein step (d) comprises: if the sensed spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device, that are sensed by said accelerometer while the subsequent user performs spatial operations, match said spatial sequence signature, then determining that said subsequent user is authenticated as said human user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises: generating a spatial sequence signature that corresponds to a sequence of particular spatial operations, that are performed by said human user on an entirety of an electronic device, and that can be measured by a gyroscope of said electronic device;
 wherein step (c) comprises: while said subsequent user performs spatial operations via said electronic device, sensing via said gyroscope spatial changes in spatial properties of said electronic device;   wherein step (d) comprises: if the sensed spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device, that are sensed by said gyroscope while the subsequent user performs spatial operations, match said spatial sequence signature, then determining that said subsequent user is authenticated as said human user.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises: generating a spatial sequence signature that corresponds to a sequence of particular spatial operations, that are performed by said human user on an entirety of an electronic device, and that can be measured by a device-orientation sensor of said electronic device;
 wherein step (c) comprises: while said subsequent user performs spatial operations via said electronic device, sensing via said device-orientation sensor spatial changes in spatial properties of said electronic device;   wherein step (d) comprises: if the sensed spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device, that are sensed by said device-orientation sensor while the subsequent user performs spatial operations, match said spatial sequence signature, then determining that said subsequent user is authenticated as said human user.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises: generating a spatial sequence signature that corresponds to a sequence of particular spatial operations, that are performed by said human user on an entirety of an electronic device, and that can be measured by a device-tilt sensor of said electronic device;
 wherein step (c) comprises: while said subsequent user performs spatial operations via said electronic device, sensing via said device-tilt sensor spatial changes in spatial properties of said electronic device;   wherein step (d) comprises: if the sensed spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device, that are sensed by said device-tilt sensor while the subsequent user performs spatial operations, match said spatial sequence signature, then determining that said subsequent user is authenticated as said human user.   
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a hardware processor able to execute code;   an accelerometer able to sense acceleration data of an electronic device;   a gyroscope able to sense orientation data of said electronic device;   a pure spatial password module to define a pure spatial user password that requires a user of the electronic device to perform a particular sequence of spatial operations with the electronic device, that can be sensed by at least one of said accelerometer and said gyroscope, as a user-authentication factor.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the pure spatial password module is to monitor sensed device-acceleration data and sensed device-orientation data; and to determine, based on at least one of the sensed device-acceleration data and the sensed device-orientation data, whether or not the user successfully performed said particular sequence of spatial operations with the electronic device. 
     
     
         12 . A process comprising:
 (a) requesting a user to define a password for user-authentication purposes;   (b) receiving from the user, via an electronic device that the user operates, an input indicating a user-selected string for said password;   (c) while the user enters said string via the electronic device in step (b), sensing spatial changes in spatial properties of said electronic device;   (d) generating a combined secret, that is based on: (i) said user-selected string, and also (ii) said spatial changes in spatial properties of said electronic device that were sensed while the user entered said string.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 (e) subsequently, in a fresh user-authentication attempt, determining whether or not a current user is authenticated, based on both (I) whether a freshly-entered string matches the user-selected string, and also (II) whether fresh spatial changes to the electronic device during string entry match the sensed spatial changes of step (c).   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the sensing of step (c) comprises sensing changes in accelerometer data during entry of said user-selected string;
 wherein a user is subsequently authenticated by taking into account whether fresh changes in accelerometer data, measured during fresh entry of user password, match previously-sensed changes in accelerometer data during password creation.   
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the sensing of step (c) comprises sensing changes in gyroscope data during entry of said user-selected string;
 wherein a user is subsequently authenticated by taking into account whether fresh changes in gyroscope data, measured during fresh entry of user password, match previously-sensed changes in gyroscope data during password creation.   
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the sensing of step (c) comprises sensing changes in device-orientation data during entry of said user-selected string;
 wherein a user is subsequently authenticated by taking into account whether fresh changes in device-orientation data, measured during fresh entry of user password, match previously-sensed changes in device-orientation data during password creation.   
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 12 , wherein the sensing of step (c) comprises sensing changes in device-tilt data during entry of said user-selected string;
 wherein a user is subsequently authenticated by taking into account whether fresh changes in device-tilt data, measured during fresh entry of user password, match previously-sensed changes in device-tilt data during password creation.   
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 (e) subsequently, in a fresh user-authentication attempt, receiving a fresh input that a current user enters as the password, and tracking current spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device while the current user enters the fresh input;   (f) if both: (A) the fresh input of step (e) matches the user-selected string of step (b), and also (B) the current spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device in step (e) match the sensed spatial changes in step (c), then determining that the fresh user is authenticated.   
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 (e) subsequently, in a fresh user-authentication attempt, receiving a fresh input that a current user enters as the password, and tracking current spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device while the current user enters the fresh input;   (f) if (A) the fresh input of step (e) matches the user-selected string of step (b), but (B) the current spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device in step (e) does not match the sensed spatial changes in step (c), then rejecting the fresh user-authentication attempt.   
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 (e) subsequently, in a fresh user-authentication attempt, receiving a fresh input that a current user enters as the password, and tracking current spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device while the current user enters the fresh input;   (f) if both: (A) the fresh input of step (e) matches a part but not all of the user-selected string of step (b), and also (B) the current spatial changes in spatial properties of the electronic device in step (e) match the sensed spatial changes in step (c), then determining that the fresh user is authenticated.