Online Pseudonym Verification and Identity Validation

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for authenticating an online user. Authentication involves sending a code from a server to a user device equipped with a source of illumination and a camera capable of capturing video imagery of the online user. The user device receives the code, modulates the source of illumination in accordance with the code, and captures video imagery of the user while the source of illumination is being modulated according to the code. The captured video imagery of the online user is sent to the server where it is analyzed to detect evidence of changes in illumination that correspond to the code. If good correspondence is found, the user may be authenticated. Similar methods may be applied to other biometric data. Applications of the authentication include identify validation, pseudonym verification, and distinguishing human from non human access attempts.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of associating a biometric credential with a pseudonym presented by an online user of a user device, the method comprising:
 receiving the pseudonym from a service provider, wherein the online user is enrolled with the service provider under the pseudonym;   issuing a request to the online user via the user device to capture a biometric image of the online user using a camera built into the user device;   causing a biometric image of the online user to be captured using the built-in camera of the user device;   receiving the biometric image of the online user captured by the built-in camera; and   storing the received biometric image of the online user in association with the pseudonym.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a globally unique pseudonym and associating the received biometric image with the globally unique pseudonym. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising generating a second pseudonym and associating the received biometric image with the second pseudonym, wherein the second pseudonym is inherently attributable to an identification agent that performs the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enrollment of the online user with the service provider under the pseudonym is not authenticated. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the enrollment of the online user with the service provider under the pseudonym is authenticated by the service provider. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the authentication by the service provider is insufficient to guarantee a global authenticity of a pseudonym that may be used with a service provider other than the first-mentioned SP. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric image is a non-facial image. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving a second biometric credential of a second online user, and storing the second biometric credential of the second online user in association with the pseudonym. 
     
     
         9 . A method of authenticating an identity presented by an online user of a user device to a service provider, the method comprising:
 an identification agent receiving the identity from the service provider, wherein the service provider sends the identity to the identification agent in response to the presentation of the identity to the service provider by the online user, wherein the identification agent, in response to receiving the identity:
 issues a request to the online user via the user device to capture a biometric image of the online user using a camera built into the user device; 
 causes a biometric image of the online user to be captured using the built-in camera; 
 receives the captured biometric image of the online user; 
 compares the received captured biometric image of the online user with stored biometric imagery associated with the identity; and 
 issues a positive authentication if a quality of match between the captured biometric image and the stored biometric imagery exceeds a threshold quality of match. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the identity includes information that enables the service provider to determine that the identity requires authentication by the identification agent. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the identity was generated by the identification agent during enrollment of the online user with the identification agent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the stored biometric imagery associated with the identity includes imagery of a plurality of online users associated with the identity, and the comparing step includes comparing the received captured biometric image with stored biometric imagery of each of the plurality of online users associated with the identity. 
     
     
         13 . A method performed by an identification agent, the method comprising:
 in response to a request to associate a biometric credential with a pseudonym presented by an online user of a mobile device:
 issuing a request to the online user via the user device to capture a biometric image of the online user using a camera built into the user device; 
 causing a biometric image of the online user to be captured using the built-in camera of the user device; 
 receiving the biometric image of the online user captured by the built-in camera; 
 determining whether the online user is enrolled under the pseudonym with a service provider; and 
 if the online user is enrolled under the pseudonym with a service provider, storing the received biometric image of the online user in association with the pseudonym and the service provider. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising:
 determining whether a global authenticity for use of the pseudonym by the online user is guaranteed; and 
 if the global authenticity for use of the pseudonym by the online user is not guaranteed, generating a second pseudonym and storing the received biometric image of the online user in association with the second pseudonym. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second pseudonym is globally unique.