Device functionality management via face scanning

Facial scanning data of an authorized user is received for requested access to a computing device. A facial expression of the facial scanning data is determined to match a predetermined facial expression. In response to identifying that the facial expression matches the predetermined facial expression, the computing device is caused to provide a set of functionality that correlates to the predetermined facial expression.

BACKGROUND

As mobile computing devices become more common and attacks upon these mobile devices become more prevalent, there is an increased desire to improve security for these devices. While historically devices were predominantly protected with a single password or the like, there is an increased desire to use more modern technology and more advanced techniques to improve security. For example, the use of fingerprint scanners, facial scanners, two-factor identification (e.g., both a password and a face scan), or the like is increasing in use. While devices often include specific tools for scanning fingerprints, these same devices may use a generic use camera of the device to execute a facial scan. This may enable devices to execute a facial scan quickly and conveniently without drawing attention to the user.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method, system, and computer program product relating to managing the functionality of a user device via face scanning. For example, the method includes receiving first facial scanning data of a user regarding a first requested access to a computing device. The method further includes identifying that a first facial expression of the first facial data matches a first predetermined facial expression. The method further includes causing the computing device to provide a first set of functionality in response to identifying that the first facial expression matches the first predetermined facial expression. The method further includes receiving second facial scanning data of the user regarding a second requested access to the computing device. The method further includes identifying that a second facial expression of the second facial data matches a second predetermined facial expression. The method further includes causing the computing device to provide a second set of functionality in response to identifying that the second facial expression matches the second predetermined facial expression. A system and computer product configured to perform the above method are also disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to managing functionality of a computing device via facial scanning, while more particular aspects of the present disclosure relate to offering different and/or reduced functionality in response to detecting that the user is generating predetermined facial expressions or certain emotions. While the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such applications, various aspects of the disclosure may be appreciated through a discussion of various examples using this context.

The use of facial scanners to unlock computing devices is increasing across a wide variety of computing device such as smart phones, laptops, tablets, or the like. Many conventional computing devices are configured to execute a facial scanner extremely quickly, such as with only a single clear frame or two of a face of an authorized user. As used herein, an authorized user includes users who have primary ownership of a computing device and/or whose face is set up to unlock a computing device (e.g., in addition to having knowledge of passwords that can unlock the computing device, and/or whose finger is also set up to unlock a computing device).

While facial scanning has increased an ease in which an authorized user may unlock their computing devices, it has also had the unintended consequence of making it easier for malicious third parties to gain illegitimate access to computing devices. As used herein, malicious third parties may refer to a person who is seeking access to a computing device and who does not have the knowledge and/or ability to unlock the computing device with a password, keyword, pass phrase, their own finger, their own face, or the like. For example, malicious third parties may be able to unlock computing devices that are configured for facial scanning by illicitly gaining physical possession of these computing devices, turning on a facial scanning mode, and then causing an authorized user to look at such computing devices (such that the computing devices captures an acceptable image of the authorized user, therein unlocking the computing devices that are currently possessed by the malicious third party).

Some conventional computing devices may seek to improve upon this situation by detecting that the authorized user is assuming a secondary expression, in response to which the conventional device determines to not unlock the conventional computing devices, or to turn off the computing device, or the like. Put differently, conventional computing devices may be configured to execute a binary decision in which the conventional computing device is either unlocked to normal functionality in response to a facial scan that identifies a “normal” expression or turned off/not unlocked/etc. when these conventional computing systems detect that an authorized user is making this secondary expression (e.g., a look of panic, or a predetermined atypical expression). While such functionality may be effective in stopping a current attempt to unlock the conventional computing device, the malicious third party would immediately become aware that the unlock attempt has failed. As such, in some cases, the malicious third party may escalate efforts to attempt to get the authorized user to provide a “normal” look to get such a conventional computing device to unlock. Prolonging interaction with these malicious third parties in this way may be an undesired side effect of authorized users using such conventional computing device.

Certain conventional computing devices may take this even further by destroying some or all data or functionality of the conventional computing devices in response to detecting such a secondary expression. While this may foil the efforts of a malicious third party to gain illegitimate access to the conventional computing device, it may also cause the permanent loss of any data saved to the conventional computing device. Also, such functionality may invite the possibility that the authorized user may accidentally assume the secondary expression and cause the permanent deletion or destruction of some data and/or functionality of the conventional computing device even when no malicious third party was involved in the attempt to access the computing device.

Aspects of this disclosure may solve or otherwise address some or all of these problems. For example, aspects of this disclosure are related to causing a computing device to provide different sets of actual unlocked functionality in response to different predetermined facial expressions and/or certain emotions of an authorized user. As used herein, a functionality of a computing device as modified in response to different facial expressions and/or emotions may include anything that a computing device is capable of doing either autonomously (e.g., backing up data) or in response to a command from an authorized user (e.g., sending a message, hiding an application, presenting an application, or other such functions described herein). The authorized user may be select which predetermined facial expressions and/or emotions provide what functionality, giving the authorized user more ability to shape interactions with malicious third parties (and also providing more immediate ability to navigate safely through the mobile device).

One or more computing components (these computing components including or otherwise making using of a processing unit executing instructions stored on a memory) may provide this functionality, these one or more computing components hereinafter referred to collectively as a controller. This controller may be integrated into (e.g., downloaded onto) the computing device as predominantly described below for purposes of clarity, though in other examples the controller may be hosted on a standalone computing device and accessed over a network or the like.

Providing such a controller may improve an ability for a computing device to ward off attempts of a malicious third party to illicitly access a computing device, and only provide access in response to authorized users. Further, a controller as described herein may be configured to enable a computing device to be unlocked quickly and conveniently by an authorized user so that a benign third party (e.g., a child of the authorized user, a friend of the authorized user, or the like) may be given a predetermined amount of access and functionality (e.g., where such access and functionality is relatively less than a full of access and functionality) of the computing device. Enabling a computing device to do so quickly in predetermined manners in response to predetermined facial expressions and detected emotions may improve a security of data of the computing device, among other advantages that are evident to one of ordinary skill in the art.

For example,FIG.1depicts environment100in which controller112is integrated into computing device110of authorized user120. Computing device110may be similar to the computing system200ofFIG.3that includes a processor communicatively coupled to a memory that includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes controller112to execute one or more operations described below. Though computing device110is depicted and discussed predominantly as a mobile phone, computing device110may be any device that may be unlocked via facial scanning techniques.

Though a single authorized user120is depicted inFIG.1for purposes of illustration, in some examples multiple authorized users120may exist for a single computing device110. Where there are multiple authorized users120associated with a single computing device110, each of these multiple authorized users120may be associated with a plurality of different facial expressions that, when detected by controller112, cause controller112to itself cause computing device110to provide different respective sets of functionality.

Computing device110may be configured to unlock when computing device110receives real-time images of a face of authorized user120. As depicted inFIG.1, computing device110may include camera114that captures images and/or a video feed of a face of authorized user120. Alternatively, or additionally, camera114may be a separate physical device from computing device110(e.g., a webcam or the like) that is configured to gather images of authorized user120and send these images to (and/or have these images gathered by) computing device110. The image data of the face of authorized user120is referred to as facial scanning data herein.

Once received by computing device110, controller112may analyze the facial scanning data. Controller112may analyze facial scanning data to determine whether or not the facial scanning data matches one or more emotions and/or facial expressions of authorized user120. Controller112may match facial scanning data to emotions and/or expressions using any facial recognition techniques known in the art.

Controller112may compare the facial scanning data against expressions saved within expression corpus130. Expression corpus130may include a plurality of expressions of one or more authorized users120, each of which may be associated with a different set of functionality of computing device110. Though in some examples expression corpus130may be incorporated into a memory of computing device110,FIG.1depicts expression corpus130as remotely stored in a separate computing device (where this separate computing device may be similar to computing system ofFIG.3), such as a server or the like.

Each expression within expression corpus130may be saved in any number of ways. For example, each expression may be a pixel-to-pixel comparison between a determined baseline and an immediate image from facial scanning data. Alternatively, or additionally, controller112may be configured to identify primary features of a face of authorized user120, such that each facial expression is reduced down to various relationships between relative sizes, shapes, and/or distances between facial features such as a nose, eyes, eyebrows, cheekbones, chin, mouth, etc. In some examples, controller112may ignore pixels that are associated with makeup, face imperfections, or the like, to disregard temporary marks upon the face of authorized user120. Controller112may regularly verify that a stored baseline of expressions of authorized user120are still accurate, or whether one or more expressions have changed by some amount (e.g., by a virtue of authorized user120getting older, styling eyebrows differently, or the like).

Computing device110and expression corpus130may communicate over network140. Network140may include a computing network over which computing messages may be sent and/or received. For example, network140may include the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless network such as a wireless LAN (WLAN), or the like. Network140may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device (e.g., computing device110and/or expression corpus130) may receive messages and/or instructions from and/or through network140and forward the messages and/or instructions for storage or execution or the like to a respective memory or processor of the respective computing/processing device. Though network140is depicted as a single entity inFIG.1for purposes of illustration, in other examples network140may include a plurality of private and/or public networks over which controller112may manage computing device110functionality as described herein.

For example,FIGS.2A-2Cdepict different examples of computing device110with different sets of available functionality that are each associated with different facial expressions of authorized user120. Though computing device110is depicted as a smart phone with front-facing set of cameras114for purposes of illustration, as described above, computing device110may be any form of computing device that is capable of being unlocked or used via facial scanning data, and/or computing device110may be a different form of a smart phone. For example, though front-facing cameras114are depicted inFIGS.2A-2Cfor purposes of illustration, in other examples, cameras114may be back-facing cameras, or there may only be a single camera that is used, or the like.

As depicted inFIGS.2A-2C, controller112may change what functionality is provided by computing device110by providing different sets of applications116A-116C (hereinafter referred to as “sets of applications116”). For example, controller112may detect that facial scanning data of first facial expression matches a predetermined facial expression that corresponds to full functionality of computing device110. In response to this determination, controller112may cause computing device110to unlock a set of applications116A that corresponds to full functionality of computing device110(e.g., such that no functionality of computing device110is unavailable to authorized user120).

In some examples, controller112may cause computing device110to unlock and/or otherwise provide full functionality by set of applications116A in response to authorized user120providing a normal facial expression. A normal facial expression may include a facial expression that authorized user120consistently provides throughout a daily life of authorized user120. For example, a normal facial expression may include a resting facial expression, which is to say an expression that a face of authorized user120defines when authorized user120is not actively smiling, talking, or otherwise using their facial muscles to move and/or contort their face. For another example, a normal facial expression may include a natural smile of authorized user120, which is to say the smile that authorized user120naturally and consistently makes. In other examples, as used herein, a “normal” facial expression may be referred to as a “default” expression within expression corpus130. As used herein, a normal facial expression and a default expression may be used interchangeably.

In certain examples, controller112may cause computing device110to unlock and/or otherwise provide most but not a full functionality in response to authorized user120providing a normal facial expression. For example, computing device110may store some particularly secure data or application, such as a password protector application that manages a set of secure passwords for all software applications provided on computing device110. Controller112may be configured to only provide access to this particularly secure data or application in response to a facial expression that is atypical (e.g., not normal or not the default facial expression as used above, or otherwise not consistently provided by authorized user120). By requiring certain particularly secure data/functionality to be accessed in response to an atypical facial expression known by authorized user120, controller112may increase a security of such secure data/functionality.

As described herein, controller112may also be configured to provide a different set of functionality through a different facial expression. For example, as depicted inFIG.2B, authorized user120may define a first predetermined facial express, such a winking facial expression, or a facial expression with a raised eyebrow, or the like. Authorized user120may have defined this expression in response to a specific situation, such as a child asking to use computing device110. Controller112may receive facial scanning data of authorized user120when authorized user120is making this face, compare it to predetermined facial expressions of expression corpus130, and cause computing device110to provide a functionality of a “child-friendly mode.” For example, this may include set of applications116B that is reduced from set of applications166A (e.g., such that less than all functionality of computing device110is provided). Specifically, as depicted inFIG.2B, controller112may cause computing device110to not provide access to a picture application, an email application, a note taking application, a shopping application, a banking application, a texting application, and a calling application.

In some examples, even where much functionality is reduced, some other functionality may be added in response to a predetermined facial expression. For example, as depicted inFIG.2B, set of applications116B includes a game application as part of the child-friendly mode that is not provided with set of application116A in response to detecting a normal facial expression.

Authorized user120may set up controller112and computing device110by selecting which functionality to assign to what facial expressions, where functionality as described herein includes operations that computing device110does in response to a command from authorized user120(e.g., hiding an application, presenting an application) as well as other operations that authorized user120may be unable to do (e.g., spoof some functionality of an application, or spoof some data to replace current local data of computing device110). For example, controller112may provide a process whereby authorized user120may select different applications that controller112is to cause computing device110to provide in response to a normal facial expression, which applications are child friendly that controller112is to cause computing device110to provide in response to a first predetermined facial expression, which applications include sensitive or particularly important data or functionality that controller112is to cause computing device110to provide in response to a second predetermined facial expression, etc.

Authorized user120may provide (e.g., make with their face) each of these facial expressions to controller112using camera114to define them as predetermined facial expressions. In some examples, controller112may instruct authorized user120to make each of these predetermined facial expressions a threshold number of times to determine a statistical baseline. Put differently, given that each time that a human makes an expression there may be some number of small deviations when compared to previous times making that expression due to the natural vagaries of human movement, controller112may capture a sufficient set of input images for each predetermined facial expression such that controller112may thereinafter have at least a certain confidence score whether or not a facial expression of authorized user120matches one of these previously provided predetermined facial expressions. Controller112can identify (and then maintain) this baseline through any number of data handling techniques, such as with an error-correcting code (ECC) technique.

In some examples, controller112may provide some sets of functionality in response to a facial expression that was not specifically programmed by authorized user120. For example, controller112may be configured to detect if authorized user120is feeling one or more emotions, and may therein provide different sets of functionality in response to these detected emotions. Controller112may determine if authorized user120is feeling an emotion by one or more facial recognition techniques and/or emotion analyzing techniques known in the art, therein detecting whether or not authorized user120is, for example, scared, alarmed, surprised, sad, happy, excited, or the like based on, for example, pupil dilation, relative spacing between eyes and eyebrows, mouth shape, or the like.

For example, controller112may detect that received a facial expression indicates that authorized user120is scared, alarmed, angry, or some other emotion. For example, a malicious third party may steal computing device110from authorized user120, and may then present camera114of computing device110to authorized user120as the malicious third party runs away. As camera114gains an image of authorized user120, authorized user120may thus be angry and scared, such that facial scanning data of authorized user120depicts a facial expression that reflects these emotions.

Controller112may detect these emotions by comparing facial scan data to an established baseline face data (e.g., the normal face of authorized user120), identifying irregularities in the facial scan data (e.g., pupils too big for the brightness, mouth open, eyebrows raised, etc.), and categorizing this as one or more emotional states. In some examples, controller112may utilize one or more machine learning techniques to improve at an act of categorizing emotional states over time. For example, controller112may categorize facial determinations over time and therein change and/or reduce functionality accordingly, and therein receive direct or indirect feedback from authorized user120(e.g., direct feedback in the form of changing settings of controller112, or indirect feedback in the form of unlocking more functionality of computing device110where some functionality was not provided).

In response to such a determination, controller112may cause computing device110to provide a different (e.g., reduced) set of functionality such as with set of applications116C. In some examples, controller112may only provide a reduced set of functionality when controller112determines that an emotion is sufficiently strong enough (e.g., only when authorized user120is furious rather than annoyed). As depicted inFIG.2C, controller112may cause computing device110to provide functionality that does not include sensitive data or applications (e.g., such as providing a map application, camera application, and music application, as depicted inFIG.2C), while hiding functionality and/or data that does include sensitive data (e.g., such as a bank application, picture gallery application, email application, shopping application, or the like). In some examples, this reduced set of functionality may further include a reduced ability to change security settings, such that no or reduced access is given to change a password or to input a new face that can unlock the phone, or the like. The reduced set of functionality may also include a reduced ability to access a cloud storage space associated with authorized user120.

Controller112may cause computing device110to provide this reduced set of functionality in a manner that does not indicate that there is some functionality of computing device110that is not provided. Rather, when controller112causes computing device110to provide a reduced set of functionality, controller112may cause computing device110to provide this reduced set of functionality as if this is the only functionality that computing device110is capable of providing when fully unlocked. Put differently, when viewing computing device110after computing device110is unlocked at a time when controller112is causing computing device110to provide a reduced set of functionality (e.g., with set of applications116C), a user may not be immediately aware that some functionality is not provided.

In certain examples, controller112may spoof some functionality of computing device110in response to detecting an emotion and/or predetermined facial expression. For example, controller112may cause computing device110to provide false texts, or false notes, or false pictures as part of spoofing functionality (e.g., such that computing device110does not provide the actual texts/notes/pictures as received/sent/generated by authorized user120, but instead includes stock pictures, computer generated texts, random notes, or the like). Causing computing device110to spoof this functionality may improve an ability of controller112to make computing device110appear as if computing device110is unlocked in a normal state (e.g., as a malicious third party may find it suspicious if there is no texting application available) even as controller112protects data of authorized user120(e.g., by hiding any personal data that may be within text application).

In some examples, controller112may cause computing device110to spoof a changed and/or impaired nature of some functionality. For example, authorized user120may be using computing device110when a child comes up and asks to use a gaming application that requires a relatively large amount of streaming data on computing device110. Authorized user120may know that the child may not pay attention to whether or not computing device110is connected to a secure wi-fi network. As such, authorized user1120may have set up a predetermined facial network that controller112detects to cause computing device110to only provide that gaming application when computing device110is connected to a secure wi-fi network, and/or that blocks certain functions of gaming applications that require large amounts of data streaming if computing device110is not connected to a secure wi-fi network. Similarly, controller112may be configured to cause computing device110to block and/or provide different functions based on different predetermined facial expressions that authorized user120set up, e.g., based on how old the requesting child is. For example, as set up by authorized user120, one set of functionality may only enable pictures and/or videos of a certain size to be captured when computing device110is requested by a youngest child that is only 4 years old, and a second set of functionality as set up for when computing device110is requested by an older child that is 10 years old may enable pictures and/or videos of a relatively larger size to be captured. Similar functionality may enable authorized user120to set up different sets of functionalities that controller112can cause computing device110to provide for children of different ages, such as movies/songs that authorized user120has different for the different ages.

In other examples, controller112may be configured to delete some particularly sensitive data in response to detecting a predetermined facial expression and or a particular emotion (e.g., in response to determining that authorized user120is raising a single eyebrow a threshold amount, or that authorized user120is expressing anger at more than a threshold severity). Controller112may only delete a local store of this sensitive data. In some examples, controller112may further send this sensitive data to a predetermined location (e.g., such as an email address or location in a cloud network) prior to deleting it, such that the sensitive data is both available for authorized user120in the future as well as not available to a malicious third party in the present.

Controller112may further be configured to send one or more messages to an external location in response to detecting a predetermined facial expression and/or emotion. For example, if controller112detects that authorized user120is particularly scared, controller112may be configured to send a warning message that includes a location of computing device110to an external party or to authorities or the like. In some examples, controller112may cause computing device110to require two-factor authentication in response to detecting a first predetermined facial expression or emotion, even as controller112is also configured to cause computing device110to fully unlock in response to a second predetermined facial expression.

As described above, controller112may include or be part of a computing system that includes a processor configured to execute instructions stored on a memory to execute the techniques described herein.FIG.3is a conceptual box diagram of such computing system200. In some examples, computing system200may be functionally equivalent to computing device110. While computing system200is depicted as a single entity (e.g., within a single housing) for the purposes of illustration, in other examples, controller112may comprise two or more discrete physical systems (e.g., within two or more discrete housings). Computing system200may include interface210, processor220, and memory230. Computing system200may include any number or amount of interface(s)210, processor(s)220, and/or memory(s)230.

Computing system200may include components that enable controller112to communicate with (e.g., send data to and receive and utilize data transmitted by) devices that are external to controller112. For example, computing system200may include interface210that is configured to enable controller112and components within computing system200(e.g., such as processor220) to communicate with entities external to computing system200. Specifically, interface210may be configured to enable controller112to communicate with expression corpus130, or the like. Interface210may include one or more network interface cards, such as Ethernet cards and/or any other types of interface devices that can send and receive information. Any suitable number of interfaces may be used to perform the described functions according to particular needs.

As discussed herein, controller112may be configured to cause computing device110to provide different sets of functionality in response to different facial expressions and/or emotions. Controller112may utilize processor220to thusly manage computing device functionality. Processor220may include, for example, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and/or equivalent discrete or integrated logic circuits. Two or more of processor220may be configured to work together to manage functionality.

Processor220may manage functionality of computing device110according to instructions232stored on memory230of controller112. Memory230may include a computer-readable storage medium or computer-readable storage device. In some examples, memory230may include one or more of a short-term memory or a long-term memory. Memory230may include, for example, random access memories (RAM), dynamic random-access memories (DRAM), static random-access memories (SRAM), magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, forms of electrically programmable memories (EPROM), electrically erasable and programmable memories (EEPROM), or the like. In some examples, processor220may manage computing device110functionality as described herein according to instructions232of one or more applications (e.g., software applications) stored in memory230of computing system200.

In addition to instructions232, in some examples gathered or predetermined data or techniques or the like as used by processor220to manage functionality of computing device110per different detected facial expressions and/or emotions as described herein may be stored within memory230. For example, memory230may include information described above from expression corpus140. For example, as depicted inFIG.3, memory230may include corpus data234. Corpus data234may include data on settings, factors, baselines, or the like that controller112uses to manage functionality of computing device110as described herein. For example, corpus data234may include facial expression data236. Facial expression data236may include a list of all predetermined facial expressions for each authorized user120, and baselines thereof (where a baseline is an allowable amount of deviation within which controller112still characterizes facial scanning data as matching a predetermined facial expression). Corpus data234may further include emotion data240, which may include data points that indicate emotions of a user. Emotion data240may be calculated from a baseline of a face of authorized user120, such as from a normal expression of authorized user120as described herein.

In some examples, both predetermined facial expressions of expression data236and emotions of emotion data240may be correlated to a different set of functions of computing device. These sets of functions may be stored in functionality data238of corpus data. As described above, authorized user120may have access to these correlations, and may save and/or alter how controller112changes sets of functionalities computing device110provides in response to detecting different predetermined expressions and/or emotions.

Further, memory230may include threshold data242. Threshold data242may include thresholds that define how strong a threshold must be before controller112determines that certain emotions and/or predetermined facial expressions are detected. In some examples, thresholds as stored within threshold data242may be different for different sets of functionalities. For example, threshold data242may have a relatively low (e.g., relatively easy to satisfy) threshold for switching between various normal states of computing device110(e.g., a gaming mode, a study mode, a normal mode, a work mode), while threshold data242may define a relatively high (e.g., a relatively hard to satisfy) threshold for activating different (e.g., more critical) sets of functionalities, such as functionalities that include deleting data, notifying authorities, or the like.

Memory230may further include machine learning techniques242that controller112may use to improve a process of manage functionality of computing device as discussed herein over time. Machine learning techniques242can comprise algorithms or models that are generated by performing supervised, unsupervised, or semi-supervised training on a dataset, and subsequently applying the generated algorithm or model to manage functionality. Using these machine learning techniques242, controller112may improve an ability of determining when authorized user120is assuming a predetermined facial expression, and/or when authorized user120is experiencing an emotion that is associated with a reduced set of functionality.

Using these components, controller112may manage functionality of computing device110using facial scanning data as discussed herein. For example, controller112may manage functionality of computing device110according to flowchart300depicted inFIG.4. Flowchart300ofFIG.4is discussed with relation toFIG.1for purposes of illustration, though it is to be understood that other systems may be used to execute flowchart300ofFIG.4in other examples. Further, in some examples controller112may execute a different method than flowchart300ofFIG.4, or controller112may execute a similar method with more or less steps in a different order, or the like.

Controller112receives facial scanning data regarding an attempt to access computing device110(302). For example, authorized user120may be attempting to access computing device110, or a malicious third party may be attempting to access computing device110. Controller112may receive facial scanning data as gathered by camera114.

Controller112identifies a facial expression from the facial scanning data (304). For example, controller112may identify the face from the facial scanning data, and may identify the points of a face that are unique (e.g., controller112may isolate the shape of and distance between features). Controller112may use any facial recognition technique known in the art to identify the face and therein identify the facial expression of authorized user120.

Controller112determines that the facial expression of the facial scanning data matches a predetermined facial expression (306). Controller112may determine that the facial expression of the facial scanning data matches the predetermined facial expression with at least a threshold amount of confidence (e.g., as measured by a confidence score). If controller112is not able to verify that the facial expression of the facial scanning data matches the predetermined facial expression with at least the threshold amount of confidence, controller112may cause computing device110to request an additional facial scan, continue gathering facial scanning data via camera114, cause computing device110to indicate a failure, or the like.

Controller112causes computing device110to provide a set of functionality that correlates to the predetermined facial expression (308). The predetermined facial expression may correlate to relatively more functionality, less functionality, more sensitive functionality, or the like. For example, when going into work, authorized user120may provide a first facial expression (such that the authorized user120causes her face to purposefully make this expressions) that correlates to showing a work email and work chatting application, while hiding a gaming application and muting one or more text conversations. When heading home, authorized user120may then provide a second facial expression that correlates to hiding the work email and chatting application and providing the gaming application and previously muted text conversations.

In some examples, controller112may cause computing device110to autonomously execute some other functions in response to a predetermined facial expression or emotion. For example, controller112may cause computing device110to send an outgoing message, delete some local data (e.g., deleting one or saved passwords, or deleting a software application), require two-factor authentication to generally unlock or otherwise gain access to functions of computing device110, or the like.