Method for user authentication

A method for verifying an identity of a user includes (a) receiving a request for an identification phrase from a user associated with a user account; (b) selecting the phrase from a pool of phrases and associating the phrase with the user account; (c) sending the phrase to the user; (d) receiving a video recording showing a person reading one or more phrases aloud, and (e) verifying that a phrase read by the person in the video recording corresponds to the selected phrase. A third party may desire verification of the user's identity. The method confirms to the third party the user's identity based on whether or not the phrase read aloud in the video recording matches the randomly selected phrase associated with the user account.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to verifying the identity of a user on a public computer network; in particular, the present invention provides user identity verification using a video sequence.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

User identity verification on the internet is a difficult problem. Various systems have been developed to help increase the likelihood (hence, the assurance) that a person is in fact who he or she purports to be. To verify the identity of a user, a typical resource on the internet (e.g., websites) merely relies on the user to present to the resource a previously established username and password combination. However, such a mechanism can easily be compromised in many ways. As online services become more sophisticated, it has become very important to have a reliable means for verifying a user's true identity.

There are many identity verification mechanisms already in use that distinguish between a request for access to a resource initiated by a human person from one that is initiated by an automaton (i.e., a computer program). For instance, some services employ “captchas” to ensure that the user presenting access credentials is a human person. On other sites, a user is required to submit his or her telephone number, so that the site may deliver a code to the submitted telephone number. The code thus delivered is required to be used by the user in a subsequent interaction with the site. In this method, the identity of the person is tied to a telephone number presented by the user. More recently, certain sites are mailing a postcard to an address submitted by the user as his or her home address. In this manner, the identity of a user is verified by a particular address submitted by the user. However, none of these services verifies the identity of a user by his or her appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for verifying an identity of a user may include (a) receiving a request for an identification verification from a user associated with a user account; (b) selecting a phrase and associating the phrase with the user account; (c) sending the selected phrase to the user; (d) receiving from the user a video recording showing a person reading aloud; and (e) verifying that a phrase read aloud in the video recording corresponds to the selected phrase. The method may further include comparing the appearance of the person in the video recording with an appearance of the user established by a third party.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method may further include making the video recording available for access by a third party.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for verifying the identity of a user may include (a) obtaining from the user a video recording and identification information for a user account registered at a trusted authority, wherein the video recording shows a person reading one or more phrases aloud; and (b) obtaining from the trusted authority an assurance that the person appearing in the video recording is the user associated with the user account. In one instance, one or more of the phrases read aloud in the video recording was assigned to the user account by the trusted authority. The trusted authority may make available to a third party access to the video recording. A third party may obtain access to the video recording based on a link provided to the third party by a user.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the user may obtain from the trusted authority an assurance by: (a) submitting the received video recording and the identification information to the trusted authority; (b) receiving from the trusted authority an assurance of the user's identity; and (c) accepting the assurance by the trusted authority as verification of the user's identity.

The present invention is better understood upon consideration of the detailed description below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention provides a mechanism or method to help verify a user using a video recording of the user's appearance.FIG. 1is a block diagram showing system100to which the mechanism or method is applicable, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 1, system100includes service101, subscribers102a. . .102nof service101, and third parties103a. . .103minterested in verifying the identity of any of subscribers102a. . .102n. The participants of system100communicate over a wide area network104, such as the Internet.

FIG. 2is illustrates method200for verifying the identity of a user (say, subscriber102dofFIG. 1) based on the user's appearance, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown inFIG. 2, at step201, subscriber102daccesses a server of service101over wide area network104to create a user account. In response, at step202, service101presents to subscriber102da phrase that is associated with the user account, and instructs subscriber102dto record himself or herself on video reading the phrase. Generally, the proffered phrase from service101is selected from a large pool to avoid anticipation by the subscribers. The phrase may also be selected randomly. Subscriber102dthen uses a video camera (e.g., a “web camera” peripheral provided on a computer) or a camera provided on a mobile device (e.g., a camera in a cellular telephone) to generate the required recording. That is, subscriber102dcreates a video recording of himself or herself reading aloud the selected phrase that service101provides. At step203, subscriber102dsends this video recording to service101. Service101may review the video recording to verify that subscriber102dhas read the selected phrase aloud in a clearly audible fashion in the video. If appropriate, service101may require or obtain additional evidence to verify subscriber102d's identity. In a social media site, for example, the additional evidence may be provided by a picture submitted by another subscriber in which subscriber102dis tagged. In that situation, service101may authenticate subscriber102dby comparing the appearance of the person in the video recording submitted by subscriber102dagainst the appearances of the person tagged in the picture submitted by the other subscriber. In addition, photographs that may be suitable to serve as additional evidence need not be submitted by another person. In fact, a photograph that the subscriber keeps on his profile page may also serve as additional evidence.

The video recording created may be presented to those interested parties seeking to verify the identity of the user (e.g., other users of service101, or to customer support representatives), along with an identification of the user account. Service101may make the authenticated or verified video recording accessible (e.g., on a profile page associated with subscriber102d's user account) by other subscribers. If access to the video recording is made available without subscriber102d's participation, any third party (e.g., third party103e) may simply view the video recording without involving subscriber102d. Otherwise, third party103emay request identity verification from subscriber102dat step204. In response, subscriber102dmay provide third party103ea link to the authenticated or verified video recording at service101without sending the video recording itself. Third party103emay accept this verification of subscriber102d's identity on the authority of service101.

Alternatively, at step205, subscriber102dmay send the recorded video to third party103e, along with an identification of its user account at service101. At step206, third party103ethen sends the recorded video it received and the identification of the user account to service101for verification. At step207, service101sends third party103ea successful confirmation or a denial of subscriber102d's identity.

Under the present invention, if the words a user reads on the video match the phrase associated with the user account, then it is more likely that the person in the video is the user associated with the user account to which the selected phrase has been assigned. Because the phrase is selected by a trusted service (i.e., service101), and is assigned by the trusted service to the user account, it is more difficult for a user to falsify or spoof the video. When the video recording is made available by the trusted service, third parties may accept the video recording as authenticating of the user's identity on their own judgment (e.g., based on previous experience with the person appearing in the video or other indicia of authenticity), as the appearance of a person is difficult to forge.

The above detailed description is provided to illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to be limiting. Various modifications and variations within the scope of the present invention are possible. The present invention is set forth in the accompanying claims.