Patent Publication Number: US-2020280852-A1

Title: Systems, methods and apparatuses for enabling wearable device user access to secured electronic systems

Description:
INVENTION PRIORITY 
     The present invention claims priority as a Divisional application to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/234,565 entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR ENABLING WEARABLE DEVICE USER ACCESS TO SECURED ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS,” filed Aug. 12, 2015, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, and which also claims priority as a Continuation application to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/204,050 entitled “SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR ENABLING WEARABLE DEVICE USER ACCESS TO SECURED ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS,” filed Aug. 12, 2015, which is also herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Embodiments generally relate to electronic system security and access. Embodiments additionally relate to wearable devices. Embodiment also relate to telecommunications including cellular and short-range radio frequency communications. More particularly, embodiments related to system, methods, and apparatuses for enabling wearable device user access to secured electronic systems. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Secured electronic system as discussed in this document to teach features of the present invention can include remote servers, physical barriers entries (e.g., doors, gates, garage doors, safes) requiring entry of a passcode for access, vehicle ignitions requiring physical manipulation of a key to initiate starting of an engine, equipment requiring keys, passwords or initiation routines for their access and use, as well as other protected systems physical manipulation or several steps for access/use. 
     Wearable devices are growing in popularity and typically include a microprocessor to provide some useful or entertaining function. A technologically sophisticated version of wearable device that has recently been released to consumers is being referred to as a “smartwatch.” There are few applications for smartwatches given their short market life thus far. An example are what is currently being referred to as “smartwatches” such as Apple Corporation&#39;s “Apple Watch”™, Samsung Corporation&#39;s “Gear”™, Sony “SmarthWatch”™, and LG “Urbane”™. Recently, Samsung and LG began providing smartwatches incorporating SIMs. Users requiring telecommunications network access are typically limited to accessing a cellular data network with their smartphone devices, it typically being the only device carried by the user with a SIM, equipment identification and associated wireless carrier subscriber account. That will now be changing with the integration of smartwatches that can communicate with wireless telecommunications carriers. Smartwatches will likely be the most pervasively used form of wearable device and could reduce user dependence on larger form factor devices for certain applications where it is a burden to retrieve and operate a portable, electronic wireless hand held devices. 
     There are so many portable devices available to users. It is not uncommon for a user to have two or three devices with them at a time that enable at least some form of wireless communication (e.g., cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC) and data access. Wearable devices are also now available including computing and wireless communication capability. Electronic wireless hand held devices, such as data/video-enabled cellular telephones (often referred to as “mobile phones” or “smartphones”), tablet computers, and other portable, hand held wireless data-enabled devices have become a part of everyday life. Such mobile device are capable of multimedia data transmission and retrieval from multiple networks and wireless connections including: cellular (including 4G/LTE, 802.11 WiFi networks), short range radio frequency, and/or line of sight communications standards and networks such those that are standardized including Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, IrDA (infrared), RFID, NFC, and other proprietary, secure means that are not yet standardized. Many current mobile devices are capable of determining location information and directions using GPS and by displaying maps retrieved from remote servers (e.g., via the Internet), include touch sensitive display screens, and incorporate high-resolution cameras. Mobile devices are capable of moving data to/from, and operating with, removable cartridges (e.g., external memory, smart card, card-based application modules and electronics) and/or via wireless communication to neighboring devices. 
     A subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module (SIM) card can be provided in the form of a physical module with an integrated circuit that is intended to securely store the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number and its related key, which are used to identify and authenticate a subscriber of a single mobile device, and can be removable for use in other devices. It is also possible to store contacts on the SIM cards. SIM cards are always used on GSM phones; for CDMA phones, they are only needed for newer LTE-capable handsets. Some CDMA devices also have a similar card called a R-UIM. SIM cards can also be used in satellite phones. Individual GSM, WCDMA, iDEN, and some satellite phone devices are uniquely identified by an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. Some mobile devices do not require or use a SIM card, but rely on a mobile equipment identifier (MEID) to identify the device and be authorized to receive carrier services. A Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) is 14 digits long and is used to identify a cell phone that utilizes the CDMA technology for wireless service, CDMA phones don&#39;t typically have SIM cards and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) is just a type of technology used for wireless phone service. An International Mobile Station Equipment Identity or NEI for short is a number that identifies mobile phones that run on a GSM network. GSM is just another type of wireless technology used for mobile service. 
     What is needed are systems, methods, and apparatuses that enable a user of a wearable device (e.g., smartwatch) to access secure electronic systems. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the disclosed embodiments and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole. 
     It is, therefore, one aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide improved systems, methods, and apparatuses that enable a wearable device user to access secured electronic systems. Examples of secured electronic systems include: secured entry barriers (e.g., doors, gates, safes), vehicle (e.g., to compartment access and start ignition), equipment (e.g., industrial, medical, laboratory, etc.), automatic teller machines, payment mechanisms (e.g., vending machines, parking meters), point-of-sale (POS), and secured databases (e.g., remote servers containing health care/patient information). 
     It is, therefore, another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to provide improved systems, methods, and apparatuses that enable a wearable device in the form of a smartwatch carrier access and subscriber account associated therewith to access secure electronic systems where a remote server can be accessed over a data network to authenticate a user. 
     It is yet another feature of the disclosed embodiments that a user can be authenticated by biometric hardware (e.g., voice, skin illumination) integrated on the smartwatch worn by the user prior to granting secured electronic system access. 
     It is yet another feature of the embodiments that a user can access a secured electronic system when the smartwatch worn by the user is in short-range radio frequency communication with the electronic system. 
     It is yet another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to enable a wearable device in the form of a smartwatch that includes carrier access and associated subscriber account associated therewith to serve to authenticate a user for access to a secured electronic systems that is registered for access by a user associated with the smartwatch, and access can further be provided when the wearable device and user is within short RF communication range of the secured electronic system. 
     It is yet another feature that biometrics integrated with the wearable device can support user authentication to include voice authentication via a microphone integrated with the wearable device, and skin layer illumination using a laser light source integrated within the wearable device when in contact with a user skin, vital patterns (e.g., heart rate pattern) obtained via the light source integrated within the wearable device when in contact with a user&#39;s skin, or any combination. 
     It is yet another aspect of the disclosed embodiments to enable a wearable device (e.g., smartwatch) that includes a GPS module, carrier access, and active subscriber account associated with the SIM, and the wearable device serves as the single, common portal to receive/obtain/transmit wireless voice calls, text, other application data and account access on behalf of the wearable device user in association with the user&#39;s carrier subscriber account and enables access to secured electronic systems by the wearable device when the user via wearable device worn by user is determined by the GPS module to be located near the secured electronic system. 
     It is yet another feature of the present invention to provide a smartwatch for placement on a user&#39;s wrist that includes modules to carry out authentication of the user, determine the user&#39;s location, enable carrier data network communications with the smartwatch, and enable user access to secured electronic systems based on at least one of: user biometric authentication, user location, user proximity to a secured electronic system, and registration of the secured electronic system with the wearable device. 
     These and other features and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to the skilled after reading the following detailed description and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the embodiments and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of a wearable device in the form of a smartwatch that can include, among other items, a carrier access (represented by a SIM), cellular network communications module supporting RF communications with a telecommunication carrier network, short-range RF communications module supporting communication with devices in close proximity to the wearable device, GPS module for determining wearable device (and user) location, and secured electronic system registration module for registering secured electronic devices, which can be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram representing a wearable device in the form of a smartwatch supporting secure communication and access by the smartwatch to a mobile carrier network, data network, remote server, and electronic systems, which can be implemented in accordance with an alternative embodiment; and 
         FIGS. 3-5  illustrate flow diagrams of methods of providing a user of a wearable device with access to secured electronic systems. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof. 
     Unlike personal computers, which are general-purpose devices geared towards refining and processing information, modern mobile communication devices are designed to capture, store, and display information originating from various sources while a user is “on the go” or otherwise mobile. Additionally, while a certain level of skill is required to use a personal computer effectively, mobile devices are designed with the novice and non-computer user in mind and are therefore intuitively easy to use. Mobile communications devices are typically used in a smartphone or tablet format. U.S. Pat. No. 9,031,537, which is entitled “Electronic Wireless Hand Held Multimedia Device”, is representative of such a device and is incorporated herein by reference for its teaching. Either of these particular device formats can include a SIM to provide user access to carrier networks and account data (including voice, text, and application specific date retrievable remotely from servers). Much of the functionality that has previously been provided in smartphone and tablet format is now available on wearable devices in the form of a watch. “Smartwatch” is the general term for such a device. Some smartwatches will soon be including a SIM. There are few applications, however, to date for smartwatches given their infancy in the consumer marketplace. 
     The present invention provides wearable device users (in particular, smartwatch users) access to secured electronic systems. A secured electronic system can be broadly defined herein as a system requiring electronic initiation for its operation or to gain access to it. Examples include: secured entries having electromechanical locking systems that can be operated (unlocked) electronically with access codes; wireless vehicle compartment access and ignition initiation; equipment (industrial, medical, laboratory) secured by electronic codes for access and use; automatic teller machines; payment mechanisms; points-of-sale; and secured server or databases including protected information (e.g., patient records/information). The present invention can provide authorized users/wearers of a wearable device in the form of a smartwatch to gain access to secured electronic systems, even if access requires any of: a determination of user identity, biometric measurement, location determination, access to remote data, and proximity to the secured electronic system. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , illustrated is a block diagram of a wearable device  100  in the form of a smartwatch, which includes a housing  101  having an integrated display screen  102 , physical user interfaces  103 / 104 , integrated microphone  105 , skin illumination/reading sensors  106 , and straps  107  to secure the smartwatch to a user&#39;s wrist. The display screen can be touch sensitive and can provide part of the user interface with the smartwatch  100 . The physical user interfaces can be provided in the form of a rotatable crown  103  and at least one push-button  104 . Modules that can also be included are a module for identifying the wearable device identification information to a carrier network and is being identified generally as an subscriber identification module (SIM)  108  without limitation to SIMs that are physical and removable form devices, cellular RF communications module  109 , Bluetooth communications module  110  (although use of other RF short range modules and standards is possible), and specialized electronic system registration module  111 . The SIM  108  enables communication of the wearable device for its authorized user with a telecommunication carrier&#39;s network (e.g., Verizon, Sprint AT&amp;T, etc.) to enable the user of the smartwatch  100  to receive/place voice calls, receive/transmit text messages, and access data networks and remote assets (e.g., remote servers). 
     The cellular communications module  109  and Bluetooth communications module  110  each support bi-directional data radio frequency (RF) communications of the smartwatch  100 . The cellular communications module  109  supports RF communication of the smartwatch  100  with a cellular data telecommunications networks provided by telecommunications carriers (e.g., GSM, CDMA, etc.). Bluetooth communications module  110  supports bi-directional data RF communications of the smartwatch  100  with secured electronic systems. Electronic System (ES) registration module  111  provides specialized application software to support registration of a secured electronic system with the smartwatch, and facilitates the establishment of wireless communication between the smartwatch  100  and a registered secured electronic system. A user can be authenticated for access via smartwatch carrier network access, and communication with secured electronic systems, via biometric authentication, which can be facilitated by the SIM  108  and software in the electronic system registration module  111 . Biometrics can be obtained from a user via voice spoken into the microphone  105  or by obtaining skin measurements via skin illumination and reading hardware  106 , or a combination of both biometrics. 
     Additionally, a GPS (Global Positioning System) module  112  can be included in the wearable device  100 . GPS module  112  can be configured to provide location information for the wearable device  100  in relation to secured electronic systems, and can operate with mapping software and resources to provide navigable directions on the display screen  102  to the user, which can be referred to as GPS mapping. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram representing a smartwatch  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 1  providing secured access to secured electronic systems  130 . The smartwatch  100  is also in secure communications with a carrier network  120  (e.g., Verizon, Sprint, AT&amp;T, T-Mobile, etc., in the United States), which can provide further access to other Internet  150  resources, such as a remote secured server  160 . The secured electronic systems listed in block  130  can be registered with the smartwatch  100  using electronic system (ES) registration module  111  for communication with/through a carrier network, if necessary to authenticate a user of the smartwatch  100 . It should be understood that initial registration of secured electronic systems  130  can be with at least one of the carrier network  120 , the smartwatch  100 , or a remote server  160 . It should be noted that registration of a secured electronic system is different from merely setting up a Bluetooth connection (“pairing”) with the portable devices. For example, a user can access a vehicle that is registered with the smartwatch  100  (or service accessible by the smartwatch) when the user is authenticated to access the vehicle by the smartwatch  100  and is in close proximity to the vehicle as determined by the smartwatch  100 . Ideally, the vehicle door can unlock automatically for the user when the user is within ten feet of the vehicle. Then, the authenticated user can start the ignition of the vehicle when the smartwatch  100  is again in close proximity (ideally less than five feet) to the ignition button or the user is determined based by the RF signal from the smartwatch to be located in driver seat. The smartwatch can be paired when Bluetooth is used as the short-range RF transmission standard, but Bluetooth LE pairing does not guarantee that an authenticated user of the registered vehicle is attempting to use the vehicle, which is why user authentication and secured electronic system registration can be uniquely provided as taught herein. 
       FIG. 3-5  illustrate flow diagrams of methods of providing a user of a smartwatch  100  access to secured electronic systems  130 . Referring to the flow diagram  200  in  FIG. 3 , a wearable device (e.g., smartwatch) is placed in contact with a user as shown in block  210 . Contact can refer to the placement of a wearable device on the wrist of a user in a manner where it is strapped snuggly so that the back of the wearable device contacts the skin of a user. As shown in block  220 , the wearable device obtains secured, short-range communication with a secured electronic system. Then, as shown in block  230 , the wearable device automatically authenticates the user and provides an authenticated user with access to/through a secured electronic system. The secured electronic systems can be registered with the smartwatch and recognized when short-range communications are established between them (e.g., Bluetooth pairing is accomplished). 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a flow diagram  300  illustrates another method of providing access to secured electronic systems via a smartwatch in accordance with the embodiments. Referring to block  310 , a smartwatch is placed in contact with a user&#39;s wrist. The smartwatch then authenticates the user, as shown in block  320 . The smartwatch then establishes communication with a secured electronic system, as shown in block  330 . As shown by arrow labeled  325 , block  330  can precede block  320  (communication established before authentication). Authentication can depend on whether it requires remote resources provided by the carrier, or if authentication only needs occur in the smartwatch. Authentication can be accomplished by password entry on the user interface (e.g., touch screen) of the smartwatch or by using the smartwatch to obtain biometric information from the user. Biometrics can include voice or skin illumination measurements as described before. Referring to block  340 , the user can be granted access to a secured electronic system when at least one of the following conditions applies to the user: authenticated for access to secured electronic system by smartwatch; authenticated for access by network carrier; authenticated for access by remote server; granted access based on location, or granted access based on proximity to the secured electronic system. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , illustrated is a flow diagram  400  of another method for providing access to secured electronic systems via a wearable device. Referring to block  410 , a wearable device user is determined to be in close proximity to a secured electronic system. In block  420 , the wearable device establishes secured communication with at least one of a carrier and the secured electronic system. Block  430  provides that a wearable device user is biometrically authenticated. Authentication can be via a microphone or skin illumination hardware integrated in the smartwatch. As shown by arrow labeled  425 , block  430  can occur before block  420 . Finally, as shown in block  440 , the wearable device user can be granted access to a secured electronic system when at least one of the following conditions applies: user authenticated for access to secure electronic system by the smartwatch; user authenticated for access to secure electronic system by carrier; user authenticated for access to secure electronic system by remote server; user granted access based on location; and user is granted access based on proximity to secure electronic system. 
     It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also, that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.