Patent ID: 8839358

Claim:
A computer-implemented process for establishing the authenticity of a user, comprising: using a computer to perform the following process actions: inputting a plurality of pre-established authentication factors each of which corresponds to one or multiple attributes associated with the user, or historical patterns of one or more attributes associated with the user, or both, and each factor of which has a confidence level associated therewith that estimates a reliability of that factor in establishing the user's authenticity; inputting readings captured by multiple sensors, each sensor of which senses a one of said attributes associated with the user; employing the inputted sensor readings to quantify each authentication factor confidence level; cross-checking at least one group comprising different user attributes to determine if the inputted sensor readings associated therewith are physically consistent with each other, wherein a sensor reading associated with a user attribute is deemed physically consistent with one or more other sensor readings associated with other user attributes in the same group if it is not indicative of a condition that would be physically improbable to a prescribed degree in view of conditions indicated by the one or more other sensor readings; assigning a cross-check confidence level to each group of different user attributes based on said physical consistency determination of that group; establishing an overall confidence level based at least in part on a combination of the individual confidence levels associated with the plurality of authentication factors and cross-check confidence level or levels by employing prescribed conditional logic rules; and designating a user to be authenticated whenever the established overall confidence level exceeds a prescribed authentication level.