Patent ID: 8528049

Claim:
A method of providing user authentication, the method comprising: generating, by an authenticator circuit, a pointer data profile entry in a pointer data profile database, the pointer data profile entry including a pointer data profile which is based on first pointer data obtained during a first user session; receiving, by the authenticator circuit, new pointer data during a second user session; and performing, by the authenticator circuit, an authentication operation based on (i) the pointer data profile entry in the pointer data profile database and (ii) the new pointer data to determine whether a user providing the first pointer data during the first user session and a user providing the new pointer data during the second user session is the same person; wherein the second user session includes a login segment to authenticate a user, and after successful user authentication, a separate ongoing segment to gather new pointer data after the login segment of the second user session; wherein the first pointer data includes a first series of movement events collected by an event collector circuit from a pointing device during the first user session; wherein the new pointer data includes a second series of movement events collected by the event collector circuit from the pointing device during the second user session; wherein receiving the new pointer data during the second user session includes obtaining the second series of movement events by the authenticator circuit from the event collector circuit while the pointing device directs movement of a pointer graphic on a display screen during the second user session; wherein receiving the new pointer data includes acquiring the new pointer data during the login segment prior to the ongoing segment; wherein performing the authentication operation includes successfully authenticating the user providing the new pointer data during the login segment and prior to the ongoing segment; and wherein the method further comprises, after the login segment and during the ongoing segment, receiving additional pointer data and performing another authentication operation based on the pointer data profile entry in the pointer data profile database and the additional pointer data.