PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11989739-B2
Application Number: US-202017071159-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: System and method for identity verification

Abstract:
Representative embodiments set forth techniques for verifying an identity of a primary user of a primary account on a client device. A method may include receiving, for the primary account, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account and identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. The method also includes retrieving identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic and, in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, verifying an identity of a user of the primary account. The method also includes, in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, generating a payment verification token and associating the payment verification token with an authorization indication for the action of the secondary account.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for enabling a primary computing device to authorize actions requested by secondary computing devices, the method comprising, by the primary computing device:
 receiving, from a secondary computing device, a request to perform an action, wherein:
 primary and secondary accounts are associated with the primary and secondary computing devices, respectively, 
 the primary and secondary accounts are associated as a shared user account, and 
 the secondary account is unable to access a set of actions that the primary account is permitted to access, wherein the set of actions includes the action; 
 
 identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account; 
 obtaining, based on the payment registration characteristic, identity information associated with the primary account; 
 identifying, based on the payment registration characteristic, a particular identity verification technique through which to obtain a verification indicator; 
 performing the particular identity verification technique to obtain the verification indicator; and 
 in conjunction with determining that the identity information corresponds to the verification indicator:
 providing, to a server computing device, an indication that the identity information corresponds to the verification indicator, 
 receiving, from the server computing device, a payment verification token that authorizes the action requested by the secondary account, and 
 authorizing the action requested by the secondary account. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a payment registration type based on the payment registration characteristic. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration, generating the verification indicator. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and wherein the identity information includes biometric information. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, receiving, from the server computing device, the verification indicator. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and wherein the identity information includes biometric information. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, receiving, from the server computing device, the verification indicator. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the verification indicator includes at least one verification question and wherein the identity information includes verification information responsive to the at least one verification question. 
     
     
       9. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor included in a primary computing device, cause the primary computing device to authorize actions requested by secondary computing devices, by carrying out steps that include:
 receiving, from a secondary computing device, a request to perform an action, wherein:
 primary and secondary accounts are associated with the primary and secondary computing devices, respectively, 
 the primary and secondary accounts are associated as a shared user account, and 
 the secondary account is unable to access a set of actions that the primary account is permitted to access, wherein the set of actions includes the action; 
 
 identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account; 
 obtaining, based on the payment registration characteristic, identity information associated with the primary account; 
 identifying, based on the payment registration characteristic, a particular identity verification technique through which to obtain a verification indicator; 
 performing the particular identity verification technique to obtain the verification indicator; and 
 in conjunction with determining that the identity information corresponds to the verification indicator:
 providing, to a server computing device, an indication that the identity information corresponds to the verification indicator, 
 receiving, from the server computing device, a payment verification token that authorizes the action requested by the secondary account, and 
 authorizing the action requested by the secondary account. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the steps further include determining a payment registration type based on the payment registration characteristic. 
     
     
       11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the steps further include:
 in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration, generating the verification indicator. 
 
     
     
       12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and wherein the identity information includes biometric information. 
     
     
       13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the steps further include:
 in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, receiving, from the server computing device, the verification indicator. 
 
     
     
       14. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and wherein the identity information includes biometric information. 
     
     
       15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the steps further include:
 in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, receiving, from the server computing device, the verification indicator. 
 
     
     
       16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the verification indicator includes at least one verification question and wherein the identity information includes a verification information responsive to the at least one verification question. 
     
     
       17. A primary computing device configured to authorize actions requested by secondary computing devices, the primary computing device comprising:
 at least one processor; and 
 at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the primary computing device to carry out steps that include:
 receiving, from a secondary computing device, a request to perform an action, wherein:
 primary and secondary accounts are associated with the primary and secondary computing devices, respectively, 
 the primary and secondary accounts are associated as a shared user account, and 
 the secondary account is unable to access a set of actions that the primary account is permitted to access, wherein the set of actions includes the action; 
 
 identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account; 
 obtaining, based on the payment registration characteristic, identity information associated with the primary account; 
 identifying, based on the payment registration characteristic, a particular identity verification technique through which to obtain a verification indicator; 
 performing the particular identity verification technique to obtain the verification indicator; and 
 in conjunction with determining that the identity information corresponds to the verification indicator:
 providing, to a server computing device, an indication that the identity information corresponds to the verification indicator, 
 receiving, from the server computing device, a payment verification token that authorizes the action requested by the secondary account, and 
 authorizing the action requested by the secondary account. 
 
 
 
     
     
       18. The primary computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the shared user account comprises a family account to which the first and second computing devices are linked. 
     
     
       19. The primary computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the secondary account is associated with another primary computing device. 
     
     
       20. The primary computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the action of the secondary account includes one of setting up the secondary account and accessing content by the secondary account.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/041,750, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTITY VERIFICATION,” filed Jun. 19, 2020, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The described embodiments relate generally to account verification, and in particular to systems and methods for verifying an identity of a user of a primary account based on an action taken by a secondary account. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A long-standing challenge in human-computer interaction is to streamline in application user verification by reducing or eliminating the need for the user to leave the application to provide sufficient verification credentials. In practice, users typically interact with an application to, for example, set up a user account, which may require the user to provide various credentials to verify the identity of the user. This may make interacting with the application cumbersome and/or difficult to use. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the challenges in user identity verification for mobile device users, one or more embodiments described herein include systems and methods that verify the identity of the user while interacting with an application. 
     Accordingly, one embodiment sets forth a method for providing identity verification includes, at a client device receiving, for a primary account associated with the client device, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account and identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. The method also includes retrieving identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic and, in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, verifying an identity of a user of the primary account. The method also includes, in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, generating a payment verification token, and associating the payment verification token with an authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
     Other embodiments include a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to carry out the various steps of any of the foregoing methods. Further embodiments include a computing device that is configured to carry out the various steps of any of the foregoing methods. 
     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the described embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements. 
         FIGS.  1 A- 1 E  illustrate an example network environment including an electronic device that may implement the subject system, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates an identity verification method, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates an alternative identity verification method, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  4    illustrates an alternative identity verification method, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  5    illustrates an alternative identity verification method, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  6    illustrates a detailed view of a computing device that can represent the electronic device of  FIGS.  1 A- 1 E  used to implement the various techniques described herein, according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Representative applications of methods and apparatus according to the present application are described in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments can be practiced without some or all these specific details. In other instances, well-known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described embodiments. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting. 
     In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in accordance with the described embodiments. Although these embodiments are described in enough detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the described embodiments, it is understood that these examples are not limiting such that other embodiments can be used, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the described embodiments. 
     As described, a long-standing challenge in human-computer interaction is to streamline in application user verification by reducing or eliminating the need for the user to leave the application to provide sufficient verification credentials. In practice, users typically interact with an application to, for example, set up a user account, which may require the user to provide various credentials to verify the identity of the user. This may make interacting with the application cumbersome and/or difficult to use. 
     Typically, the user of a mobile device creates a user account for interacting with various applications, tools, systems, or other aspects of the mobile device. The user account may be characterized by information corresponding to the user. For example, the user account may include a user profile indicating a user name, a user password, a user home address, a user electronic mail address, other suitable information, or a combination thereof. In addition to such information, the user may provide account information and credentials for a payment instrument, such as a credit card, a bank account, and the like, for use in purchasing in application content, shopping online, and the like. With the recent use of biometric information to access various aspects of the mobile device, the user typically includes one or more biometric credentials for use in, for example, accessing the mobile device, making in application purchases, shopping online, and the like. 
     As mobile devices continue to become ubiquitous among users of all age groups, it is becoming increasingly more common for members of the same family to share purchases, application information, and other aspects of various mobile devices using a shared family account. For example, the user of the mobile device (e.g., which may be referred to as the primary user) may create a family account that includes the user account associated with the user as a primary account while adding various secondary accounts to the family account. The secondary accounts may correspond to other family members or other people associated with the primary user. For example, the primary user may include an adult, parent, guardian, and the like, while the secondary accounts may correspond to children, spouses, other family members, friends, and the like. 
     Typically, when the primary user creates a secondary account for a child, one or more identity verification techniques may be used to verify that the user attempting to create the account is the primary user. For example, the primary user may interact with a user account setup application configured to allow the primary user to create secondary accounts on the family account. The setup application may gather various information from the primary user regarding the secondary account, such as a user name associated with the secondary account, a user password (e.g., at least an initial password) associated with the secondary user account, an identity of the user associated with the secondary account, an age of the user associated with the secondary account, other suitable information, or a combination thereof. Typically, when the age of the user associated with the secondary account is at or below a threshold age (e.g., 13 years old or any suitable threshold age), the setup application will require the primary user to verify the identity of the primary user in order to proceed with the secondary account setup (e.g., to ensure that the primary user, typically an adult, such as a parent, guardian, and the like, is performing the account setup). 
     In addition to creating secondary accounts, the primary user may monitor and/or manage actions taken by the secondary accounts during use of the mobile device, other mobile devices, or other computing devices associated with the secondary accounts. For example, the primary user may approve application purchases and downloads, content purchases, content access (e.g., such as video streaming, music streaming, online gaming, and the like), and so on. As described, when the age of the user associated with a secondary account is at or below the threshold age, the primary user may be required to provide verification of the identity of the primary user before allowing the primary user to approve an action taken by the secondary account. 
     Such identity verification typically requires the primary user to move from one application to another in order to provide verification credentials to verify the identity of the primary user. For example, during the creation of a secondary account, the primary user may leave the account setup application to interact with one or more verification applications. Similarly, when the primary user is asked to approve an action taken by the user associated with the secondary account, the primary user, depending on the type of action being taken, may leave the approval application to interact with the various verification applications. This may be burdensome for the primary user and may lead to security concerns on behalf of the primary user (e.g. due to leaving an application to interact with another application requesting sensitive or private information). 
     Accordingly, systems and methods, such as those described herein, that provide for in application user identity verification, may be desirable. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to receive, for a primary account associated with the client device, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to identify a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to retrieve identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic. 
     The systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine a payment registration type based on the payment registration characteristic. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to, in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration, generate a verification indicator. When the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes the first type of payment registration, the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and the identity information includes a biometric information. 
     The systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine whether the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, in response to a determination that the primary account does not include the first type of payment registration. In response to a determination that the primary account includes the second type of payment registration, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to, receive, from a server associated the payment registration, the verification indicator. When the primary account includes the second type of payment registration, the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and the identity information includes a biometric information. 
     The systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine whether the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a third type of payment registration, in response to a determination that the primary account does not include the second type (e.g., or the first type) of payment registration. In response to a determination that the primary account include the third type of payment registration, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to, receive, from a server associated the payment registration, the verification indicator. When the primary account includes the third type of payment registration, the verification indicator includes at least one verification question and the identity information includes a verification information responsive to the verification question. 
     The systems and methods described herein may be configured to, in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to the verification indicator, verifying an identity of the user of the primary account. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to, in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, generate a payment verification token. The payment verification token may indicate that the identity of the user has been verified. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to associate the payment verification token with an authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to store the payment verification and the associated authorization indication. The authorization indication may indicate that the payment verification toke indicates that the identity of the user of the primary account has been identified and that the action of the secondary account was approved by the user of the primary account. The systems and methods described herein may be configure to continue performing the action of the secondary account. 
       FIG.  1 A  illustrates an example network environment  100  including an electronic device  110  that may implement the subject system in accordance with one or more implementations. Not all of the depicted components may be used in all implementations, however, and one or more implementations may include additional or different components than those shown in the figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims as set forth herein. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be provided. 
     The network environment  100  includes the electronic device  110 , a server  120 , and a server  122  in which the server  120  and/or the server  122  may be included in a group of servers  130 . The network  106  may communicatively (directly or indirectly) couple, for example, the electronic device  110  with the server  120  and/or the server  122  and/or the group of servers  130 . In one or more implementations, the network  106  may be an interconnected network of devices that may include, or may be communicatively coupled to, the Internet. For explanatory purposes, the network environment  100  is illustrated in  FIG.  1    as including the electronic device  110 , the server  120 , the server  122 , and the group of servers  130 ; however, the network environment  100  may include any number of electronic devices and any number of servers or a data center including multiple servers. 
     The electronic device  110  may include a touchscreen and may be, for example, a portable computing device such as a laptop computer that includes a touchscreen, a smartphone that includes a touchscreen, a peripheral device that includes a touchscreen (e.g., a digital camera, headphones), a tablet device that includes a touchscreen, a wearable device that includes a touchscreen such as a watch, a band, and the like, any other appropriate device that includes, for example, a touchscreen, or any electronic device with a touchpad. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  110  may not include a touchscreen but may support touchscreen-like gestures, such as in a virtual reality or augmented reality environment. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  110  may include a touchpad. In  FIG.  1 A , by way of example, the electronic device  110  is depicted as a mobile computing device with a touchscreen. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  110  may be, and/or may include all or part of, the electronic system discussed below with respect to  FIG.  6   . 
     The server  120  and/or the server  122  may be part of a network of computers or the group of servers  130 , such as in a cloud computing or data center implementation. The server  120 , the server  122 , and/or the group of servers  130  may store data or data collections, such as photos, music, text, web pages and/or content provided therein, etc., that may be accessible on the electronic device  110 . In one or more implementations, the electronic device  110  may support a UI operation that involves a representation of a data collection that is partially physically stored on the electronic device  110  and partially physically stored on the server  120 , the server  122 , and/or one or more servers from the group of servers  130 , such as an image file, text, sound file, a video file, an application, etc. For example, the electronic device  110  may be configured to generate a visual representation of a data collection, using the UI operation. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic device  110  may be configured to generate a visual animation of the data collection transitioning from a current view to a future view. 
     In some embodiments, at least one of the group of servers  130 , such as the server  120 , may be configured to provide various identity management services, product management services, financial verification services, other suitable services, or a combination thereof. For example, a user, such as the primary user, may interact with the electronic device  110  to access the primary account. The primary user may access one or more applications associated with the primary account that require identity verification, financial instrument verification, and/or other services that may be provided by the server  120 . It should be understood that any suitable server other than the server  120  may perform the services described herein. Additionally, or alternatively, additional servers may cooperate with the server  120  and/or work independently of the server  120  to provide the services described herein. 
     In some embodiments, the network environment  100  may include one or more other electronic devices, such as the electronic device  140 , as is generally illustrated in  FIG.  1 B . The electronic device  140  may include a touchscreen and may be, for example, a portable computing device such as a laptop computer that includes a touchscreen, a smartphone that includes a touchscreen, a peripheral device that includes a touchscreen (e.g., a digital camera, headphones), a tablet device that includes a touchscreen, a wearable device that includes a touchscreen such as a watch, a band, and the like, any other appropriate device that includes, for example, a touchscreen, or any electronic device with a touchpad. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  140  may not include a touchscreen but may support touchscreen-like gestures, such as in a virtual reality or augmented reality environment. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  140  may include a touchpad. In  FIG.  1 B , by way of example, the electronic device  140  is depicted as a wearable device, and in particular, as a watch, with a touchscreen. However, it should be understood that the electronic device  140  may include any suitable electronic device. Additionally, or alternatively, the network environment  100  may include any suitable number and/or type of electronic devices, other than those described herein. In one or more implementations, the electronic device  140  may be, and/or may include all or part of, the electronic system discussed below with respect to  FIG.  6   . 
     In some embodiments, the primary user may use the electronic device  110  to create a shared family account that may include the primary account and one or more secondary accounts. The one or more secondary accounts may use the electronic device  140 , or other suitable electronic device, to access the respective secondary accounts. The shared family account may allow the primary account and/or the secondary accounts to share content (e.g., including music, videos, pictures, and the like), applications (e.g., including purchases, downloads, and the like), and/or other suitable information. 
     When the primary user creates a secondary account that corresponds to a child user, one or more identity verification techniques may be used to verify that the user attempting to create the account is the primary user. For example, the primary user may interact with a user account setup application on the electronic device  110  to create secondary accounts on the shared family account. The setup application may gather various information from the primary user regarding the secondary account, such as a user name associated with the secondary account, a user password (e.g., at least an initial password) associated with the secondary user account, an identity of the user associated with the secondary account, an age of the user associated with the secondary account, other suitable information, or a combination thereof. When the age of the user associated with the secondary account is at or below a threshold age (e.g., 13 years old or any suitable threshold age), the setup application may require the primary user to verify the identity of the primary user in order to proceed with the secondary account setup (e.g., to ensure that the primary user, typically an adult, such as a parent, guardian, and the like, is performing the account setup). 
     In addition to creating secondary accounts, the primary user may interact with the electronic device  110  to may monitor and/or manage actions taken by the secondary accounts during use of the electronic device  140  or other suitable electronic device. For example, the primary user may receive one or more notifications at the primary account on the electronic device  110 , or other suitable electronic device associated with the primary account, requesting approval of an action taken by the secondary account on the electronic device  140 . The action may include an application purchase and/or download, a content purchase and/or download, content access (e.g., such as video streaming, music streaming, online gaming, and the like), an action associated with an initial setup of the secondary account (e.g., as described), other suitable action, or a combination thereof. As described, when the age of the user associated with a secondary account is at or below the threshold age, the primary user may be required to provide verification of the identity of the primary user before allowing the primary user to approve an action associated with the secondary account (e.g., including the initial setup of the secondary account, an action taken by the secondary account, or other suitable action). 
     In some embodiments, the electronic device  110  may be configured to provide one or more identity verification techniques, as is generally illustrated in  FIGS.  1 C- 1 E . As described, the primary user may interact with the electronic device  110  to set up a secondary account on the shared family account. The secondary user may include a child or associated person at or below the threshold age. The secondary user may access the secondary account using the electronic device  140  or any other suitable device. In response to an action associated with the secondary account, such as during an initial setup of the secondary account and/or in response to another action taken by the secondary account, the primary account may receive, at the electronic device  110 , a request for identity verification. 
     The electronic device  110  in response to the request for identity verification, identify a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. The payment registration may correspond to one of a plurality of payment registration types. The plurality of payment types may include a first payment type, a second payment type, a third payment type, or other suitable payment type. The first payment type may include a form of payment registration that includes credentials for at least one financial instrument stored on a virtual wallet of the electronic device  110 . The second payment type may include a form of payment registration that includes credentials for at least one financial instrument stored on an application that is native to the electronic device  110  (e.g., such as a music player native to the electronic device  110 , a video player native to the electronic device  110 , or other suitable application native to the electronic device  110 ). The third payment type may include a form of payment registration that includes credentials for at least one financial instrument stored on an application that is not native to the electronic device  110  (e.g., such as a banking institution, an online shopping application, or other suitable application that is not native to the electronic device  110 ). 
     In some embodiments, the at least one payment registration characteristic may indicate one or more payment registration types that are associated with the primary account. The electronic device  110  may determine whether the at least one payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration. 
     As is generally illustrated in  FIG.  1 C , if the electronic device  110  determines that the at least one payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  may retrieve identity information associated with the primary account. The identity information may be stored on the electronic device  110  and/or on the server  120 . The identity information may include one or more biometric indicators corresponding to the primary user of the primary account. The one or more biometric indicators may include a facial recognition indicator, a fingerprint indicator, a retina indicator, and the like. The at least one biometric indicator may be used, by the primary user, to access a financial instrument stored in a digital wallet on the electronic device  110 . 
     The electronic device  110  may generate a verification indicator. The verification indicator may include at least one biometric challenge. The at least one biometric challenge may include a facial recognition challenge, a fingerprint challenge, a retina scan challenge, other suitable biometric challenge, or a combination thereof. The electronic device  110  may present, in the application being used by the primary account on the electronic device  110 , the at least one biometric challenge. The primary user may respond to the at least one biometric challenge, for example, by interacting with an image capturing device of the electronic device  110 , a fingerprint reader, or other suitable mechanism for responding to the biometric challenge. The electronic device  110  may capture biometric information of the primary user, such as a facial scan, a fingerprint, a retina scan, or other suitable biometric information, in response to the primary user responding to the biometric challenge. 
     The electronic device  110  may compare the captured biometric information of the primary user to the retrieved identity information. If the electronic device  110  determines that the captured biometric information does not correspond to the retrieved identity information, the electronic device  110  may attempt the at least one biometric challenge again, provide an alternative biometric challenge, or determine that the identity of the primary user cannot be verified. The electronic device  110  may prevent the action associated with the secondary account from being taken. 
     Conversely, if the electronic device  110  determines that the captured biometric information corresponds to the retrieved identity information, the electronic device  110  verifies the identity of the primary user. The electronic device  110  generates a signature indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified. The signature may include a text string or other suitable information indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified. The electronic device  110  communicates the signature to the server  120 . 
     As is generally illustrated in  FIG.  1 D , if the electronic device  110  determines that the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account does not include a first type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  determines whether the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration. 
     If the electronic device  110  determines that the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  may retrieve identity information associated with the primary account. The identity information may be stored on the electronic device  110  and/or on the server  120 . The identity information may include one or more biometric indicators corresponding to the primary user of the primary account. The one or more biometric indicators may include a facial recognition indicator, a fingerprint indicator, a retina indicator, and the like. The at least one biometric indicator may be used, by the primary user, to access financial instrument associated with an application that not native to the electronic device  110 . 
     The electronic device  110  may request that the server  120  provide a verification indicator associated with the second type of payment registration. The server  120  may generate the verification indicator in response to the request from the electronic device  110 . The verification indicator may include at least one biometric challenge. The at least one biometric challenge may include a facial recognition challenge, a fingerprint challenge, a retina scan challenge, other suitable biometric challenge, or a combination thereof. 
     The electronic device  110  may receive the verification indicator from the server  120 . The electronic device  110  may present, in the application being used by the primary account on the electronic device  110 , the at least one biometric challenge. The primary user may respond to the at least one biometric challenge, for example, by interacting with an image capturing device of the electronic device  110 , a fingerprint reader, or other suitable mechanism for responding to the biometric challenge. The electronic device  110  may capture biometric information of the primary user, such as a facial scan, a fingerprint, a retina scan, or other suitable biometric information, in response to the primary user responding to the biometric challenge. The electronic device  110  may communicate the captured biometric information to the server  120 . 
     The electronic device  110  may compare the captured biometric information of the primary user to the retrieved identity information. If the electronic device  110  determines that the captured biometric information does not correspond to the retrieved identity information, the electronic device  110  may attempt the at least one biometric challenge again, provide an alternative biometric challenge, or determine that the identity of the primary user cannot be verified. The electronic device  110  may prevent the action associated with the secondary account from being taken. 
     Conversely, if the electronic device  110  determines that the captured biometric information corresponds to the retrieved identity information, the electronic device  110  verifies the identity of the primary user. The electronic device  110  generates a signature indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified. The signature may include a text string or other suitable information indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified. The electronic device  110  communicates the signature to the server  120 . 
     In some embodiments, the server  120  may receive the captured biometric information from the electronic device  110 . The server  120  may compare the captured biometric information with identity information corresponding to the user stored on the server  120 . If the server  120  determines that the captured biometric information corresponds to the identity information of the primary user, the server  120  may communicate a notification to the electronic device  110  indicating that the captured biometric information corresponds to the identity information of the primary user. The electronic device  110  may generate the signature in response to receiving the notification from the server  120 . 
     Conversely, if the server  120  determines that the captured biometric information does not correspond to the identity information of the primary user, the server  120  may generate an alternative biometric challenge and communicate the alternative biometric challenge to the electronic device  110  Alternatively, the server  120  may communicate a notification to the electronic device  110  indicating that the captured biometric information does not correspond to the identity information of the primary user. 
     As is generally illustrated in  FIG.  1 E , if the electronic device  110  determines that the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account does not include a second type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  determines whether the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a third type of payment registration. If the electronic device  110  determines that the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a third type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  may request that the server  120  provide a verification indicator associated with the third type of payment registration. The server  120  may generate the verification indicator in response to the request from the electronic device  110 . 
     The verification indicator may include at least one verification question. The at least one verification question may include a request for a credit card verification value code associated with the third type of payment registration, an answer to a security question set by the primary user, a text string or code (e.g., sent to an electronic mail account, a text messaging account, a short message service account, or other suitable account associated with the primary user), or other suitable information indicating associated with the third type of payment registration and/or the primary user. 
     The server  120  may retrieve identity information associated with the primary account in response to receiving the request from the electronic device  110 . The identity information may include information corresponding to the primary user of the primary account, such as an account number, a user name, or other suitable information. The identity information may be used, by the primary user, to access financial instrument associated with an application that not native to the electronic device  110 . 
     The electronic device  110  may receive the verification indicator from the server  120 . The electronic device  110  may present, in the application being used by the primary account on the electronic device  110 , the at least one verification question. The primary user may respond to the at least one verification question, for example, by interacting providing a credit card verification value code associated with the third type of payment registration, an answer to a security question set by the primary user, a text string or code (e.g., sent to an electronic mail account, a text messaging account, a short message service account, or other suitable account associated with the primary user), or other suitable information indicating associated with the third type of payment registration and/or the primary user. The electronic device  110  may capture the response to the at least one verification question. The electronic device  110  may communicate the response to the at least one verification question to the server  120 . 
     The server  120  may compare the response to the at least one verification question to identity information corresponding to the primary user. If the server  120  determines that the response to the at least one verification question does not correspond to the retrieved identity information, the server  120  may request the electronic device  110  attempt the at least one verification question again, provide an alternative verification question, or determine that the identity of the primary user cannot be verified. Server  120  may communicate a notification to the electronic device  110  indicating that the identity of the primary user cannot be verified. The electronic device  110  may prevent the action associated with the secondary account from being taken. 
     Conversely, if the server  120  determines that the response to the at least one verification question corresponds to the retrieved identity information, the server  120  verifies the identity of the primary user. The server  120  may communicate a notification to the electronic device  110  indicating that the identity of the primary user has been identified. The electronic device  110  generates a signature indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified. The signature may include a text string or other suitable information indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified. The electronic device  110  communicates the signature to the server  120 . 
     The server  120  may receive the signature indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified by the electronic device  110 . The server  120  generates a payment verification token (e.g., which may be referred to simply as the token) based on receiving the signature. The token may include a text string or other suitable information indicating that the server  120  has received the signature indicating that the identity of the primary user has been identified. The server  120  communicates the token to the electronic device  110 . 
     In some embodiments, the electronic device  110  may verify that the token is an authentic token. For example, the electronic device  110  may communicate the received token to the server  120  requesting that the server  120  verify that the server  120  generated and communicated the token. The server  120  may be configured to compare the token received from the electronic device  110  with one or more tokens previously generated by the server  120 . If the server  120  determines that the token received from the electronic device  110  corresponds to a token previously generated by the server  120 , the server  120  communicates the token to the electronic device  110 , indicating that the token is an authentic token. 
     The electronic device  110  may generate an authorization indication in response to receiving the token. The authorization indication may include a text string or other suitable information indicating that the identity of the primary user has been verified for the action associated with the secondary account. The primary user may then approve or deny the action associated with the secondary account, using the electronic device  110 . 
     If the primary user denies the action, the electronic device  110  rejects the action associated with the secondary account. Conversely, if the primary user approves the action, the electronic device  110  continues with the action (e.g., by continuing a setup of the secondary account and/or by allowing the secondary account to continue to access content, download an application, make a purchase, and the like). The electronic device  110  may associate the token with the authorization indicator. The electronic device  110  may store the token, the authorization indicator, or both on the electronic device  110 , on the server  120 , and/or any suitable location. The token and/or authorization indicator may act as an indicator that the primary user approved the action associated with the secondary account. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates an identity verification method  200 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG.  2   , the method  200  begins at step  202 , where a client device, such as the electronic device  110 , receives, for a primary account, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account. The action may include an initial setup of the secondary account, a request by the secondary account for a user of the secondary account to purchase or access content using the secondary account, or other suitable action. The secondary account may be associated with and/or accessed on the electronic device  140  or any other suitable electronic device. 
     At step  204 , the electronic device  110  identifies a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. At step  206 , the electronic device  110  retrieves identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic. At step  208 , in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, the electronic device  110  verifies an identity of a user of the primary account. 
     At step  210 , in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, the server  120  generates a payment verification token. At step  212 , the electronic device  110  and/or the server  120  associates the payment verification token with n authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
       FIG.  3    illustrates an alternative identity verification method  300 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG.  3   , the method  300  begins at step  302 , where a client device, such as the electronic device  110 , receives, for a primary account, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account. The action may include an initial setup of the secondary account, a request by the secondary account for a user of the secondary account to purchase or access content using the secondary account, or other suitable action. The secondary account may be associated with and/or accessed on the electronic device  140  or any other suitable electronic device. 
     At step  304 , the electronic device  110  identifies a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. At step  306 , in response to a determination that the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  generates a verification indicator. The verification indicator may include at least one biometric challenge. At step  308 , the electronic device  110  retrieves identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic. The identity information may include biometric information of a user of the primary account. 
     At step  310 , in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, the electronic device  110  verifies an identity of a user of the primary account. At step  312 , in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, the server  120  generates a payment verification token. At step  314 , the electronic device  110  and/or the server  120  associates the payment verification token with n authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates an alternative identity verification method  400 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG.  4   , the method  400  begins at step  402 , where a client device, such as the electronic device  110 , receives, for a primary account, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account. The action may include an initial setup of the secondary account, a request by the secondary account for a user of the secondary account to purchase or access content using the secondary account, or other suitable action. The secondary account may be associated with and/or accessed on the electronic device  140  or any other suitable electronic device. 
     At step  404 , the electronic device  110  identifies a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. At step  406 , in response to a determination that the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  receives, from the server  120 , a verification indicator. The verification indicator may include at least one biometric challenge. At step  408 , the electronic device  110  retrieves identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic. The identity information may include biometric information of a user of the primary account. 
     At step  410 , in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, the electronic device  110  verifies an identity of a user of the primary account. At step  412 , in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, the server  120  generates a payment verification token. At step  414 , the electronic device  110  and/or the server  120  associates the payment verification token with n authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates an alternative identity verification method  500 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG.  5   , the method  500  begins at step  502 , where a client device, such as the electronic device  110 , receives, for a primary account, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account. The action may include an initial setup of the secondary account, a request by the secondary account for a user of the secondary account to purchase or access content using the secondary account, or other suitable action. The secondary account may be associated with and/or accessed on the electronic device  140  or any other suitable electronic device. 
     At step  504 , the electronic device  110  identifies a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. At step  506 , in response to a determination that the payment registration characteristic indicates that the primary account includes a third type of payment registration, the electronic device  110  receives, from the server  120  or other suitable server, a verification indicator. The verification indicator including at least one verification question. At step  508 , the electronic device  110  retrieves identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic. The identity information may include verification information responsive to the at least one verification question. 
     At step  510 , in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, the electronic device  110  verifies an identity of a user of the primary account. At step  512 , in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, the server  120  generates a payment verification token. At step  514 , the electronic device  110  and/or the server  120  associates the payment verification token with n authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates a detailed view of a computing device  600  that can be used to implement the various components described herein, according to some embodiments. In particular, the detailed view illustrates various components that can be included in the electronic device  110  and/or the electronic device  140  illustrated in  FIGS.  1 A- 1 E . As shown in  FIG.  6   , the computing device  600  can include a processor  602  that represents a microprocessor or controller for controlling the overall operation of computing device  600 . 
     The computing device  600  can also include a user input device  608  that allows a user of the computing device  600  to interact with the computing device  600 . For example, the user input device  608  can take a variety of forms, such as a button, keypad, dial, touch screen, audio input interface, visual/image capture input interface, input in the form of sensor data, etc. Still further, the computing device  600  can include a display  610  (screen display) that can be controlled by the processor  602  to display information to the user. A data bus  616  can facilitate data transfer between at least a storage device  640 , the processor  602 , and a controller  613 . The controller  613  can be used to interface with and control different equipment through and equipment control bus  614 . The computing device  600  can also include a network/bus interface  611  that couples to a data link  612 . In the case of a wireless connection, the network/bus interface  611  can include a wireless transceiver. 
     The computing device  600  also includes a storage device  640 , which can comprise a single disk or a plurality of disks (e.g., hard drives), and includes a storage management module that manages one or more partitions within the storage device  640 . In some embodiments, storage device  640  can include flash memory, semiconductor (solid state) memory or the like. The computing device  600  can also include a Random Access Memory (RAM)  420  and a Read-Only Memory (ROM)  622 . The ROM  622  can store programs, utilities, or processes to be executed in a non-volatile manner. The RAM  620  can provide volatile data storage, and stores instructions related to the operation of the computing device  600 . 
     In some embodiments, a method for providing identity verification includes, at a client device receiving, for a primary account associated with the client device, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account and identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account. The method also includes retrieving identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic and, in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, verifying an identity of a user of the primary account. The method also includes, in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, generating a payment verification token, and associating the payment verification token with an authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
     In some embodiments, the method also includes determining a payment registration type based on the payment registration characteristic. In some embodiments, the method also includes, in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration, generating the verification indicator. In some embodiments, the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and the identity information includes a biometric information. In some embodiments, the method also includes, in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, receiving, from a server associated the payment registration, the verification indicator. In some embodiments, the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and the identity information includes a biometric information. In some embodiments, the method also includes, in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a third type of payment registration, receiving, from a server associated the payment registration, the verification indicator. In some embodiments, the verification indicator includes at least one verification question and the identity information includes a verification information responsive to the verification question. 
     In some embodiments, at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor included in a client device, cause the client device to verify a user identity, by carrying out steps that include: receiving, for a primary account associated with the client device, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account; identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account; retrieving identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic; in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, verifying an identity of a user of the primary account; in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, generating a payment verification token; and associating the payment verification token with an authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
     In some embodiments, the steps further include determining a payment registration type based on the payment registration characteristic. In some embodiments, the steps further include, in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a first type of payment registration, generating the verification indicator. In some embodiments, the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and the identity information includes a biometric information. In some embodiments, the steps further include, in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a second type of payment registration, receiving, from a server associated the payment registration, the verification indicator. In some embodiments, the verification indicator includes at least one biometric challenge and the identity information includes a biometric information. In some embodiments, the steps further include, in response to the payment registration characteristic indicating that the primary account includes a third type of payment registration, receiving, from a server associated the payment registration, the verification indicator. In some embodiments, the verification indicator includes at least one verification question and the identity information includes a verification information responsive to the verification question. 
     In some embodiments, a client device configured to verify a user identity includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the client device to perform steps that include: receiving, for a primary account associated with the client device, a request for identity verification responsive to an action of a secondary account associated with the primary account; identifying a payment registration characteristic of a payment registration associated with the primary account; retrieving identity information associated with the primary account based on the payment registration characteristic; in response to a determination that the identity information corresponds to a verification indicator, verifying an identity of a user of the primary account; in response to verifying the identity of the user of the primary account, generating a payment verification token; and associating the payment verification token with an authorization indication for the action of the secondary account. 
     In some embodiments, the primary account and the secondary account belong to a shared account. In some embodiments, the secondary account is associated with another client device. In some embodiments, the action of the secondary account includes one of setting up the secondary account and accessing content by the secondary account. 
     The various aspects, embodiments, implementations, or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments can also be embodied as computer readable code on a non-transitory computer readable medium. The non-transitory computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the non-transitory computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, HDDs, DVDs, magnetic tape, and optical data storage devices. The non-transitory computer readable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20201015
Publication Date: 20240521
Grant Date: 20240521
Priority Date: 20200619
Inventors: HARE, PETER J.
KNIPP, DAVID G.
CALVERT, NATALIE
PUGAZHENDHI, BAGATH S.
ROGERS, PATRICK J.
GOPAVARAPU, KALYAN C.
JOGI, KASHYAP
PONNAMBALAM, SIVASANKAR
SHOEMAKER, NORA J.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06Q30/0185", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/1235", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/40145", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L63/0853", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L63/0861", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/3674", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/4018", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q30/0185", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q30/0185", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L63/0853", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L63/0861", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L63/102", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W12/67", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/4014", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/4093", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/3226", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/321", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/227", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/40145", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/1235", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/4018", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L63/0853", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06Q20/3674", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L63/0861", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 79023700