Gaze-Based Authentication Using Eye Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing authentication techniques are burdensome, time-consuming, error-prone, and inaccessible to users with disabilities, requiring hands or voice input and often multiple factors to enhance security and prevent bot attacks.

Innovation Solution

Gaze-based authentication methods that allow users to establish and use a gaze-based password by identifying multiple gaze targets within a scene, using gaze tracking data to authenticate access to resources without the need for touch or voice inputs, and potentially eliminating the need for multi-factor authentication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional authentication techniques (passwords, biometrics, multi-factor authentication) are used, then security is enhanced, but the authentication process becomes burdensome, time-consuming, and inaccessible to users with disabilities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidauthentication accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical input methods (keyboard typing, mouse clicking, voice commands) with an optical-based gaze tracking system. The eye tracking device detects eye movements and gaze direction through optical sensors, converting biological eye movements into digital authentication signals without requiring manual or vocal input from the user.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The authentication system utilizes the user's natural eye movements and visual attention patterns as the authentication mechanism itself. The system observes how the user naturally looks at and interacts with visual elements on the screen, using these organic visual behaviors as the password, eliminating the need for separate authentication actions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If multiple factors of authentication are required to increase security and avoid bot attacks, then authentication security is improved, but the number of steps and processing operations increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidauthentication time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple authentication factors into a single unified process. The gaze-based authentication simultaneously captures attention verification (where the user looks), sequence verification (order of gaze targets), and temporal verification (duration of gaze), merging these multiple security checks into one continuous authentication action rather than requiring separate steps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a gaze-based password in advance by having the user look at specific targets in a specific sequence during setup. This pre-configured gaze pattern is then used for rapid authentication, eliminating the need for real-time complex verification processes during actual login attempts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3449412B1Gaze-based authentication
Publication Date: 2020.10.28 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3449412B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3449412B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3449412B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A user may be authenticated to access an account, computing device, or other resource using gaze tracking. A gaze-based password may be established by prompting a user to identify multiple gaze targets within a scene. The gaze-based password may be used to authenticate the user to access the resource. In some examples, when the user attempts to access the resource, the scene may be presented on a display. In some examples, the scene may be a real-world scene including the user's real-world surroundings, or a mixed reality scene. The user's gaze may be tracked while the user is viewing the scene to generate login gaze tracking data. The login gaze tracking data may be compared to the gaze-based password and, if the login gaze tracking data satisfies the gaze-based password, the user may be authenticated to access the resource.