Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application)

http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220100113950%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20100113950&RS=DN/20100113950

by Serene • 16 years ago

27 32 16 years ago

appft.uspto.gov

ericz• 16 years ago

The assignee name and "address" is spelled wrong on the page.

Also it would be incredibly awesome to have seamless passwords. Just pick up and go. But of course, I imagine there'd be times when it wouldn't be able give accurate consistent measurements? It seems like a rather delicate operation, i.e prone to problems.

Vivtek2• 16 years ago

Maybe it would work perfectly - until you were panicky and the adrenaline affected your heart rhythm. Like during that sales demo, or when calling 911.

derefr3• 16 years ago

Does adrenaline really affect rhythm, or does it simply make your heart beat with the same rhythm, faster? I thought any change in heart rhythm was considered an arrhythmia.

eplanit• 16 years ago

Absurd. Cardiac 'patterns' change over time, and altered with heart disease/dysfunction. Bio-medical based authentication must rely on non-changing biological characteristics.

<sarcasm>Gotta hand it to them for covering the bases, though.</sarcasm>

derefr3• 16 years ago

Ideally, passwords should change over time as well. If the change is continuous rather than abrupt, it can be picked up on, and the password steadily changed with the pattern (you'd be let in with an 98% match, which would then overwrite the previous pattern. A 95% match would ask for secondary identification first). Then, if someone tries to use a previous recording of your heartbeat to unlock your computer, it won't work!

machrider• 16 years ago

Plus, it discriminates against the nonliving.

george_morgan2• 16 years ago

Not quite as ridiculous as it sounds, there are already issues with people getting access to digital information of deceased relatives (encrypted hard drives, social networking sites, email etc.).

jodrellblank• 16 years ago

Not just the nonliving, also the living with artificial hearts with no heartbeat:

http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/09/30/1348224/Artificia...

UnknownSource• 16 years ago

I have to agree, it's absolutely ridiculous.

Using cardiac patterns for login are also prone to "denial of service attacks". Because if I scare someone, suddenly they will be unable to access their phone.

Regardless, just reading through this patent, I find it difficult/impossible to believe that there isn't prior art for this.

edkennedy2• 16 years ago

I was thinking today about a mouse that could detect heart rate, in the same manner as a cardio machine detects it. I don't know why you would want to use it as a password, however it could be useful in biofeedback.

zandorg• 16 years ago

A real mouse or a computer mouse?

edkennedy2• 16 years ago

Computer mouse!

lazugod• 16 years ago

How similar is this to the alleged Nintendo vitality sensor?

subwindow2• 16 years ago

I've done a lot of work with heartbeat signatures, and this is a promising idea. Each person has a certain set of easily identifiable characteristics to their heartbeat, such as notches, and creating something like an FFT to create a signature could potentially be a great method of identifying a user.

MikeCapone• 16 years ago

Are any of these identifiable characteristics really that invariable? What if someone starts exercising a lot, or loses 200 pounds, or starts taking medication that affects the heart/blood pressure, etc..?

I imagine being locked out of your account and trying to diagnostic your heart must be a pain...

jrockway• 16 years ago

As with fingerprints, your password is always the primary authentication method. The fingerprint / heartbeat authentication support is there as an alternative; to be "cool", take longer than typing your password, and make it easier for intruders to access your device.

sesqu• 16 years ago

On the plus side, it'd be like a regular heart exam. If you can't access your account, you might have a bigger problem.

sandGorgon• 16 years ago

why would it be better than say fingerprints ? Is it the fact that fingerprints, or retinal scan cannot be cheaply integrated into a mobile phone... while this can be?

Lol_Lolovici• 16 years ago

No, it's because an evil person will cut off your finger in order to gain access. He can't rip out your beating heart and all the sanguine system so this is a much better biometric from a personal safety viewpoint.

est• 16 years ago

So if I came back from a long running am I still able to unlock my heartbeak signature protected device?

subwindow2• 16 years ago

Sorry for the late reply, but yes. The amplitude and frequency of the signal would still be different (your heart is beating harder and faster), but the characteristics would still be the same.

mikeyur• 16 years ago

Can I just have support to draw a pattern on the homescreen for authentication? This is pretty ridiculous.

retube2• 16 years ago

There's a big problem with all bio-metric identification. If your signature is stolen, you're stuffed. Unlike a pin or password you can't change it.

maxklein• 16 years ago

Will work fine till when you are having a heart attack and need to find the address of the nearest hospital.

Tycho• 16 years ago

Pretty innovative I think. I imagine it wouldn't replace a password (unless it was super reliable) but just be like a shortcut for the owner. Would it detect your pulse through just your hand as you hold it normally? That's be great.

nopassrecover• 16 years ago

Is it easier to "steal" and use someone's hearbeat remotely than their fingerprint?

Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application)

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