Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application)

Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by subwindow on Sunday May 09, 2010 @02:18AM (#1331640)

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.

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by est on Sunday May 09, 2010 @06:17AM (#1331806)

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

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by subwindow on Monday May 10, 2010 @05:17PM (#1335973)

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.

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by MikeCapone on Sunday May 09, 2010 @03:08AM (#1331676)

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...

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by jrockway on Sunday May 09, 2010 @03:45AM (#1331700)

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.

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by sesqu on Sunday May 09, 2010 @05:52PM (#1332930)

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.

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by sandGorgon on Sunday May 09, 2010 @05:23AM (#1331772)

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?

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by Lol_Lolovici on Sunday May 09, 2010 @06:20AM (#1331808)

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.

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Re:Heart Rhythm as Password (Apple Patent Application) by retube on Sunday May 09, 2010 @06:37AM (#1331815)

or you can use a synthetic copy of an eyeball or finger.

for online or remote authentication all bio-metric identifiers are as bad as each other. you can simply "play back" a stolen signiture. if a human is present to observe then maybe it's a little harder. nevertheless, your signiture is effectively worthless if it does get stolen - and when it is you cannot change it.

I'm strongly of the opinion that bio-metric id is a disastrous concept. As well as the issue of having signitures stolen, such systems will evitably result in further erosion of privacy. Plus of course, with possibly the exception of your DNA, you change over time, meaning that, I beleive, such systems can never be that reliable.

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