CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to EP 19165273.4, filed Mar. 26, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to user authentication. In particular, examples relate to a method for authenticating a user of an electronic device, an electronic device and a server.

BACKGROUND

User authentication is required for many applications. For example, user authentication is required if a user wants to log-in to a service such as a webmail service or a data storage. Conventionally, a user needs to enter a password for authentication, which is time consuming and hard for some users (e.g. children). For some applications, a biometric signature such as a user's fingerprint or a user's face may be used instead of a password. The biometric signature is unique per individual and can, hence, not be specific for each service. Further, dedicated hardware (e.g. a scanner or a three-dimensional camera) is required to detect the biometric signature.

Hence, there may be a desire for improved user authentication.

SUMMARY

This desire is met by apparatuses and methods in accordance with the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are addressed by the dependent claims.

According to a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for authenticating a user of an electronic device. The method comprises displaying a section of a graphical representation to the user on a display of the electronic device. The graphical representation comprises a graphical object. Further, the method comprises requesting the user to navigate to the graphical object. Additionally, the method comprises capturing data from one or more sensors of the electronic device that is indicative of a movement of the electronic device by the user for navigating to the graphical object and/or data from one or more input devices of the electronic device that is indicative of a user input by the user for navigating to the graphical object. The method further comprises authenticating the user based on the captured data.

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure provides another method for authenticating a user of an electronic device. The method comprises receiving, at a server, data from one or more sensors of the electronic device that is indicative of a movement of the electronic device by the user for navigating to a graphical object within a graphical representation displayed to the user by the electronic device and/or data from one or more input devices of the electronic device that is indicative of a user input by the user for navigating to the graphical object. Further, the method comprises comparing, at the server, the data captured from the one or more sensors of the electronic device and/or the one or more input devices of the electronic device with reference data for the user in order to obtain an authentication result. The method additionally comprises transmitting data related to the authentication result from the server to the electronic device.

According to a third aspect, the present disclosure provides an electronic device for authenticating a user of the electronic device. The electronic device comprises a display configured to display a section of a graphical representation to the user. The graphical representation comprises a graphical object. Further, the electronic device comprises a human machine interface configured to output a request to the user to navigate to the graphical object. The electronic device additionally comprises first circuitry configured to capture data from one or more sensors of the electronic device that is indicative of a movement of the electronic device by the user for navigating to the graphical object and/or data from one or more input devices of the electronic device that is indicative of a user input by the user for navigating to the graphical object. Further, the electronic device comprises second circuitry configured to authenticate the user based on the captured data.

According to a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a server for authenticating a user of an electronic device. The server comprises a receiver configured to receive data from one or more sensors of the electronic device that is indicative of a movement of the electronic device by the user for navigating to a graphical object within a graphical representation displayed to the user by the electronic device and/or data from one or more input devices of the electronic device that is indicative of a user input by the user for navigating to the graphical object. Further, the server comprises a processor configured to compare the data captured from the one or more sensors of the electronic device and/or the one or more input devices of the electronic device with reference data for the user in order to obtain an authentication result. The server additionally comprises a transmitter configured to transmit data related to the authentication result to the electronic device.

According to a fifth aspect, the present disclosure provides a non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon a program having a program code for performing one of proposed methods, when the program is executed on a processor or a programmable hardware.

According to a sixth aspect, the present disclosure provides a program having a program code for performing one of proposed methods, when the program is executed on a processor or a programmable hardware.

