Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a method of easily authenticating multiple user devices using a system for authenticated device assisted user authentication.

One aspect of Apple's invention is a system for authenticated device assisted user authentication. The system includes an authenticated device that is worn by a user such as a head-mounted device, wherein the user is currently authenticated to access a restricted-access function of the authenticated device. The system also includes a proximate device that has a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein a restricted-access function of the proximate device is inaccessible by the user in the locked state, and the restricted-access function of the proximate device is accessible by the user in the unlocked state.

The authenticated device is operable to detect the proximate device, to determine an intent of the user to access the restricted-access function of the proximate device while the proximate device is in the locked state, and to emit authentication data.

Based on the authentication data, the proximate device identifies the user as an authenticated user and enters the unlocked state from the locked state, such that the restricted-access function of the proximate device is accessible to the user.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 below shows a block diagram of a system for authenticated device assisted user authentication; FIG. 3 shows a flow diagram of an example of authenticated device assisted user authentication.

The head-mounted wearable device #222 may be operable to verify the identity of the user (#230) and may identify the user as an authenticated user. For example, the head-mounted wearable device may include one or more sensors for verifying an identity of the user, such as biometric sensors.

The authenticated device may determine the user intent based on a body-motion-gesture command expressed by the user and detected by the authenticated device.

For example, the authenticated device may receive or detect a body-motion-gesture command expressed by the user indicating the user intent to access the proximate device, and the authenticated device may determine the user intends to access the proximate device, or a restricted-access function thereof, in response to detecting the body-motion-gesture.

For example, the authenticated device may present a request for intent confirmation, such as audio or video output indicating "nod to unlock" and the authenticated device may identify a nodding body-motion-gesture command expressed by the user as an indication of user intent to access the proximate device.

The patent provides many examples of how authentication to a proximate device could be done to unlock a device including the use of voice commands, eye motion detection and more.

Patently Apple was first to discover Apple's patent application 20200068389 that was published today by the U.S. Patent Office. The patent was filed for back in Q2 2019. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.