Authentication using a touch-sensitive keyboard with distinct pluralities of keys as respective regions

• US 10,203,870 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Smadi, Mohammed Nawaf, Kyowski, Timothy Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawley, Keith L
• Application Number:
  US14/680,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/82 Protecting input, output or interconnection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/031 Protect user input by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

For a computing device that employs a touch-sensitive keyboard, authentication may involve illustrating, to the electronic device, knowledge of a stored secret though providing input, at least in part, via the touch-sensitive keyboard. The input may be in the form of swipes alone or in combination with key actuations. Furthermore, the swipes and key actuations may be associated with a particular region of the touch-sensitive keyboard.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating access to an electronic device having a display and a touch-sensitive keyboard distinct from the display, wherein the electronic device is configured to consider distinct pluralities of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be respective regions, the method comprising:

detecting receipt of a candidate sequence of actions, the candidate sequence of actions including;

a plurality of concurrent directional swipes on the touch-sensitive keyboard; and

a key press on the touch-sensitive keyboard;

responsive to the detecting,

associating each directional swipe among the plurality of directional swipes with;

a region among the regions in which each directional swipe begins; and

a region among the regions in which each directional swipe ends;

associating the key press with at least one of the regions;

determining that the candidate sequence of actions matches a stored sequence of actions; and

responsive to the determining, allowing access to the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sequence of actions further comprises concurrent key presses of a first key and a second key on the touch-sensitive keyboard.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the electronic device is configured to consider a first plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a first region and a second plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a second region and wherein the method further comprises associating the key press of the first key with the first region and associating the key press of the second key with the second region.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic device is configured to consider a first plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a first region and a second plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a second region and wherein the method further comprises associating a first directional swipe with the first region and associating a second directional swipe, which is concurrent with the first directional swipe, with the second region.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive display and wherein the sequence of actions further comprises a sensed movement on the touch-sensitive display.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive keyboard distinct from the display, wherein the electronic device is configured to consider distinct pluralities of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be respective regions; and

a processor adapted to;

detect receipt of a candidate sequence of actions, the sequence of actions including;

a plurality of concurrent directional swipes on the touch-sensitive keyboard; and

a key press on the touch-sensitive keyboard;

associate each directional swipe among the plurality of directional swipes with;

a region among the regions in which each directional swipe begins; and

a region among the regions in which each directional swipe ends;

associate the key press with at least one of the regions;

determine that the candidate sequence of actions matches a stored sequence of actions; and

allow access to the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the touch-sensitive keyboard is configured to:

detect a change in capacitance responsive to a touch;

or

detect a change in resistance responsive to a touch.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the sequence of actions further comprises concurrent key presses of a first key and a second key on the touch-sensitive keyboard.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to consider a first plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a first region and a second plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a second region and wherein the processor is further adapted to associate the key press of the first key with the first region and to associate the key press of the second key with the second region.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the processor is configured to consider a first plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a first region and a second plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a second region and wherein the processor is further adapted to associate a first directional swipe with the first region and to associate a second directional swipe, which is concurrent with the first directional swipe, with the second region.

11. The electronic device of claim 6 wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive display and wherein the sequence of actions further comprises a sensed movement on the touch-sensitive display.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions comprising code that, upon execution by a processor in an electronic device having a display and a touch-sensitive keyboard distinct from the display, wherein the electronic device is configured to consider distinct pluralities of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be respective regions, causes the processor to:

detect receipt of a candidate sequence of actions, the sequence of actions including;

a plurality of concurrent directional swipes on the touch-sensitive keyboard; and

a key press on the touch-sensitive keyboard;

associate each directional swipe among the plurality of directional swipes with;

a region among the regions in which each directional swipe begins; and

a region among the regions in which each directional swipe ends;

associate the key press with at least one of the regions;

determine that the candidate sequence of actions matches a stored sequence of actions; and

allow access to the electronic device.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the sequence of actions further comprises concurrent key presses of a first key and a second key on the touch-sensitive keyboard.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions further comprise code that causes the processor to consider a first plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a first region and a second plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a second region and wherein the instructions further comprise code that causes the processor to associate the key press of the first key with the first region and to associate the key press of the second key with the second region.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the instructions further comprise code that causes the processor to consider a first plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a first region and a second plurality of keys on the touch-sensitive keyboard to be a second region and wherein the processor is further adapted to associate a first directional swipe with the first region and to associate a second directional swipe, which is concurrent with the first directional swipe, with the second region.