System and method for data input resistant to capture

• US 10,445,519 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Kominar, Jeremy Lawson
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamshidi, Ghodrat
• Application Number:
  US15/689,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20190065767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2123 Dummy operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• 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: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of confidential data input resilient against data capture includes receiving input concurrently from first and second input devices. The input from the first input device corresponds to characters. An input mode indication is determined based on the input received at the second input device and indicates at least a first character of the plurality of characters being input in a first input mode and at least a second character of the plurality of characters being input in a second input mode. An input string is formed by extracting the at least a first character input in the first input mode. An action is initiated based on the input string. The first input device may be a keyboard. The second input device may be a sensor such as a portion of a touchscreen or a fingerprint sensor. Related systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a first input device coupled to the processor;

a second input device coupled to the processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor adapt the computer system to;

receive, from the first input device, character input and concurrently receive a separate mode input from the second input device, the mode input dividing the character input into one or more periods of a first input mode and one or more periods of a second input mode;

form an input string by extracting characters input while in the first input mode from the character input; and

initiate an action based on the input string.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the action is initiated based on the input string conditioned on determining that the input string matches a known string.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the action comprises unlocking the computer system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the input string comprises a password.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions further adapt the computer system to display one or more indications as characters of the character input are received.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the second input device comprises a sensor and wherein one of the first and second input modes corresponding corresponds to a detection of contact with the sensor and the other of the first and second input modes corresponds to a detection of non-contact with the sensor.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the sensor comprises a portion of a touchscreen.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the sensor comprises a fingerprint sensor.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first input device comprises a keyboard.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first input device comprises a microphone.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first input device comprises a camera.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the first input device comprises a touchscreen and wherein the character input is received via a virtual keyboard displayed on the touchscreen.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a first input device, character input and concurrently receiving a separate mode input from a second input device, the mode input dividing the character input into one or more periods of a first input mode and one or more periods of a second input mode;

forming an input string by extracting characters input while in the first input mode from the character input; and

initiating an action based on the input string.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the action is initiated based on the input string conditioned on determining that the input string matches a known string.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the action comprises unlocking a device.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying one or more indications as characters of the character input are received.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the second input device comprises a sensor and wherein one of the first and second input modes corresponds to a detection of contact with the sensor and the other of the first and second input modes corresponds to a detection of non-contact with the sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the sensor comprises a portion of a touchscreen.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first input device comprises a virtual keyboard displayed on another portion of the touchscreen.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system adapt the computer system to:

receive, from a first input device, character input and concurrently receive a separate mode input from a second input device, the mode input dividing the character input into one or more periods of a first input mode and one or more periods of a second input mode;

form an input string by extracting characters input while in the first input mode from the character input; and

initiate an action based on the input string.