Method for authentication using an electronic device
First Claim
1. A method for authenticating a user to a central server and using a selected one of several electronic devices, wherein the electronic devices each comprise a screen display and are arranged to communicate with the central server, the method comprising:
- a) associating, in the central server, each of the several electronic devices and/or each of a set of registered users, with a respective set of different digitally stored codes, wherein the digitally stored codes are known to both the electronic device in question and to the central server, and wherein each respective set of different digitally stored codes is unique for each electronic device and/or for each user of the set of users, and associating each code of each respective set of digitally stored codes with a piece of information in a predetermined set of information pieces;
b) providing a software function, accessible from the selected electronic device, wherein the software function is provided access to unambiguous information regarding the identity of the selected electronic device in connection to the provided access;
c) providing, by the software function, and on the screen display of the selected electronic device, a graphical user interface comprising a user control, wherein the user control is activatable in a plurality of ways, and wherein each of the plurality of ways is associated with a different respective code selected from the respective set of different digitally stored codes associated with the selected electronic device and/or the user;
d) receiving, as a result of a particular activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways, a certain piece of information in the predetermined set of information pieces, and determining a corresponding code, the corresponding code associated in step a) with the certain piece of information;
e) calculating an output value of a predetermined one-way function, to which the determined corresponding code is used as an input value;
f) communicating the calculated output value from the selected electronic device to the central server;
g) calculating, by the central server, comparison output value of the one-way function, wherein, in calculating the comparison output value, the one-way function uses as an input value the corresponding code associated, in step a), with the certain piece of information received as a result of the activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways of activation in step d); and
h) authenticating the user if the calculated comparison output value equals the calculated output value, wherein the central server identifies each individual electronic device using a respective individualized local presence of the software function on the electronic device in question or using a hardware serial number of the electronic device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method for authenticating a user to a central server (130) and using an electronic device (120,122) with a screen display (121,123). The method comprises the following steps: a) associating each of the devices or users, with a unique set of codes (132), and each code with a piece of information; b) providing a software function, accessible from the selected electronic device; c) providing, on the screen display, a user interface activatable in several different ways, corresponding to different codes; d) specifying pieces of information and determining the corresponding codes; e) calculating a one-way function; f) communicating the calculated value to the central server; g) calculating a comparison output value; and h) authenticating the user if the values are equal. The invention also relates to a system (100) and a computer software product arranged to cooperate with such a system.
28 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for authenticating a user to a central server and using a selected one of several electronic devices, wherein the electronic devices each comprise a screen display and are arranged to communicate with the central server, the method comprising:
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a) associating, in the central server, each of the several electronic devices and/or each of a set of registered users, with a respective set of different digitally stored codes, wherein the digitally stored codes are known to both the electronic device in question and to the central server, and wherein each respective set of different digitally stored codes is unique for each electronic device and/or for each user of the set of users, and associating each code of each respective set of digitally stored codes with a piece of information in a predetermined set of information pieces; b) providing a software function, accessible from the selected electronic device, wherein the software function is provided access to unambiguous information regarding the identity of the selected electronic device in connection to the provided access; c) providing, by the software function, and on the screen display of the selected electronic device, a graphical user interface comprising a user control, wherein the user control is activatable in a plurality of ways, and wherein each of the plurality of ways is associated with a different respective code selected from the respective set of different digitally stored codes associated with the selected electronic device and/or the user; d) receiving, as a result of a particular activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways, a certain piece of information in the predetermined set of information pieces, and determining a corresponding code, the corresponding code associated in step a) with the certain piece of information; e) calculating an output value of a predetermined one-way function, to which the determined corresponding code is used as an input value; f) communicating the calculated output value from the selected electronic device to the central server; g) calculating, by the central server, comparison output value of the one-way function, wherein, in calculating the comparison output value, the one-way function uses as an input value the corresponding code associated, in step a), with the certain piece of information received as a result of the activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways of activation in step d); and h) authenticating the user if the calculated comparison output value equals the calculated output value, wherein the central server identifies each individual electronic device using a respective individualized local presence of the software function on the electronic device in question or using a hardware serial number of the electronic device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for authenticating a user, comprising:
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a central server; a selected one of several electronic devices, wherein each of the several electronic devices comprise a screen display and are arranged to communicate with the central server; and a software function, accessible from the selected electronic device; wherein the central server is configured to; associate each of the several electronic devices and/or each of a set of registered users, with a respective set of different digitally stored codes, wherein the digitally stored codes are known to both the electronic device in question and to the central server, and wherein each respective set of different digitally stored codes is unique for each electronic device and/or for each user of the set of users; associate each code of each respective set of digitally stored codes with a piece of information in a predetermined set of information pieces; wherein the software function is configured to; provide, on the screen display of the selected electronic device, a graphical user interface comprising a user control, wherein the user control is activated in a plurality of ways, and wherein each of the plurality of ways of activation are associated with a different respective code selected from the respective set of different digitally stored codes associated with the selected electronic device and/or the user; receive, as a result of activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways of activation, a certain piece of information in the predetermined set of information pieces; determine a corresponding code, the corresponding code associated by the server with the certain piece of information; calculate an output value of a predetermined one-way function, to which the determined corresponding code is used as an input value; and communicate the calculated output value from the selected electronic device to the central server; and wherein the central server is further configured to; calculate a comparison output value of the one-way function, wherein, in calculating the comparison output value, the one-way function uses as an input value the corresponding code associated by the server with the certain piece of information received as a result of the activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways of activation; authenticate the user if the calculated comparison output value equals the calculated output value, wherein the central server identifies each individual electronic device using a respective individualized local presence of the software function on the electronic device in question or using a hardware serial number of the electronic device.
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by an authentication system comprising a central server and a selected one of several electronic devices, arranged to communicate with the central server, cause the authentication system to perform the steps comprising:
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a) associating, in the central server, each of the several electronic devices and/or each of a set of registered users, with a respective set of different digitally stored codes, wherein the digitally stored codes are known to both the electronic device in question and to the central server, and wherein each respective set of different digitally stored codes is unique for each electronic device and/or for each user of the set of users, and associating each code of each respective set of digitally stored codes with a piece of information in a predetermined set of information pieces; b) providing a software function, accessible from the selected electronic device, wherein the software function is provided access to unambiguous information regarding the identity of the selected electronic device in connection to the provided access; c) providing, by the software function, and on a screen display of the selected electronic device, a graphical user interface comprising a user control, wherein the user control is activated in a plurality of ways, and wherein each of the plurality of ways of activation are associated with a different respective code selected from the respective set of different digitally stored codes associated with the selected electronic device and/or the user; d) receiving, as a result of activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways of activation, a certain piece of information in the predetermined set of information pieces, and determining a corresponding code, the corresponding code associated in step a) with the certain piece of information; e) calculating an output value of a predetermined one-way function, to which the determined corresponding code is used as an input value; f) communicating the calculated output value from the selected electronic device to the central server; g) calculating, by the central server, a comparison output value of the one-way function, wherein, in calculating the comparison output value, the one-way function uses as an input value the corresponding code associated, in step a), with the certain piece of information received as a result of the activation of the user control in one of the plurality of ways of activation in step d); and h) authenticating the user if the calculated comparison output value equals the calculated output value, wherein the central server identifies each individual electronic device using a respective individualized local presence of the software function on the electronic device in question or using a hardware serial number of the electronic device.
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Specification