Method for producing a data structure for use in password identification

• US 20030005338A1
• Filed: 07/15/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Savernova SA
• Original Assignee: Savernova SA
• Inventors: Solioz, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data

Abstract

Passwords consisting of symbols selected from a third set of third symbols, of which a first set constitutes a subset of the first symbols, can be created from a data structure. The method for obtaining this structure comprises the following steps: preparation of a second set of at least two second symbols; creation of a first number of first lists of the first symbols, each list being contained in a third list constituted of the third symbols; creation of a second list of the second symbols, each symbol appearing in that list only once; association of a first list with each symbol of the second list; association of a second symbol to each symbol of the first lists. With this structure (27), a multitude of pseudo-aleatory passwords can be created by means of a code comprising a second symbol, a subcode of at least one first symbol, and a reading path (51) of the symbols in the third lists of the structure, starting from a first symbol found by using the second symbol and the subcode.

Claims

1. Method for producing a data structure for use in password identification from a first set of first symbols (1) used for the formation of passwords, characterized by the following steps:

preparation of a second set of at least two second symbols (3) that are identical to or different from the symbols of the first set;

creation of a first number of first lists (7-10) of the first symbols, the first number being at least equal to two and at the most equal to the number of second symbols (3);

creation of a second list (12) of the second symbols (3), the number of elements in this list being equal to the first number, and each symbol (3) appearing only once in this list;

creation of a third number of third lists of third symbols, the third number being at least equal to the first number, the set of first symbols being a subset of the set of third symbols, and each one of the first lists being comprised in a third list;

association of a first list with each symbol of the second list;

association of a second symbol with each symbol of the first lists; and

storage of the data structure composed of at least all of these lists and of the associations on a medium in the form of digital data and/or of a readable representation;

in order to enable the creation of a password on the basis of a code consisting of;

a second symbol contained in the second list for defining the first list associated with that second symbol as a starting list,

a subcode comprising at least one first symbol for selecting that symbol from the starting list and, if the subcode comprises at least two first symbols, for iteratively selecting one after another of the other first symbols in that one of the first lists which is associated with the second symbol associated with the previously selected first symbol, the last first symbol found in this manner constituting the starting symbol, and

a manner of reading a sequence of third characters starting with the starting symbol by travelling through the third lists and the symbols in the third lists.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first lists (7-10) are identical to the third lists and/or that the first number is equal to the third number.

3. Method according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that each first symbol (1) appears in each first list (7-10) only once.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the third lists (7-10) have equal lengths and constitute the rows of a matrix (27;

52).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the first lists (7-10), a second symbol (3) is associated with a first symbol (1) only once.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that for each first symbol (1) appearing in a first list, a fourth list (16-20) of the second symbols is established, and in that the use of the second symbols, after having been associated with a first symbol, is stored in order not to be used again for the same first symbol.

7. Table for creating passwords (27;

52), obtained by the method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is essentially formed of an arrangement of the third lists, preferably one next to the other, and of the second list (12), and in that the association of each symbol (3) of the second list with a first list (7, 8, 9, 10) contained in one of the third lists is indicated by a link means, e.g. a line or a frame, and/or by arranging the second symbols near the third list containing the associated first list.

8. Creation table (27;

52) according to claim 7, characterized in that the set of third lists is arranged as a matrix where each row or column represents a third list, and in that the second list (12) is linearly arranged near the matrix, such that the association of each symbol of the second list with a third list including a first list is recognizable.

9. Creation table (27;

52) according to one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that the first symbols (1) consist of characters and/or other signs used in writing, and in that the second symbols (3) are chosen such that the associated first and second symbols may be represented one above another in order to show their association.

10. Identification method using the data structure obtained by the method according to one of claims 1 to 6 or using the table (27;

52) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, in an identification apparatus provided with

a manual input means such a keyboard and

a reader for a medium comprising the data structure or the table,

a password is created by evaluating the data read by the reader from the medium on the basis of at least a part of the code, the complementary part, if necessary being fixed in the apparatus and/or provided by a remote central.