Universal password generation method

• US 20040044896A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Webb, James B., Kelley, Edward E., Motika, Franco
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password

Abstract

A method is provided for a user to generate a password for a software application accessible from a computer system which includes a universal password generator (UPG). The UPG includes a specified parameter for generating the password, and the software application requires the password includes a specified parameter. The UPG is initiated and the universal password is inputted into the UPG. The specified parameter required by the application, and the UPG specified parameter are inputted into the UPG. The universal password is processed such that the specified parameter of the UPG, and the specified parameter of the application are used to generate the password. The password is then transferred to the application requiring the password. The password may be saved and associated in the UPG with the program such that when the user re-enters the program, the UPG program retrieves the password for reuse in the program.

Claims

1. A method for generating a password using a computer system, comprising:

providing a universal password generator (UPG) for creating the password from a universal password, and the UPG communicating with the computer system;

providing a software application being accessible to the UPG and the computer system, the application requiring a first password including a first specified parameter;

initiating the universal password generator;

inputting the universal password into the universal password generator;

inputting the first specified parameter of the application into the universal password generator;

processing the universal password and the first specified parameter using the computer system and the UPG to generate the first password; and

transferring the first password to the application requiring the first password.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating the steps from providing the application to transferring the first password for a second application, the second application requiring a second password including at least one specified parameter and inputting the universal password into the universal password generator to provide the second password to the second application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes, a second specified parameter defined by the UPG.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes, a plurality of second specified parameters defined by the UPG which include a data string length, and a bit length.

5. The method of claim 1 further including after the step of transferring the first password, saving and associating in the UPG the first password with the first program, and retrieving from the UPG program the first password for reuse in the first program when a user re-enters the first program.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes, the first specified parameter and at least one means for random data encoding.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the universal password generator includes a software program.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the universal password generator includes a hardware element.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the universal password generator is integral with the computer system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is accessed via a computer network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the application is accessed via the internet.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes, processing identification datum which is digitalized and encoded by the universal password generator.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes processing identification datum which is digitalized and encoded by the universal password generator, and the identification datum is stored and retrievable from a data storage means.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes, processing identification datum which is digitalized and encoded by the universal password generator, and the identification datum is stored and retrievable from a portable data storage means which includes a credit card.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the universal password is an alphanumeric data string.

16. A method for a user to generate a password for a software application accessible from a computer system, comprising:

providing a universal password generator (UPG) integral with the computer system, the UPG including at least one specified parameter for generating the password, and the software application requiring a first password including a first specified parameter;

initiating the universal password generator;

inputting the universal password into the universal password generator;

inputting the first specified parameter required by the application into the universal password generator;

inputting the specified parameter of the UPG into the UPG;

processing the universal password, the specified parameter of the UPG, and the first specified parameter of the application to generate the first password;

transferring the first password to the application requiring the first password;

saving and associating in the UPG the first password with the first program; and

retrieving from the UPG program the first password for reuse in the first program when the user re-enters the first program.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes, processing an identification datum which is digitalized and encoded by the universal password generator, and the identification datum is stored and retrievable from a data storage means.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of processing the universal password includes, processing an identification datum which is digitalized and encoded by the universal password generator, and the identification datum is stored and retrievable from a portable data storage means which includes a credit card.

19. A computer system having access to an application requiring a password, which comprises:

a universal password generator (UPG) for creating the password from a universal password, the UPG including at least one specified parameter for creating the password;

a first password required by a first application, the first application including a first specified parameter for the first password; and

a processing means integral with the UPG which accepts the specified parameter from the UPG, accepts the first specified parameter from the first application, accepts the universal password, and generates the first password meeting the requirements of the first specified parameter of the application, and the specified parameter of the UPG, and transfers the first password to the application requiring the first password.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein the computer system is part of a portable device for accessing a secure device requiring the password.