Apparatus and method for indicating password quality and variety

• US 20040250139A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hurley, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords

Abstract

A method of presenting password information to a user, the method comprising: receiving a password; determining the number of unique character sets utilized in the password; and displaying the number of unique character sets that are contained within the password.

Claims

1. A method of presenting password information to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a password;

determining the number of unique character sets utilized in the password; and

displaying the number of unique character sets that are contained within the password.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of unique character sets includes determining if a character set that includes [a . . . z] is utilized in the password.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of unique character sets includes determining if a character set that includes [A . . . Z] is utilized in the password.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of unique character sets includes determining if a character set that includes [0 . . . 9] is utilized in the password.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of unique character sets includes determining if a character set that includes [! . . . ˜

] is utilized in the password.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of unique character sets includes determining if a character set that includes non-Latin lower case characters is utilized in the password.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the number of unique character sets includes displaying a circle that contains a wedge for each unique character set utilized within the password.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the number of unique character sets includes displaying a circle that contains a wedge for each unique character set utilized within the password and the size of at least one wedge indicates the number of characters in a character set.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying each unique character set utilized in the password;

determining the total number of characters included in the identified character sets; and

displaying the total number of characters included in the identified character sets to a user.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the quality of the password; and

displaying the quality of the password to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying the quality of the password includes displaying a minimum allowable password quality.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining if the password meets a quality criteria; and

if the password does not meet the quality criteria, then displaying a message to the user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the number of characters in the password.

14. A method of presenting password information to a user, the method comprising:

receiving a password;

identifying each unique character set utilized in the password;

determining the total number of characters included in the identified character sets; and

displaying the total number of characters included in the identified character sets to a user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining if the password meets a quality criteria; and

if the password does not meet the quality criteria, then displaying a message to the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein displaying the quality of the password includes displaying a minimum acceptable password quality.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, displaying the number of characters in the password.

18. A program storage device containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform the following acts:

receiving a password;

determining the number of unique character sets utilized in the password; and

displaying the number of unique character sets that are contained within the password.

19. A program storage device containing instructions that when executed by a computer perform the following acts:

receiving a password;

identifying each unique character set utilized in the password;

determining the total number of characters included in the identified character sets; and

displaying the total number of characters included in the identified character sets to a user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining the number of unique character sets utilized in the password; and

displaying the number of unique character sets that are contained within the password.