Online data encryption and decryption

• US 20060104446A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Durai, Don Bosco, Varghese, Thomas Emmanual, Harris, Steven Lucas, Fisher, Jon Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing encryption and decryption of data transmitted on a computer implemented network, preferably user authentication identifier data, such as a password, at the point of entry into the user'"'"'s computer. The systems and methods enable an end user to mentally select a marker from one of the randomly arranged elements on a first portion of a graphical image. A second portion of the graphical image includes an arrangement of possible elements of any individual authentication identifier sequence, and is positioned adjacent to the first portion. The systems and methods prompt a user to enter each element of the identifier by moving the selected marker and the first portion as necessary to substantially align the selected marker with a chosen element of the authentication identifier appearing on the outer portion. According to one embodiment, the image portions are concentric wheels. According to another embodiment, the image portions are arranged in adjacent rows.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An authentication interface system comprising:

a server connected to a computer network;

a user computer connected to the computer network;

the user computer and the server programmed to send to and receive information from each other over the computer network; and

the user computer programmed to display a graphical interface sent by the server;

wherein;

the server sends a first distorted graphical interface to the user computer at the beginning of an authentication session;

the user computer displays the first distorted graphical interface; and

the server sends a different distorted graphical interface with each successive authentication session.

3. The authentication interface system of claim 2 wherein the distorted graphical interface is a distorted image of a keypad.

4. The authentication interface system of claim 3 wherein the image of the keypad is distorted by displacements, background changes, or jitters and distortions of the keypad image.

5. The authentication interface system of claim 2 wherein the distorted graphical interface is personalized for the user computer by the server in response to identification information sent by the user computer.

6. An authentication interface system comprising:

a server connected to a computer network;

a user computer connected to the computer network;

the user computer and the server programmed to send and receive information from each other over the computer network;

the user computer is programmed to display a graphical interface received from the server and to send encrypted authentication data to the server;

wherein;

the graphical interface is comprised of a set of alphanumeric symbols;

the server is programmed to send the user computer mapping instructions that correlate each alphanumeric symbol of the graphical interface with a corresponding symbol; and

the user computer is programmed to encrypt authentication data entered into the user computer by using the mapping instructions to generate a sequence of the corresponding symbols that correspond to the authentication data;

the user computer sends the encrypted authentication data to the server; and

the server decrypts the encrypted authentication data.

7. The authentication interface system of claim 6 wherein the mapping of each alphanumeric symbol to each corresponding symbol is randomly correlated by the server.

8. The authentication interface system of claim 6 wherein the graphical interface is displayed as an image of a distorted keypad or keyboard.

9. The authentication interface system of claim 6 wherein the graphical interface is personalized for the user computer by the server in response to identification information sent by the user computer.

10. An authentication interface system comprising:

a server connected to a computer network;

a user computer connected to the computer network;

the user computer and the server programmed to send and receive information from each other over the computer network; and

the user computer programmed to display a graphical interface sent by the server;

wherein;

the server sends a graphical interface to the user computer at the beginning of an authentication session;

the user computer displays the graphical interface at a first location on a display of the user computer; and

the location of the graphical interface within the display is different with each successive authentication session.

11. The authentication interface system of claim 10 wherein a user enters authentication data into the user computer using the graphical interface;

and

the user computer displays the graphical interface at a different location on the display of the user computer each time an element of authentication data is entered into the user computer.

12. A computer implemented system for encrypting and decrypting a user identifier, comprising:

a user computer;

a server computer operably linked to the user computer;

wherein the user computer;

displays a graphical user interface comprising an arrangement of buttons representing identifies elements that, when selected by a user generate an input comprising the selected screen locations, wherein a sequence of identifier elements identifying a user;

distorts and/or displaces the arrangement of buttons from time-to-time so that the screen locations of the buttons changes, and

transmits the screen locations selected by the user to the server, and

wherein the server computer decrypts an identifier by correlating the screen locations selected by a user with the known distortions and/or displacements, the decrypted identifier confirming the identity of the user

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the image is of a keypad or keyboard and the predetermined identifier elements are alphanumeric elements.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the image is distorted in size, shape or encoding or content.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the image is displace to different x,y positions within a screen window.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the image is jittered by changing spatial position, content or check sum values.

17. A computer implemented method for providing encryption and decryption of a user identifier that is used to gain access to a web site, which comprises:

a user computer; and

a server computer operably linked to the user computer;

wherein the user computer displays a graphical user interface comprising an image includes a plurality of sections configured to allow the user to input the predetermined identifier elements of the user identifier, with the server distorting, displacing, or jittering the image after each input of an identifier element to encrypt the user identifier by defining a distortion or displacement and a sequence of distortions or displacements encrypting a sequence of the predetermined identifier elements that identify a user; and

wherein the user computer transmits distortion or displacement data generated from the displayer user interface to the server computer, and the server computer decrypts the sequence of predetermined identifier elements by correlating the distortion or displacement data with the initial image prior to input to confirm the user identity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the image is of a keypad or keyboard and the predetermined identifier elements are alphanumeric elements, and the image is distorted in size, shape or encoding or content.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the image is of a keypad or keyboard and the predetermined identifier elements are alphanumeric elements, and the image is displace to different x,y positions within a screen window.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the image is of a keypad or keyboard and the predetermined identifier elements are alphanumeric elements, and the image is jittered by changing spatial position, content or check sum values.