Contextual visual challenge image for user verification

• US 20080072293A1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: D'Urso, Christoper Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A method and a system generate a contextual visual challenge image to be presented to a user thereby to verify that the user is human. For example, an image module generates a visual challenge to be presented to a user as part of a challenge-response to verify that the user is human. A contextual background module identifies a contextual background that is contextual to a specific environment and a combiner image module combines the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the specific environment, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the specific environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a challenge image module to generate a visual challenge to be presented to a user as part of a challenge-response to verify that the user is human;

a background image module to identify a contextual background that is contextual to a specific environment; and

a combiner image module to combine the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the specific environment, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the specific environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual challenge is an image-based test to which the response is provided by the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the specific environment is any one of a group of environments including a website environment, and a portal environment.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the specific environment is an application environment.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the application environment is an on-line application environment provided by an application provider.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the contextual background includes an environment identifier associated with the environment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the environment identifier is at least one of a group of identifiers including a name, logo, service mark, trademark and copyrighted image associated with the environment.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the contextual background is a watermark to the visual challenge.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the challenge image module is to generate a visual challenge by modifying a plurality of randomly selected glyphs by randomizing at least one of a spacing, placement, font type, font size, glyph orientation or vertical offset of each of the glyphs.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the background image module is to:

select the environment identifier; and

select a number of times the environment identifier is to be presented on a predefined image area.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the background image module is to:

select a random size for a presentation of the environment identifier;

select a random location for the presentation of the environment identifier;

select a random orientation for the presentation of the environment identifier; and

distribute the presentation of the environment identifier in the predefined image area.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the contextual background image module is to determine the location of the visual challenge in the predefined image area prior to selecting a random location for the presentation of the environment identifier.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the combiner image module is to select a color or color arrangement for the visual challenge and for the contextual background.

29. A machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions to perform the method of claim 10.

14. A method comprising:

generating a visual challenge to be presented to a user as part of a challenge-response to verify that the user is human;

identifying a contextual background that is contextual to a specific environment; and

combining the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the specific environment, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the specific environment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the visual challenge is an image-based test to which the response is provided by the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the specific environment is any one of a group of environments including a website environment and a portal environment.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the specific environment is an application environment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the application environment is an on-line application environment provided by an application of a provider.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the contextual background includes an identifier associated with the environment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the environment identifier is at least one of a group of identifiers including a name, logo, service mark, trademark and copyrighted image associated with the environment.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the contextual background is a watermark to the visual challenge.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating a visual challenge includes modifying a plurality of randomly selected glyphs by randomizing at least one of a spacing, placement, font type, font size, glyph orientation or vertical offset of each of the glyphs.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein identifying a contextual background includes automatically generating a contextual background.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein identifying a contextual background includes:

selecting the environment identifier and a number of times the environment identifier is to be presented on a predefined image area.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein identifying a contextual background includes:

selecting a random size for a presentation of the environment identifier;

selecting a random location for the presentation of the environment identifier;

selecting a random orientation for the presentation of the environment identifier; and

distributing the presentation of the environment identifier in the predefined image area.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein selecting a random location for the presentation of the environment identifier includes determining the location of the visual challenge in the predefined image area.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein combining the visual challenge and the contextual background includes selecting a color or color arrangement for the visual challenge and for the contextual background.

28. A system to generate an image for use in monitoring interaction between a user and a computer, the system including:

first means for generating a visual challenge to be solved by a user to monitor interaction between the user and the computer, the computer running an application of a provider;

second means for selecting a contextual background that includes an identifier of the provider; and

third means for combining the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the active application, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the provider.