IDENTIFICATION AND VISUALIZATION OF TRUSTED USER INTERFACE OBJECTS

• US 20080098229A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Steeves, David J., Hartrell, Gregory D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links

Abstract

A unique system and method that facilitates visually identifying authentic UI objects, bundles, or windows is provided. A detection component can detect when user-based input has activated a verification mode with respect to one or more trusted UI objects rendered on-screen. A verification component can verify at least one of a source and identity associated with one or more UI objects in order to ensure the integrity related therewith. A verification rendering engine can re-render the one or more trusted UI objects in a manner that is based at least upon whether the one or more trusted UI objects are verified, thus improving visual recognition of verified trusted UI objects over non-verified UI objects.

Claims

1. A verification system that facilitates identifying authentic UI objects when rendered on-screen, comprising:

a detection component that detects when user-based input has activated a verification mode with respect to one or more trusted UI objects rendered on-screen;

a verification component that verifies at least one of a source and identity of the one or more trusted UI objects; and

a verification rendering engine that re-renders the one or more trusted UI objects in a manner that is based at least upon whether the one or more trusted UI objects are verified, thus improving visual recognition of verified trusted UI objects over non-verified trusted UI objects.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprises a rendering component that initially renders the one or more trusted UI objects on-screen prior to their verification.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more trusted UI objects rendered on-screen collectively compose a v Window.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more trusted UI objects comprise any button, text, image, icon, data field, and advertisement.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprises one or more trusted UI object stores that are managed at least one of locally or remotely and comprises a plurality of UI objects which are employed to render various v Windows, the UI objects are at least one of digitally signed, encrypted, watermarked, and include a steganography transformation.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the verification component verifies the identity of the one or more trusted UI objects in part by comparing a hash for the trusted UI objects with hash values stored in the one or more trusted UI object stores.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification rendering engine re-renders verified UI objects at least in part by one of the following:

applying at least one visual transform to the verified UI objects to make them appear visually different from non-verified UI objects; and

applying a visual transform to non-authentic UI objects to make them appear visually different from verified UI objects.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one visual transform comprises at least one adding color, adding a border, highlighting, adding a surface texture, adding an overlay, displaying the verified UI object at a particular location of a display screen, and displaying the verified UI object on any one of the following:

a separate desktop and a separate computing device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one visual transform is at least one of the following:

permanent, whereby it persists until there is user-based interaction therewith or temporary, whereby it persists according to a preset time period.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification rendering engine performs at least one of the following on UI objects that fail verification:

fade out, increase translucency relative to any verified UI objects present on-screen, remove from view, render them on a separate screen, and render them on a separate desktop apart from any verified UI objects.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the verification component selectively verifies at least a subset of the one or more trusted UI objects rendered on-screen.

12. A computer-implemented method that facilitates readily identifying authentic UI objects when rendered on-screen, comprising:

rendering at least one trusted v Window, the v Window comprising at least one trusted UI object;

verifying authenticity of the at least one v Window at least in part by matching a hash of the at least one v Window with hash values stored in one or more trusted UI object stores; and

rendering authentic v Windows using at least one visual transform to facilitate visually distinguishing between verified and non-verified v Windows.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprises tracking trusted v Windows that have been rendered and tracking verified v Windows to identify which trusted v Windows are currently being rendered differently.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprises verifying authenticity of the at least one v Window by locating a match between the at least one v Window selected for verification and those trusted v Windows that were initially rendered and tracked.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprises rendering authentic v Windows on at least one of the following to facilitate visually distinguishing them from non-verified v Windows:

displaying on a separate desktop and displaying on an external UI.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprises rendering v Windows that failed verification in at least one of the following ways:

without any change, faded-out, and more translucent relative to the verified v Windows.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprises detecting a discoverable user-based action that initiates verification of the at least one trusted v Window.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprises removing the at least one visual transform when at least one of the following occurs:

user-based interaction with the v Window is detected and a period of time elapses.

19. A computer-implemented verification system that facilitates identifying authentic UI objects when rendered on-screen, comprising:

means for detecting when user-based input has activated a verification mode with respect to one or more trusted UI objects rendered on-screen;

means for verifying at least one of a source and identity of the one or more trusted UI objects; and

means for re-rendering the one or more trusted UI objects in a manner that is based at least upon whether the one or more trusted UI objects are verified, thus improving on-screen visualization of authorized trusted UI objects.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for re-rendering renders verified UI objects at least in part by applying at least one visual transform to the verified UI objects to make them appear visually different from non-verified UI objects.