METHOD FOR SECURE DATA ENTRY IN AN APPLICATION

• US 20080115078A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Girgaonkar, Sandeep Suresh
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A method and device for entering data in an application is disclosed. The method may comprise displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard within the application, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys. A detection module may monitor the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys and detects that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting the selection of the identifier key. In response to detecting the selection, data associated with the selected identifier key may be generated and indication data representative of the generated data may be displayed in a data field.

Claims

1. A method for entering data in an application, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard within the application, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys;

monitoring the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys;

detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys;

detecting selection of the identifier key based on the position of the pointer, the selection of the identifier being independent of a clicking action associated with the pointing device; and

in response to detecting the selection, generating data associated with the selected identifier key.

2. The method of claim 1, in which detecting selection of the identifier key comprises detecting when the pointer has been positioned for a predetermined period of time over the identifier key.

3. The method of claim 2, which comprises displaying indication data representative of the generated data in a data field.

4. The method of claim 2, in which the operation of monitoring the position of the pointer of the pointing device and the operation of detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys for a predetermined period of time are performed by the application.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

monitoring the position of the pointer of the pointing device in relation to a data field selector in a GUI of the application; and

detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the data field selector for a predetermined period of time, thereby

detecting a request to display a GUI keyboard associated with the data field selector.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the data field selector is a keyboard identifier associated with a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI or a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI.

7. The method of claim 6, in which some of the multiple identifier keys are action keys, the method comprising:

detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the action keys for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting the selection of the action key; and

taking an action associated with the selected action key.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the indication data is the generated data or masked data.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the action key selected is an unmask identifier key and the action taken is:

detecting that the displayed indication data is masked data and, in response to this detection, displaying the indication data as generated data in a data field;

or

detecting that the indication data is generated data and, in response to this detection, displaying the indication data as masked data.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the masked data is one of an asterisk, a hash, an ampersand symbol, or a randomly generated sequence.

11. The method of claim 9, in which the data field is a data field of the application'"'"'s GUI.

12. The method of claim 9, in which the data field is a data field of the GUI keyboard.

13. The method of claim 7, in which the action key is a finalization identifier key and the action taken is removing the display of the GUI keyboard from the application'"'"'s GUI.

14. The method of claim 7, in which the action further comprises displaying data representative of the generated data in the application'"'"'s data field.

15. The method of claim 7, in which the action key is a correction key and the action taken is:

deleting indication data displayed in the data field.

16. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

display a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard within the application, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys;

monitor the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys;

select one of the multiple identifier keys in response to the pointer being positioned over the multiple identifier key, the selection of the identifier being independent of a clicking action associated with the pointing device; and

in response to the selection, generate data associated with the selected identifier key.

17. A device to enter data in an application, the device comprising:

a keyboard display module to

display a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard within the application, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys; and

generate data associated with a selected identifier key; and

a detection module to

monitor the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys;

detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys; and

detect selection of the identifier key based on the position of the pointer, the selection of the identifier being independent of a clicking action associated with the pointing device.

18. The device of claim 17, which comprises a timer to provide the detection module with a predetermined period of time for which the pointer is positioned over the identified key.

19. The device of claim 17, in which the keyboard display module and detection module operate within the application.

20. The device of claim 17, in which the detection module is to monitor the position of the pointer of the pointing device in relation to a data field selector in a GUI of the application;

and is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the data field selector for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting a request for the display of a GUI keyboard associated with the data field selector.

21. The device of claim 20, in which the data field selector is a keyboard identifier associated with a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI, or a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI.

22. The device of claim 17, in which some of the multiple identifier keys are action keys.

23. The device of claim 22, in which the detection module is to monitor the position of the pointer of the pointing device in relation to an identified action key, and wherein an action associated with the action key identified is performed in response to the pointer being positioned over the identified action key.

24. The device of claim 23, in which the detection module is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over an unmask identifier key for a predetermined period of time and is further to detect that the indication data is masked data and in response thereto, instruct the keyboard display module to display the indication data as generated data in the data field.

25. The device of claim 23, in which the detection module is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the unmask identifier key for a predetermined period of time and is further to detect that the indication data is generated data and in response thereto, instruct the keyboard display module to display the indication data as masked data in the data field.

26. The device of claim 23, in which one of the identifier keys is a finalization identifier key, and wherein the detection module is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the finalization identifier key for a predetermined period of time, is to remove the display of the GUI keyboard from the application'"'"'s GUI, and is to display data representative of the generated data in the GUI'"'"'s data field.

27. The device of claim 17, comprising a keyboard creation module to create a GUI keyboard, the GUI keyboards being configured according to a data entry data field associated with the GUI keyboard.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the keyboard creation module is to create small variations in the keyboard layout of the GUI keyboard.

29. A device for entering data in an application, the device comprising:

means for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard within the application, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys;

means for generating data associated with a selected identifier key and displaying indication data representative of the generated data in a data field;

means for monitoring the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys; and

means for detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting the selection of the identifier key.