Context Sensitive Concealment of an Input Field

• US 20080229230A1
• Filed: 11/14/2006
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pantech Corporation (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Thorkelsson, Haraldur, Grigoriev, Nikolai, Jhaveri, Natalie
• Granted Patent: US 10,354,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/82 Protecting input, output or interconnection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors

Abstract

A method for concealing and revealing sensitive data on an electronic communications device is disclosed. The electronic communications device comprises a plurality of keys, a display upon which a series of characters are adapted to be displayed, the series of characters forming a character string and composed by input operation of a subset of the plurality of Keys, and a processor for implementing at least one module that includes at least one security component. The module i) receives the series of characters during an entry period, the series of characters forming a character string, the entry period comprised of at least one activity period during which the character string is displayed and one inactivity period during which the character string is obscured, ii) detects an inactivity event during the at least one activity period, the activity period ending when the inactivity event has been detected and iii) detects an activity event during the at least one inactivity period, the inactivity period ending when the activity event has been detected. The module may also iv) detect a completion of composition event, the entry period ending when the composition completion event has been detected and v) conceal permanently the character string after the entry period ends.

Claims

1. A method for viewer restriction of a series of characters displayed on a display of a mobile device, the series of characters composed by input operation of a subset of a plurality of keys of the mobile device, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving the series of characters during an entry period, the series of characters forming a character string, said entry period comprised of at least one activity period during which said character string is displayed and one inactivity period during which said character string is obscured;

detecting an inactivity event during said at least one activity period, said activity period ending when said inactivity event has been detected; and

detecting an activity event during said at least one inactivity period, said inactivity period ending when said activity event has been detected.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the act of detecting a completion of composition event, said entry period ending when said composition completion event has been detected;

and concealing permanently said character string after said entry period ends.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said character string is a password.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys comprises twelve numeric keys and each character of the series of characters is composed by input operation of a particular one of said numeric keys one or more predetermined number of times, a delay between successive input operations being less than a predetermined limit.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said predetermined limit is at least one second.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each character of said character string is displayed promptly following its composition.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display displays an input field and said character string is shown within said input field.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said input field is a text edit field.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said inactivity event occurs when a user of the device moves focus away from said input field during said activity period.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inactivity event occurs when a user of the device fails to operate one of the subset of the plurality of keys during an allotted period of time during said activity period.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said allotted period of time is at least 3 seconds.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said composition completion event occurs when a user of the device moves focus away from the display.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said activity event occurs when a user of the device moves focus back to said input field during said entry period.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activity event occurs when a user of the device operates one of the subset of the plurality of keys during said inactivity period.

15. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said composition completion event occurs when said inactivity period exceeds an allotted period of time.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said allotted period of time is at least 60 seconds.

17. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said composition completion event occurs when a user selects to complete composition.

18. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the act of overwriting said character string when one of the subset of the plurality of keys is operated within an allotted period of time following said composition completion event.

19. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said concealing act comprise masking each character of said character string using a wildcard.

20. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said character string is obscured by masking each character of said character string using a wildcard.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. An electronic communications device comprising:

a plurality of keys;

a display upon which a series of characters are adapted to be displayed, said series of characters forming a character string and composed by input operation of a subset of said plurality of keys; and

a processor for implementing at least one module that includes at least one security component, said module for i) receiving the series of characters during an entry period, the series of characters forming a character string, said entry period comprised of at least one activity period during which said character string is displayed and one inactivity period during which said character string is obscured;

ii) detecting an inactivity event during said at least one activity period, said activity period ending when said inactivity event has been detected; and

iii) detecting an activity event during said at least one inactivity period, said inactivity period ending when said activity event has been detected.

24. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said module is further for iv) detecting a completion of composition event, said entry period ending when said composition completion event has been detected and v) concealing permanently said character string after said entry period ends.

25. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said character string is a password.

26. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said plurality of keys comprises twelve numeric keys and each character of said series of characters is composed by input operation of a particular one of said numeric keys one or more predetermined number of times, a delay between successive input operations being less than a predetermined limit.

27. The device as claimed in claim 26, wherein said predetermined limit is at least one second.

28. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein each character of said character string is displayed promptly following its composition.

29. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said display is adapted to display an input field and said character string is shown within said input field.

30. The device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said input field is a text edit field.

31. The device as claimed in claim 29, wherein said inactivity event occurs when a user of the device moves focus away from said input field during said activity period.

32. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said composition completion event occurs when said inactivity period exceeds an allotted period of time.

33. The device as claimed in claim 32, wherein said allotted period of time is at least 60 seconds.

34. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said composition completion event occurs when a user selects to complete composition.

35. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said composition completion event occurs when a user of the device moves focus away from the display.

36. The device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said activity event occurs when a user of the device moves focus back to said input field during said entry period.

37. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said inactivity event occurs when a user of the device ceases character composition for a predetermined period of time during said activity period.

38. The device as claimed in claim 37, wherein said predetermined period of time is at least three seconds.

39. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said activity event occurs when a user of the device operates one of the subset of the plurality of keys during said inactivity period.

40. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said character string is overwritten when one of the subset of the plurality of keys is operated following said composition completion event.

41. The device as claimed in claim 23, wherein said module obscures said character string by masking each character of said character string using a wildcard.

42. The device as claimed in claim 24, wherein said module conceals said character string by masking each character of said character string using a wildcard.