ITEM DISPLAY DEVICE, ITEM DISPLAY METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING PROGRAM RECORDED THEREON

• US 20090055773A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Original Assignee: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
• Inventors: Sekiguchi, Hidenori
• Application Number:
  US12/165,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055773A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An item display device displays numeric buttons on a screen using an ordinary format, but a numeric button that has been operated by a user is temporarily highlighted. When reverting to ordinary display after a fixed amount of time has elapsed, the device first displays all numeric buttons using an intermediate format, then highlights the operated numeric button, while displaying the other numeric buttons using the ordinary format. All numeric buttons are again displayed using the intermediate format, and then all numeric buttons are reverted to ordinary display. Moreover, a difference in the numeric button display colors between the ordinary display and the intermediate format is equal to a difference in the numeric button display colors between the highlighted display and the intermediate format. In so doing, snooping by detection of intensity differences in electromagnetic waves leaking from the screen display is prevented.

Claims

1. An item display device, comprising:

a memory unit that stores information for each of a plurality of items to be displayed on a screen, the information indicating whether the item is to be displayed using a first or a second format;

a receiving unit that receives command input that changes the format stored for any one of the plurality of items to a format different from the format currently being stored therefor;

a display unit that displays, on the screen, the each of the plurality of items; and

an update unit that conducts an update in the memory unit, such that the item specified in the command input is specified to be displayed using the specified post-change format;

wherein the display unit uses a first color, a second color, as well as a third color that is equally different from both the first color and the second color, such that

(a) until the command input is received, each of the plurality of items is respectively displayed on the screen using the first color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the first format, and using the second color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the second format, and

(b) upon receiving the command input, each of the plurality of items is respectively displayed on the screen using the third color, and subsequently, among the plurality of items,

(p) items specified in the command input are displayed on the screen based on the post-change format specified in the command input, wherein the first color is used if the first format is specified, and the second color is used if the second format is specified, and

(q) each item not specified in the command input is respectively displayed on the screen using the first color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the first format, and using the second color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the second format.

2. The item display device according to claim 1, wherein for each of the plurality of items, the display unit respectively displays, on the screen, a character or graphic that expresses the meaning of that item, and wherein the color of an item area surrounding the character or graphic is displayed using the first, second, or third color.

3. The item display device according to claim 1, wherein the colors used in the display unit to display an item are configured such that the magnitude of the change in the intensity of a leaking electromagnetic wave when changing from the first color to the third color is nearly identical to the magnitude of the change in the intensity of a leaking electromagnetic wave when changing from the second color to the third color.

4. The item display device according to claim 1, wherein RGB values of the third color are averages of RGB values of the first color and the second color.

5. The item display device according to claim 1, wherein differences between the RGB values of the third color and the first color are equal to differences between the RGB values of the third color and the second color.

6. The item display device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving unit

(x) receives a first command input that specifies an item whose display format is to be changed to a format different from the currently stored format therefor, the item being specified by a pressing operation conducted via a touch panel disposed overlapping the screen or a mouse that specifies a position within the screen, and

(y) receives a second command input that specifies that the display format of the item specified by the pressing operation is to be changed to a format different from the currently stored format therefor, the item being specified as a result of a predetermined delay time elapsing since the pressing operation, or alternatively, by a release operation corresponding to the pressing operation.

7. The item display device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of items are a plurality of items expressing the numerals 0 through 9, the pressing operation specifies each digit of a PIN, and the number of items to be displayed using the second format as stored in the memory unit is either 0 or 1.

8. The item display device according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of items are a plurality of items expressing alphanumeric characters, the pressing operation specifies each character of a password, and the number of items to be displayed using the second format as stored in the memory unit is either 0 or 1.

9. An item display method that uses a memory unit to store information regarding each of a plurality of items to be displayed, the information indicating whether to display the item using either a first or a second format, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving command input that changes the format stored for any one of the plurality of items to a format different from the format currently being stored therefor;

displaying, on a screen, the each of the plurality of items; and

conducting an update in the memory unit, wherein the item specified in the command input is specified to be displayed using the specified post-change format;

wherein, in the step of displaying, a first color, a second color, as well as a third color that is equally different from both the first color and the second color, are used such that

(a) until the command input is received, each of the plurality of items is respectively displayed on the screen using the first color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the first format, and using the second color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the second format, and

(b) upon receiving the command input, each of the plurality of items is respectively displayed on the screen using the third color, and subsequently, among the plurality of items,

(p) items specified in the command input are displayed on the screen based on the post-change format specified in the command input, wherein the first color is used if the first format is specified, and the second color is used if the second format is specified, and

(q) each item not specified in the command input is respectively displayed on the screen using the first color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the first format, and using the second color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the second format.

10. The item display method according to claim 9, wherein in the step of displaying, for each of the plurality of items, a character or graphic that expresses the meaning of that item is respectively displayed on the screen, and wherein the color of an item area surrounding the character or graphic is displayed using the first, second, or third color.

11. The item display method according to claim 9, wherein the colors used in the step of displaying to display an item are such that the magnitude of the change in the intensity of a leaking electromagnetic wave when changing from the first color to the third color is nearly identical to the magnitude of the change in the intensity of a leaking electromagnetic wave when changing from the second color to the third color.

12. The item display method according to claim 9, wherein RGB values of the third color are averages of RGB values of the first color and the second color.

13. The item display method according to claim 9, wherein differences between the RGB values of the third color and the first color are equal to differences between the RGB values of the third color and the second color.

14. The item display method according to claim 9, wherein, in the step of receiving,

(x) a first command input is received that specifies an item whose display format is to be changed to a format different from the currently stored format therefor, the item being specified by a pressing operation conducted via a touch panel disposed overlapping the screen or a mouse that specifies a position within the screen, and

(y) a second command input is received that specifies that the display format of the item specified by the pressing operation is to be changed to a format different from the currently stored format therefor, the item being specified as a result of a predetermined delay time elapsing since the pressing operation, or alternatively, by a release operation corresponding to the pressing operation.

15. The item display method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of items are a plurality of items expressing the numerals 0 through 9, the pressing operation specifies each digit of a PIN, and the number of items to be displayed using the second format as stored in the memory unit is either 0 or 1.

16. The item display method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of items are a plurality of items expressing alphanumeric characters, the pressing operation specifies each character of a password, and the number of items to be displayed using the second format as stored in the memory unit is either 0 or 1.

17. A computer-readable information recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program controlling a computer to function as:

a memory unit that stores information for each of a plurality of items to be displayed on a screen, the information indicating whether the item is to be displayed using a first or a second format;

a receiving unit that receives command input that changes the format stored for any one of the plurality of items to a format different from the format currently being stored therefor;

a display unit that displays, on the screen, the each of the plurality of items; and

an update unit that conducts an update in the memory unit, such that the item specified in the command input is specified to be displayed using the specified post-change format;

wherein the program controls the computer to function such that

the display unit uses a first color, a second color, as well as a third color that is equally different from both the first color and the second color, such that

(a) until the command input is received, each of the plurality of items is respectively displayed on the screen using the first color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the first format, and using the second color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the second format, and

(b) upon receiving the command input, each of the plurality of items is respectively displayed on the screen using the third color, and subsequently, among the plurality of items,

(p) items specified in the command input are displayed on the screen based on the post-change format specified in the command input, wherein the first color is used if the first format is specified, and the second color is used if the second format is specified, and

(q) each item not specified in the command input is respectively displayed on the screen using the first color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the first format, and using the second color for items stored in the memory unit to be displayed using the second format.

18. The computer-readable information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein for each of the plurality of items, the display unit respectively displays, on the screen, a character or graphic that expresses the meaning of that item, and wherein the color of an item area surrounding the character or graphic is displayed using the first, second, or third color.

19. The computer-readable information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the colors used in the display unit to display an item are configured such that the magnitude of the change in the intensity of a leaking electromagnetic wave when changing from the first color to the third color is nearly identical to the magnitude of the change in the intensity of a leaking electromagnetic wave when changing from the second color to the third color.

20. The computer-readable information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein RGB values of the third color are averages of RGB values of the first color and the second color.

21. The computer-readable information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein differences between the RGB values of the third color and the first color are equal to differences between the RGB values of the third color and the second color.

22. The computer-readable information recording medium according to claim 17, wherein the receiving unit

(x) receives a first command input that specifies an item whose display format is to be changed to a format different from the currently stored format therefor, the item being specified by a pressing operation conducted via a touch panel disposed overlapping the screen or a mouse that specifies a position within the screen, and

(y) receives a second command input that specifies that the display format of the item specified by the pressing operation is to be changed to a format different from the currently stored format therefor, the item being specified as a result of a predetermined delay time elapsing since the pressing operation, or alternatively, by a release operation corresponding to the pressing operation.

23. The computer-readable information recording medium according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of items is a plurality of items expressing the numerals 0 through 9, the pressing operation specifies each digit of a PIN, and the number of items to be displayed using the second format as stored in the memory unit is either 0 or 1.

24. The computer-readable information recording medium according to claim 22, wherein the plurality of items are a plurality of items expressing alphanumeric characters, the pressing operation specifies each character of a password, and the number of items to be displayed using the second format as stored in the memory unit is either 0 or 1.