AUTOMATED TEST TO TELL COMPUTERS AND HUMANS APART

• US 20100325706A1
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hachey, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2133 Verifying human interaction, e.g., Captcha
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

Techniques for verifying a user is human as opposed to a machine are provided. A series of images may be presented to the user sequentially along with a challenge question that instructs the user to select the image that is responsive to the challenge question. If the user selects the correct image, there likelihood that the user is a human as opposed to a machine is greatly increased. Techniques for varying certain parameters associated with display of images and challenge question are also provided. The variations in these parameters may further help distinguish human users from machines.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to receiving a request to validate a user to determine if the user is a computer or a human, performing the following steps;

selecting a set of images from an image data store, wherein each image selected is different from the other selected images;

generating a challenge instruction, the challenge instruction instructing the user to select from the set of images an image identified in the challenge instruction;

generating a user interface for displaying the challenge instruction and for displaying each image from the set of images to the user one at a time in a sequential fashion, each image being displayed for an interval of time; and

receiving a user input indicating an image selected by the user from the set of images;

wherein if the user selects the image identified in the challenge instruction while the image is being displayed, generating a response to the request to validate the user, indicating that the user has successfully responded to the challenge instruction.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a set of images from an image data store further comprises:

storing a plurality of images in the image data store; and

categorizing each image according to the content of the image.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein selecting a set of images from an image data store further comprises:

randomly selecting a set of images from the image data store, wherein each selected image is associated with a different category of image.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the challenge instruction is based on the category associated with the image identified in the challenge instruction.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the interval of time that each image is displayed two seconds or less.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected set of images includes at least six different images.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected set of images includes a randomly selected number of images.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one image of the selected set of images is altered by adding a boarder to the at least one image.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one image of the selected set of images is altered by changing a size of the image.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the interval of time each image is displayed is selected randomly for each image in the set of selected images.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the challenge instruction is generated in a language determined by a locality of the user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the user input indicating the image selected by the user is encrypted.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected set of images are combined into a single animated image prior to display to the user.

15. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement the method of claim 1.

16. A server computer comprising the processor, and the computer readable medium of claim 15 coupled to the processor.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource is one of e-mail, accessing a web page, or posting a comment on a website.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the challenge request is in a language determined by a locality setting of the user computer.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the user selection of the one image is encrypted.

2. The method of 1 wherein if the user fails to select the image identified in the challenge instruction, selecting a new set of images from the data store including a different set of images, generating a new challenge instruction, and displaying the new challenge instruction and new set of images to the user in a sequential fashion, and presenting a new challenge instruction associated with the different set of images.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a challenge request at a user computer, the challenge request instructing the user to select an image responsive to the challenge request;

displaying a set of images on the user computer, each image in the set of images displayed sequentially; and

receiving a user selection of one image of the set of images;

wherein if the one image selected by the user is responsive to the challenge request, the user is granted access to a resource.

21. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a processor to implement the method of claim 17.

22. A computer comprising the processor, and the computer readable medium of claim 21 coupled to the processor.