Icon Password Setting Apparatus and Icon Password Setting Method Using Keyword of Icon

• US 20150121489A1
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rowem Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rowem Incorporated
• Inventors: Yang, Giho, Hwang, Jaeyeob
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,706 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 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Disclosed is an icon password setting apparatus and an icon password setting method, which provide a keyword of an icon for an icon password to be set. The icon password setting apparatus according to the present invention enables password setting using an icon image and an associated keyword, the apparatus comprising: a password management unit for generating or inquiring an icon password; a keyword phrase management unit for generating or inquiring a keyword phrase of the icon password; a password list generating unit for generating a list having each icon password and corresponding keyword phrases; and a user password setting unit for receiving a request for setting the password for the icon password in the list and setting a user password. According to the present invention, a user may easily remember an icon password using the keyword phrase provided when setting the icon password.

Claims

1. An icon password setting apparatus which performs password setting based on an icon using a keyword associated with an image of the icon, the icon password setting apparatus comprising:

a password management unit configured to combine a plurality of icons among an entire icon to generate a plurality of possible icon passwords for a password, or to retrieve pre-stored icon passwords;

a keyword phrase management unit configured to combine keywords of the individual icons constituting the icon password to generate keyword phrases, or to retrieve keyword phrases corresponding to the pre-stored icon passwords;

a password list generating unit configured to generate a list including the icon passwords and the corresponding keyword phrases; and

a user password setting unit configured to receive a request for password setting for the icon password selected from the list, and set the icon password as a user password.

2. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the icon password setting apparatus is constructed as a local user terminal of a stand-alone environment or a server of a wired/wireless network environment, and

when the icon password setting apparatus is constructed as the server, the icon password setting apparatus is configured to transmit the list using the network and receive the icon password selected by a user from the list.

3. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an icon registration unit configured to register an icon and at least one keyword associated with an image of the icon.

4. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the icon password setting apparatus is configured to sort and store the registered keyword into any one category among a plurality of categories including constituents of sentence and parts of speech.

5. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the icon password setting apparatus is configured to generate a keyword phrase of the icon password in accordance with a combination rule using the category of the keyword.

6. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user password authentication unit configured to receive a request for user authentication of the icon password selected by the user, compare the requested icon password to the pre-stored user password, and determines user authentication as a success when the requested icon password matches the pre-stored user password.

14. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an icon registration unit configured to register an icon and at least one keyword associated with an image of the icon.

15. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the icon password setting apparatus is configured to sort and store the registered keyword into any one category among a plurality of categories including constituents of sentence and parts of speech.

16. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the icon password setting apparatus is configured to generate a keyword phrase of the icon password in accordance with a combination rule using the category of the keyword.

17. The icon password setting apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a user password authentication unit configured to receive a request for user authentication of the icon password selected by the user, compare the requested icon password to the pre-stored user password, and determines user authentication as a success when the requested icon password matches the pre-stored user password.

7. An icon password setting apparatus which performs password setting based on an icon using a keyword associated with an image of the icon, the icon password setting apparatus comprising:

a password management unit configured to combine a plurality of icons among an entire icon to generate a plurality of possible icon passwords for a password, or to retrieve pre-stored icon passwords;

a keyword phrase management unit configured to combine keywords of the individual icons constituting the icon password to generate keyword phrases, or to retrieve keyword phrases corresponding to the pre-stored icon passwords;

a password setting management unit configured to receive a selection of an icon password using a setting display where icons are arranged, and provide the keyword phrases corresponding to the icon passwords to the setting display; and

a user password setting unit configured to receive a request for password setting for the icon password selected through the setting display, and set the icon password as a user password.

8. An icon password setting method by which an icon password setting apparatus performs password setting based on an icon using a keyword associated with an image of the icon, the icon password setting method comprising:

(a) a password management step for combining a plurality of icons among an entire icon to generate a plurality of possible icon passwords for a password, or retrieving pre-stored icon passwords;

(b) a keyword phrase management step for combining keywords of the individual icons constituting the icon password to generate keyword phrases, or retrieving keyword phrases corresponding to the pre-stored icon passwords;

(c) a password list generating step for generating a list including the icon passwords and the corresponding keyword phrases; and

(d) a user password setting step for receiving a request for password setting for the icon password selected from the list, and setting the icon password as a user password.

9. The icon password setting method according to claim 8, further comprising:

before the step (a),

an icon registration step for registering an icon and at least one keyword associated with an image of the icon, by the icon password setting apparatus.

10. The icon password setting method according to claim 9, wherein the icon password setting apparatus sorts and stores the registered keyword into any one category among a plurality of categories including constituents of sentence and parts of speech.

11. The icon password setting method according to claim 10, wherein the step (b) comprises generating a keyword phrase of the icon password in accordance with a combination rule using the category of the keyword, by the icon password setting apparatus.

12. The icon password setting method according to claim 8, further comprising:

(e) a user password authentication step for receiving a request for user authentication of the icon password selected by the user, comparing the requested icon password to the pre-stored user password, and determining user authentication as a success when the requested icon password matches the pre-stored user password, by the icon password setting apparatus.

18. The icon password setting method according to claim 9, further comprising:

(e) a user password authentication step for receiving a request for user authentication of the icon password selected by the user, comparing the requested icon password to the pre-stored user password, and determining user authentication as a success when the requested icon password matches the pre-stored user password, by the icon password setting apparatus.

19. The icon password setting method according to claim 10, further comprising:

(e) a user password authentication step for receiving a request for user authentication of the icon password selected by the user, comparing the requested icon password to the pre-stored user password, and determining user authentication as a success when the requested icon password matches the pre-stored user password, by the icon password setting apparatus.

20. The icon password setting method according to claim 11, further comprising:

(e) a user password authentication step for receiving a request for user authentication of the icon password selected by the user, comparing the requested icon password to the pre-stored user password, and determining user authentication as a success when the requested icon password matches the pre-stored user password, by the icon password setting apparatus.

13. An icon password setting method by which an icon password setting apparatus performs password setting based on an icon using a keyword associated with an image of the icon, the icon password setting method comprising:

(a) a password management step for combining a plurality of icons among an entire icon to generate a plurality of possible icon passwords for a password, or retrieving pre-stored icon passwords;

(b) a keyword phrase management step for combining keywords of the individual icons constituting the icon password to generate keyword phrases, or retrieving pre-stored keyword phrases corresponding to the icon passwords;

(c) a password setting management step for receiving a selection of an icon password using a setting display where icons are arranged, and providing the keyword phrase corresponding to the icon passwords to the setting display; and

(d) a user password setting step for receiving a request for user password setting for the icon password selected through the setting display, and setting the icon password as a user password.