METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EFFICIENT PASSWORD INPUT

• US 20160065562A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced New Technologies Company Limited (Ant Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Guo, Wei
• Granted Patent: US 10,075,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application disclose a method for receiving password input from a user. During operation, the system receives, by a computing device, user input indicating that a user is entering a password. The system displays a plurality of shortcut keyboards of a keyboard sequence in successive order based on an arrangement of characters in the password. The system displays a first shortcut keyboard with a first key labeled with at least a first character of the password prior to displaying a second shortcut keyboard with a second key labeled with one or more characters positioned subsequent to the first character in the password. The system then receives input from the user selecting at least one key of each shortcut keyboard from the plurality of shortcut keyboards, and determines the password entered by the user based on the characters entered by the user through the key selections.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for receiving password input from a user, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, user input indicating that a user is entering a password;

displaying a plurality of shortcut keyboards of a keyboard sequence in successive order based on an arrangement of characters in the password, wherein a first shortcut keyboard with a first key labeled with at least a first character of the password is displayed prior to displaying a second shortcut keyboard with a second key labeled with one or more characters positioned subsequent to the first character in the password;

receiving input from the user selecting at least one key of each shortcut keyboard from the plurality of shortcut keyboards; and

determining the password entered by the user based on the characters entered by the user through the key selections.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password based on the password input from the user, wherein the keyboard sequence comprises at least two shortcut keyboards.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password comprises generating the keyboard sequence in a memory of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the keyboard sequence comprises:

generating the keyboard sequence with at least one shortcut keyboard with zero characters from the password.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving user input setting a security level for generating the keyboard sequence, wherein generating the keyboard sequence comprises;

based on the security level, setting parameters for the keyboard sequence that include a number of the shortcut keyboards, a number of shortcut keyboards with zero password characters, and/or a number of random characters that are not password characters on each shortcut keyboard.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password comprises:

generating the keyboard sequence to include at least one shortcut keyboard with a key used for inputting at least two password characters simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of shortcut keyboards of the keyboard sequence comprises:

detecting a password input scenario associated with the user inputting the password;

retrieving data indicating a corresponding relationship between the password input scenario and a keyboard sequence; and

displaying the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password input scenario.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the password input scenario comprises determining that the user is inputting the password as part of a login scenario or a payment scenario or that the password is for a specific application;

and further comprising storing data corresponding the keyboard sequence with one of the login scenario, the payment scenario, or the specific application.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving keyboard configuration information to configure the plurality of shortcut keyboards in the keyboard sequence; and

configuring the plurality of shortcut keyboards according to the keyboard configuration information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input to enable or disable generating a keyboard sequence, or to delete or select a keyboard sequence; and

, based on the user input, performing one of;

enabling generating a keyboard sequence,

disabling generating a keyboard sequence,

deleting a keyboard sequence, and

selecting a keyboard sequence.

11. A password input apparatus, comprising:

an information receiving module configured to receive user input indicating that a user is entering a password;

a keyboard display module configured to display a plurality of shortcut keyboards of a keyboard sequence in successive order based on an arrangement of characters in the password, wherein a first shortcut keyboard with a first key labeled with at least a first character of the password is displayed prior to displaying a second shortcut keyboard with a second key labeled with one or more characters positioned subsequent to the first character in the password,

wherein the information receiving module is further configured to receive input from the user selecting at least one key of each shortcut keyboard from the plurality of shortcut keyboards; and

a password input module configured to determine the password entered by the user based on the characters selected by the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a keyboard input module, configured to generate the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password based on the password input from the user,

wherein the keyboard sequence comprises at least two shortcut keyboards.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein generating the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password comprises generating the keyboard sequence in a memory of a computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein generating the keyboard sequence comprises generating the keyboard sequence with at least one shortcut keyboard with zero characters from the password.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the information receiving module is further configured to receive user input setting a security level for generating the keyboard sequence, wherein generating the keyboard sequence comprises:

based on the security level, setting parameters for the keyboard sequence that include a number of the shortcut keyboards, a number of shortcut keyboards with zero password characters, and/or a number of random characters that are not password characters on each shortcut keyboard.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein generating the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password comprises:

generating the keyboard sequence to include at least one shortcut keyboard with a key used for inputting at least two password characters simultaneously.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein displaying the plurality of shortcut keyboards of the keyboard sequence comprises:

detecting a password input scenario associated with the user inputting the password;

retrieving data indicating a corresponding relationship between the password input scenario and a keyboard sequence; and

displaying the keyboard sequence corresponding to the password input scenario.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein detecting the password input scenario comprises determining that the user is inputting the password as part of a login scenario or a payment scenario or that the password is for a specific application;

and further comprising storing data corresponding the keyboard sequence with one of the login scenario, the payment scenario, or the specific application.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the information receiving module is further configured to receive keyboard configuration information to configure the plurality of shortcut keyboards in the keyboard sequence, and

wherein the keyboard inputting module is further configured to configure the plurality of shortcut keyboards according to the keyboard configuration information.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the information receiving module is further configured to receive user input to enable or disable generating a keyboard sequence, or to delete or select a keyboard sequence;

and further comprising a keyboard control module to, based on the user input, perform one of;

enabling generating a keyboard sequence,

disabling generating a keyboard sequence,

deleting a keyboard sequence, and

selecting a keyboard sequence.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for receiving password input from a user, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, user input indicating that a user is entering a password;

displaying a plurality of shortcut keyboards of a keyboard sequence in successive order based on an arrangement of characters in the password, wherein a first shortcut keyboard with a first key labeled with at least a first character of the password is displayed prior to displaying a second shortcut keyboard with a second key labeled with one or more characters positioned subsequent to the first character in the password;

receiving input from the user selecting at least one key of each shortcut keyboard from the plurality of shortcut keyboards; and

determining the password entered by the user based on the characters entered by the user through the key selections.