Secured personal identification number

• US 5,971,272 A
• Filed: 08/19/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hsiao, Alaric S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/914,135
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 235/395, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 455/406, 455/410, 455/411, 380/23, 380/24
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1083 Counting of PIN attempts

Abstract

A technique for secured personal identification numbers which cannot be readily detected by either observation or repeated trial attempts is disclosed. The secured personal identification number maintains the dual level security of a personal identification number or password without adding substantial complexity or an undesirable reduction in security. Moreover, the secured personal identification number of the present invention is readily applicable to any type of account which is accessed by entry of an account number and a personal identification number or password.

Claims

1. An account access system controlling access to an identified account in a database and comprised of:

a database interface coupled to the database for receiving a master personal identification number associated with the identified account;

a random personal identification number generator;

a user interface coupled to said random number generator to receive a random personal identification number that is communicated to a user; and

a validator coupled to said user interface to receive a secured personal identification number generated by said user using a translation function known to said user prior to receiving said master personal identification number associated with the identified account to translate said random personal identification number and condition access to said identified account upon validation of said secured personal identification number with reference to said random personal identification number.

2. The account access system of claim 1 further comprising:

a translator coupled to said random number generator to receive said random personal identification number and to said database interface to receive said master personal identification number associated with said account whereby said translator generates a secured personal identification number from said random personal identification number and said master personal identification number.

3. The account access system of claim 2 wherein said validator is coupled to said translator to receive said generated secured personal identification number and whereby validation of said user secured personal identification number is conditioned upon identity of said generated secured personal identification number and said user secured personal identification number.

4. A method for verifying access rights comprised of the following steps:

identifying a master personal identification number;

generating a random personal identification number;

communicating said random personal identification number to a user;

receiving a first secured personal identification number generated by said user using a translation function, known to said user prior to receiving said master personal identification number associated with the identified account to translate said random personal identification number;

generating a second secured personal identification number from said master personal identification number and said random personal identification number; and

validating said first secured personal identification number with reference to said second personal identification number.

5. The method for verifying access rights of claim 4 wherein said step of validating said first secured personal identification number comprises verifying equality of said first secured personal identification and said second secured personal identification number.

6. A customer account access system comprised of:

an announcer;

a user input device;

a database interface coupled to a database of customer accounts to retrieve information associated with said customer accounts;

a random personal identification number generator coupled to said announcer;

a secured personal identification number translator coupled to said random number generator and said database interface, wherein said secured personal identification number translator receives a secured personal identification number generated by a user using a translation function known to said user prior to receiving said information associated with said customer accounts to translate said random personal identification number; and

a secured personal identification number validator coupled to said user input device and said secured personal identification number translator.

7. The customer account access system of claim 6 wherein said information associated with said customer accounts includes a master personal identification number and said secured personal identification number translator generates a secured personal identification number from said master personal identification number and a random personal identification number.

8. The customer account access system of claim 7 wherein said secured personal identification number translator is random PIN-unique.

9. The customer account access system of claim 7 wherein said secured personal identification number translator is secured PIN-unique.

10. The customer account access system of claim 7 wherein said secured personal identification number translator is completely unique.

11. The customer account access system of claim 7 wherein said secured personal identification number translator is digital.

12. The customer account access system of claim 7 wherein said secured personal identification number validator compares a secured personal identification number received at the user interface with a secured personal identification number generated by said secured personal identification number translator.

13. A method of controlling customer account access comprised of the steps of:

receiving a customer account identifier;

retrieving a master personal identification number associated with said customer account identifier;

generating a random personal identification number;

announcing said random personal identification number;

receiving a first secured personal identification number generated by a user using a translation function, known to said user prior to receiving said master personal identification number associated with the identified account to translate said random personal identification number;

generating a second secured personal identification number; and

conditioning access to the customer account upon validation of said first secured personal identification number with reference to said second secured personal identification number.

14. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 13 wherein said step of generating a second secured personal identification number comprises translation of a secured personal identification number from said master personal identification number and said random personal identification number.

15. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 14 wherein said step of generating a second secured personal identification number is random PIN-unique.

16. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 14 wherein said step of generating a second secured personal identification number is secured PIN-unique.

17. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 14 wherein said step of generating a second secured personal identification number is completely unique.

18. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 14 wherein said step of generating a second secured personal identification number is digital.

19. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 13 further comprising selectively receiving said master personal identification number and conditioning access to the customer account upon validation of said master personal identification number.

20. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 13 further comprising generating a second random personal identification number if said random personal identification number has been generated for a previous customer account access attempt.

21. The method of controlling customer account access of claim 13 further comprising generating a second random personal identification number if said random personal identification number has been generated for a recent customer account access attempt.