Password protection using spatial and temporal variation in a high-resolution touch sensitive display

• US 6,720,860 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Narayanaswami, Chandrasekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US09/608,110
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.54, 340/5.74, 340/5.55, 340/5.85, 340/7.55, 368/13, 368/10, 713/202, 713/200, 713/176, 708/109, 708/111, 380/205, 380/54
• US Class Current: 340/5.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

A wearable mobile computing device/appliance (e.g., a wrist watch) with a high resolution display that is capable of wirelessly accessing information from the network and a variety of other devices. The Wrist Watch device/appliance includes a password authentication system for enabling access to secured data stored therein. The authentication system includes a user interface display having a touch sensitive panel for detecting physical user interaction therewith and generating signals accordingly. The Wrist Watch device/appliance generates a sequence of one or more images for display via the user interface, the images of a sequence including that users'"'"' password elements which are flashed randomly at different interface display locations and varied temporally. A processor device receives signals generated in accordance with user interaction with the touch sensitive panel at locations corresponding to the locations of a flashed image of the sequence that matches each element of the user password in order to provide verification of the password when all elements of the password have been detected.

Claims

1. A method for enabling access to data stored in a wearable appliance and including a user interface display having a touch sensitive panel for detecting physical user interaction therewith, said user having an associated password comprising a sequence of one or more elements, said method comprising the steps of:

a) generating a sequence of one or more flashing images for display via said user interface, said flashing image sequence including users'"'"' password elements with flashed images of said sequence spatially arranged in the display and presented variably with respect to time;

b) detecting a user interaction with said touch sensitive panel at a location of said flashed image provided on said display in response to a match of a flashed image of said sequence with a password element in order to provide verification of said password; and

,

c) repeating steps a) and b) until all elements of said password have been detected.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of displaying said one or more images in sequence in a predetermined region of said display, said user interaction with said touch sensitive panel being at a location of said image presented on said display.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user interface is partitioned into predefined touch sensitive regions, said generating step a) further including the step of randomly changing the location of said displayed sequence in said one or more predetermined regions.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of varying the amount of time between the display of successive images in said sequence.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of varying the duration of time for which an image of said sequence is displayed.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of randomly varying the order of the displayed images of said sequence.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said step of randomly varying the order of the displayed images is in response to a first user interaction with said touch sensitive panel.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including varying the length of said image sequence in accordance with the user'"'"'s security needs.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said touch sensitive panel generates signals in accordance with user interaction therewith, said method further including the step of communicating generated signals from said wearable appliance in accordance with a user password to a remote device and providing access to said remote device upon verification of said user password.

10. A system for enabling user access to data stored in a wearable appliance, said user having an associated password comprising a sequence of one or more elements, said system comprising:

a) a user interface display having a touch sensitive panel for detecting physical user interaction therewith and generating signals in accordance therewith;

b) device for generating a sequence of one or more flashing images for display via said user interface, said flashing image sequence including users'"'"' password elements with flashed images of said sequence spatially arranged in the display and presented variably with respect to time;

c) processor mechanism located in said appliance for receiving generated signals in accordance with user interaction with said touch sensitive panel at locations corresponding to the locations of a flashed image of said sequence that matches each element of said user password in order to provide verification of said password when all elements of said password have been detected.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said generating device further includes mechanism for displaying said one or more images in sequence in a predetermined region of said display, said user interaction with said touch sensitive panel being at a location of said image presented on said display.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said user interface is partitioned into predefined touch sensitive regions, said generating device further including mechanism for randomly changing the location of said displayed sequence in said one or more predetermined regions.

13. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said generating device further includes a mechanism for varying the amount of time between the display of successive images in said sequence.

14. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said generating device further includes a mechanism for varying the duration of time for which an image of said sequence is displayed.

15. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said generating device further includes mechanism for randomly varying the order of the displayed images of said sequence.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said mechanism for randomly varying the order of the displayed images is responsive to a first user interaction with said touch sensitive panel.

17. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said generating device further includes mechanism for varying the length of said image sequence in accordance with the user'"'"'s security needs.

18. The system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a communication device for enabling wireless communication with a remote system, wherein upon verification of said user password, generated signals from said wearable appliance are communicated in accordance with a user'"'"'s password to a remote device for providing access to said remote device.

19. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for enabling access to data stored in a wearable appliance and including a user interface display having a touch sensitive panel for detecting physical user interaction therewith, said user having an associated password comprising a sequence of one or more elements, said method steps including the steps of:

a) generating a sequence of one or more flashing images for display via said user interface, said flashing image sequence including users'"'"' password elements with flashed images of said sequence spatially arranged in the display and presented variably with respect to time;

b) detecting a user interaction with said touch sensitive panel at a location of said flashed image provided on said display in response to a match of a flashed image of said sequence with a password element in order to provide verification of said password; and

,

c) repeating steps a) and b) until all elements of said password have been detected.

20. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of displaying said one or more images in sequence in a predetermined region of said display, said user interaction with said touch sensitive panel being at a location of said image presented on said display.

21. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said user interface is partitioned into predefined touch sensitive regions, said generating step a) further including the step of randomly changing the location of said displayed sequence in said one or more predetermined regions.

22. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of varying the amount of time between the display of successive images in said sequence.

23. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of varying the duration of time for which an image of said sequence is displayed.

24. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said generating step a) further includes the step of randomly varying the order of the displayed images of said sequence.

25. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 24, wherein said step of randomly varying the order of the displayed images is in response to a first user interaction with said touch sensitive panel.

26. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 19, further including varying the length of said image sequence in accordance with the user'"'"'s security needs.

27. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 19, wherein said touch sensitive panel generates signals in accordance with user interaction therewith, said method further including the step of communicating generated signals from said wearable appliance in accordance with a user password to a remote device and providing access to said remote device upon verification of said user password.