Method for supporting dynamic password

• US 7,093,282 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited
• Original Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited
• Inventors: Hillhouse, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US09/924,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/202, 713/182, 380/28, 726/5, 726 18- 19
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords

Abstract

A method of generating dynamic password is disclosed. A method of generating a dynamic password comprising the steps of providing a plurality of variable parameters, each parameter from the plurality of variable parameters being variable upon predetermined criteria; providing a plurality of predetermined static parameters; and processing at least some of the plurality of variable parameters and of the predetermined static parameters according to a dynamic password generating equation manipulating at least some of the plurality of variable parameters and of the predetermined static parameters resulting in an ordered sequence of dynamic and static parameters.

Claims

1. A method of password verification comprising:

providing a process for transforming at least a variable parameter into an ordered string of characters, wherein the process sometimes results in different ordered strings of characters for a same variable parameter;

providing at least a static parameter and at least a variable parameter selected from a plurality of variable parameters as a known password, the known password modifiable, as to the selected at least a variable parameter and as to a location and order of the at least a variable parameter within the known password;

determining from data available to an individual and from the known password a static string;

providing the determined static string as a password for verification; and

verifying the static string to determine that it is an accurate transformation of the at least a variable parameter according to the provided process and when the determination is that the transformation is accurate, providing an indication that the password is verified, wherein the known password is provided by a user and the static string is provided by the user, wherein the known password is entered as a string of characters and wherein at least a character of the string of characters is indicative of a variable parameter and wherein the string of characters is parsable to form the known password, the parsing distinguishing variable parameters from static parameters within the known password.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the static string includes:

performing the process for transforming at least a variable parameter on the known password to determine a second static string;

comparing the provided static string with the second static string to determine a comparison result; and

,

when the comparison result is indicative of a match, providing an indication that the password is verified.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least a variable parameter includes an uncontrollably variable parameter.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the process includes determining from present time data, a current value for a variable parameter relating to time.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the process includes providing data to a user for interpretation by the user and then comparing the user'"'"'s interpretation to a predetermined known interpretation.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the provided data is an image and the interpretation is a string indicative of the image.

7. A method of password verification comprising:

providing a process for transforming at least a variable parameter into an ordered string of characters, wherein the process sometimes results in different ordered strings of characters for a same variable parameter, the process including providing data to a user for interpretation by the user and then comparing the user'"'"'s interpretation to a predetermined known interpretation;

providing at least a static parameter and at least a variable parameter selected from a plurality of variable parameters as a known password, the known password modifiable, as to the selected at least a variable parameter and as to a location and order of the at least a variable parameter within the known password;

determining from data available to an individual and from the known password a static string;

providing the determined static string as a password for verification; and

verifying the static string to determine that it is an accurate transformation of the at least a variable parameter according to the provided process and when the determination is that the transformation is accurate, providing an indication that the password is verified.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the step of verifying the static string includes:

performing the process for transforming at least a variable parameter on the known password to determine a second static string;

comparing the provided static string with the second static string to determine a comparison result; and

when the comparison result is indicative of a match, providing an indication that the password is verified.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the at least a variable parameter includes an uncontrollably variable parameter.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the process includes determining from present time data, a current value for a variable parameter relating to time.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein the provided data is an image and the interpretation is a string indicative of the image.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the known password is provided by a user and the static string is provided by the user.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the known password is entered as a string of characters and wherein at least a character of the string of characters is indicative of a variable parameter.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the string of characters is parsable to form the known password, the parsing distinguishing variable parameters from static parameters within the known password.