Electronic password wallet

• US 7,136,490 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2002
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rahn, Michael D., Martinez, Anthony Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): HERRING, VIRGIL A
• Application Number:
  US10/082,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20030159071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 380/284
• US Class Current: 380/284
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication

Abstract

A convenient and secure system and method for access to any number of password-protected computer applications, web sites and forms without adding to the user cognitive load and without circumventing the inherent security of such password-protection schemes. An existing password field on a device display is overlaid with password wallet pop-up field which allows a wallet “master” key to unlock the wallet. An application-specific and/or user-specific password is automatically retrieved from the wallet and entered into the password field with no other user action required.

Claims

1. A method within a computing platform of graphically providing a secure field value retrieval and entry, wherein said computing platform includes a display device, a field activation device and a user selection device, said method comprising:

providing to a plurality of application programs an interface to request application-specific passwords, said plurality of application programs including at least one web browser program, and at least one non-browser program;

receiving a request from an application program via said interface for input of an application-specific password;

receiving a computing context indicator regarding at least a position of an original entry point for a password as displayed by said requesting application program;

displaying a user first dialogue to receive a master key value from a user, said user dialogue being displayed in a position so as to overlay said original entry point for a password as displayed by said requesting application program;

determining if said master key value is a correct master key value;

retrieving a plurality of field values from a secure field value store which are associated with said requesting application program, said activated field and a user identification;

displaying to a user a second dialogue to receive a selection by said user from said retrieved plurality of field values; and

automatically entering said selected field value into said original entry point for said requesting application program.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of displaying a user dialogue comprises receiving a user identification value.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises retrieving a field value which is associated with an application program.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises retrieving a field value which is associated with a web site.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises retrieving a field value which is associated with a web form.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of automatically entering said retrieved field value into said activated field comprises automatically entering a password value.

7. A computer readable medium encoded with software for graphically providing a secure field value retrieval and entry, wherein said computing platform includes a display device, a field activation device and a user selection device, said software causing the computing platform to perform the steps of:

providing to a plurality of application programs an interface to request application-specific passwords, said plurality of application programs including at least one web browser program, and at least one non-browser program;

receiving a request from an application program via said interface for input of an application-specific password;

receiving a computing context indicator regarding at least a position of an original entry point for a password as displayed by said requesting application program;

displaying a user dialogue to receive a master key value from a user, said user dialogue being displayed in a position so as to overlay said original entry point for a password as displayed by said requesting application program;

determining if said master key value is a correct master key value;

retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which is associated with said requesting application program, said activated field and a user identification; and

automatically entering said retrieved field value into said original entry point for said requesting application program.

8. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7 wherein said software for displaying a user dialogue comprises software for receiving a user identification value.

9. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7 wherein said software for retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises software for retrieving a field value which is associated with an application program.

10. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7 wherein said software for retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises software for retrieving a field value which is associated with a web site.

11. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7 wherein said software for retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises software for retrieving a field value which is associated with a web form.

12. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 7 wherein said software for automatically entering said retrieved field value into said activated field comprises software for automatically entering a password value.

13. A system for graphically providing a secure field value storage, retrieval and entry within a computing platform, wherein said computing platform includes a display device, a field activation device, a user selection device and a data storage medium, said system comprising:

an interface accessible by a plurality of application programs to request application-specific passwords, said plurality of application programs including at least one web browser program, and at least one non-browser program;

a request received from an application program via said interface for input of an application-specific password, including a computing context indicator regarding at least a position of an original entry point for a password as displayed by said requesting application program;

a secure field value store disposed within said data storage medium;

a user dialogue display on said display device adapted to receive a master key value from a user, said user dialogue being displayed in a position so as to overlay said original entry point for a password as displayed by said requesting application program;

a master key value evaluator for determining if a master key value entered via said user dialogue display is a correct master key value for said secure field value store;

a field value retriever for finding in and retrieving from said secure field value store a field value which is associated with said requesting application program and a user identification; and

a field value inputter for automatically entering said retrieved field value into said original entry point.

14. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said user dialogue display is further adapted to receive a user identification value, and wherein said field value retriever is further adapted to find and retrieve a field value which is associated with a user identification value.

15. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said step of retrieving a password from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises retrieving a field value which is associated with an application program.

16. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said step of retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises retrieving a field value which is associated with a web site.

17. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said step of retrieving a field value from a secure field value store which correlates to a computing context comprises retrieving a field value which is associated with a web form.

18. The system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said step of automatically entering said retrieved field value into said activated field comprises automatically entering a password value.

19. The system as set forth in claim 13 where said field value store is a database.