User authentication method using password

• US 7,451,322 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Kun-Hak
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEDIN, SHANTO
• Application Number:
  US10/260,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20030172281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,233 Days
• Field of Search: 713/169, 713/193, 713/183, 713/184, 713/182, 713/165, 713/186, 713/187, 726/2, 726/5, 726/7, 726/14
• US Class Current: 713/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords

Abstract

A user authentication method includes the steps of: inputting, by a user, a predetermined password having a plurality of digits; examining whether an input password includes an actual password that is predetermined by using less digits than the input password; authenticating the input password if the input password includes the actual password; and refusing to authenticate the input password if the input password does not include the actual password. The user authentication method using the password is very useful for reinforcing the security by applying a simple processing, not necessarily consuming high costs and much time. Further, even when the password may be exposed to others, it is still safe. Also, although a password may be used in many cases in common, the security still can be reinforced by differentiating the input password. Most of all, the user can remember the actual password very easily, and yet get the same effect with changing the password.

Claims

1. A user authentication method using a password, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting, by a user, a password including a predetermined number of digits, the inputted password including an actual fixed password and a fake password;

examining whether an input password includes the actual password regardless of order or repetition thereof by using less digits than the input password and without considering the content of the fake password;

examining, when the actual password is included in the input password, whether an approved password list has an identical approved password with the input password among at least one of the approved passwords that are registered to the list;

examining, when the approved password list does not have the identical approved password with the input password, whether the approved password list has a designated number of approved passwords having an actual password at the same position with the actual password;

approving the input password irrespective of content of the fake password when the approved password list has less than a predetermined number of approved passwords having an actual password at the same position with the actual password that is included in the input password;

registering the approved input password to the approved password list as a new approved password; and

refusing the input password when the input password does not include the actual password, or when the approved password list does not have any identical approved password with the input password, or when the approved password list has the predetermined number of the approved passwords having an actual password at the same position with the actual password that is included in the input; and

wherein the input password comprises the actual password, and fake passwords that are randomly chosen and interspersed by the user.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, with the examination step determining whether characters of the actual password are all included in the input password, regardless of order or repetition.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, with the actual password and the fake password having the same number of digits.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, with the actual password and the fake password having the same number of digits.

5. A method, comprising:

determining whether an input password includes an actual password regardless of order or repetition thereof, the actual password being used for authentication, the inputted password including an actual fixed password and a fake password;

determining whether the input password is included in an approved password list without considering content of the fake password;

determining whether the approved password list includes a predetermined number of passwords having the actual password at the same position with the actual password included in the input password;

approving the input password for authentication when the approved password list does not include a predetermined number of passwords having the actual password at the same position with the actual password included in the input password irrespective of content of the fake password; and

refusing to authenticate the input password when the approved password list does include a predetermined number of passwords having the actual password at the same position with the actual password included in the input password; and

approving the input password for authentication when the input password includes the actual password, the approved password list does not have the same password with the input password, and the approved password list does not include a predetermined number of passwords having the actual password at the same position with the actual password included in the input password;

wherein the input password comprises the actual password, and fake passwords that are randomly chosen and interspersed by the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising approving the input password for authentication when the input password includes the actual password, and the approved password list does not have the same password with the input password.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising registering the approved input password to the approved password list.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising refusing to authenticate the input password when the input password does not include the actual password.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising refusing to authenticate the input password when the approved password list does not have the same password with the input password.

10. The method of claim 5, with the step of determining whether an input password includes an actual password regardless of the order of the digits in the input password.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising refusing to authenticate the input password when the approved password list does include a predetermined number of passwords having the actual password at the same position with the actual password included in the input password.