Online data encryption and decryption

• US 7,616,764 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Durai, Don Bosco, Varghese, Thomas Emmanual, Harris, Steven Lucas, Fisher, Jon Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, SHIN HON
• Application Number:
  US11/169,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 380/3, 380/4, 380/49, 380/54, 380/56, 380/255, 713182-184
• US Class Current: 380/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing encryption and decryption of data transmitted on a computer implemented network, preferably user authentication identifier data, such as a password, at the point of entry into the user'"'"'s computer. The systems and methods enable an end user to mentally select a marker from one of the randomly arranged elements on a first portion of a graphical image. A second portion of the graphical image includes an arrangement of possible elements of any individual authentication identifier sequence, and is positioned adjacent to the first portion. The systems and methods prompt a user to enter each element of the identifier by moving the selected marker and the first portion as necessary to substantially align the selected marker with a chosen element of the authentication identifier appearing on the outer portion. According to one embodiment, the image portions are concentric wheels. According to another embodiment, the image portions are arranged in adjacent rows.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system for providing encryption of a user identifier, the system comprising:

a user computer and a server computer configured to communicate with each other via a network,

wherein the user computer is configured to;

display a graphical user interface comprising;

a first wheel-shaped image and a second wheel-shaped image, wherein the first wheel-shaped image extends radially outward of the second wheel-shaped image and includes a first plurality of sectors, each sector of the first wheel-shaped image including an image from a set of predetermined alphanumeric elements, and wherein the second wheel-shaped image includes a second plurality of sectors, each sector of the second wheel-shaped image including an image of a marker; and

an image of a first positioning button that is adapted to cause movement of a first user selected sector of the second wheel-shaped image from a first position relative to the first wheel-shaped image to a second position relative to the first wheel-shaped image upon actuation of the first positioning button by a user, the movement of the first user selected sector defining a displacement, the displacement being associated with a first element of a user identifier; and

transmit displacement data representative of the displacement to the server computer,

and wherein the server computer is configured to;

receive the displacement data and determine the displacement from the displacement data; and

determine a user selected marker associated with the first user selected sector by correlating the displacement with the first element of the user identifier.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1 wherein the markers are selected from a set of markers comprising predetermined, user-identified markers.

3. The computer implemented system of claim 1 wherein the markers on the second plurality of sectors are positioned in a random sequence by the server computer.

4. An authentication interface system comprising:

a processing component configured to;

display a graphical interface comprising a sequence of alphanumeric symbols positioned adjacent to a sequence of marker symbols, the sequence of alphanumeric symbols and the sequence of marker symbols being graphically translatable with respect to each other;

receive, from a user, one or more input commands that cause a first user-specified marker from the sequence of marker symbols to be aligned with a first user-specified alphanumeric symbol from the sequence of alphanumeric symbols in the graphical interface, wherein an amount of translation of the sequence of marker symbols in relation to the sequence of alphanumeric symbols needed to align the first user-specified marker with the first user-specified alphanumeric symbol defines a first displacement, and wherein a sequence of one or more displacements define an encrypted user identifier; and

transmit the first displacement to a server, wherein the first user-specified marker is identified by the server by correlating the first displacement with an alphanumeric symbol stored by the server.

5. The authentication interface system of claim 4 wherein the graphical interface comprises a circular image with the sequence of alphanumeric symbols and the sequence of marker symbols concentrically arranged on the circular image.

6. The authentication interface system of claim 5 wherein the graphical interface is personalized by the server in response to identification information sent by the processing component to verify an identity of the server.

7. The authentication interface system of claim 4 wherein the graphical interface comprises a linear image with the sequence of alphanumeric symbols and the sequence of marker symbols arranged in parallel on the linear image.

8. The authentication interface system of claim 7 wherein the graphical interface is personalized by the server in response to identification information sent by the processing component to verify an identity of the server.

9. A computer implemented system comprising:

a processing component configured to;

generate a graphical user interface comprising;

first and second images that are positioned adjacent each other and that each include a plurality of sections, the first image including predetermined identifier elements and the second image including marker symbols; and

a positioning button that, when selected by a user, causes movement of a user-selected section of the first image from a first position relative to the second image to a second position relative to the second image, wherein the movement between the first and second positions defines a displacement, and wherein a sequence of displacements defines displacement data, the displacement data encrypting a sequence of the predetermined identifier elements that identify the user;

transmit the graphical user interface to a user computer,

receive, in response to transmitting the graphical user interface, displacement data representing an encrypted sequence of predetermined identifier elements from the user computer; and

decrypt the encrypted sequence by correlating the received displacement data to the predetermined identifier elements to confirm an identity of a user.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined identifier elements are alphanumeric elements.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second images are rectilinear in shape and arranged in parallel to each other so that the displacement is linear.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second images are wheel-shaped and concentrically arranged so that the displacement is angular.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second images are arranged so that a plurality of predefined identifier elements correspond to one marker symbol.

14. A computer implemented method for securely identifying a user, the method comprising:

displaying, at a computer system, an instance of a graphical interface comprising at least two images, each image including a plurality of indicia; and

generating, at the computer system, a plurality of displacement data encrypting an identifier entered by a user, each displacement data reflecting movements of at least one of the images sufficient to bring one or more pairs of indicia on the two images into spatial proximity, one member of each pair being a selected indicia,

wherein the encrypted identifier is decrypted by correlating the generated displacement data with the instance of the user interface in order to recreate the entered identifier, and

wherein the user is identified if the entered identifier matches a stored identifier associated with the user.

15. The method of claim 14 farther comprising granting the identified user access to a computer system.

16. The method of claim 14 farther comprising transmitting the generated displacement data from the computer system displaying the instance of the graphical interface to a computer system decrypting the data encrypted identifier.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the instance of the graphical interface comprises:

first and second images that are positioned adjacent each other and that each include a plurality of sections, with one image including predetermined identifier elements and the other image including marker symbols; and

a positioning button that, when selected by a user, generates input to cause movement of one or more of the images.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first and second images are rectilinear in shape and arranged in parallel to each other so that displacement of the first and second images is linear.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first and second images are wheel-shaped and concentrically arranged so that displacement of the first and second images is angular.

20. A computer implemented method for providing encryption and decryption of a user identifier the method comprising:

generating, by a computer system, a graphical user interface comprising;

first and second images that are positioned adjacent each other and that each include a plurality of sections, the first image including predetermined identifier elements and the second image including marker symbols; and

a positioning button that, when selected by a user, causes movement of a user-selected section of the first image from a first position relative to the second image to a second position relative to the second image, wherein the movement between the first and second positions defines a displacement, and wherein a sequence of displacements encrypts a sequence of the predetermined identifier elements that identifies a user;

transmitting, by the computer system, the graphical user interface to a user computer;

receiving, by the computer system in response to transmitting the graphical user interface, a sequence of displacement data representing an encrypted sequence of predetermined identifier elements from the user computer; and

decrypting, by the computer system, the encrypted sequence of predetermined identifier elements by correlating the received sequence of displacement data with the a user selected section of the first image to confirm an identifier of a user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined identifier elements are alphanumeric elements, and wherein the first and second images are rectilinear in shape and arranged in parallel to each other so movement of a marker symbol to an identifier element represents a linear displacement.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined identifier elements are alphanumeric elements, and wherein the first and second images are wheel-shaped and concentrically arranged so that movement of the first image or the second image causes an angular displacement.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and second images are configured so that a plurality of identifier elements correspond to one marker symbol.