Authorization method

• US 7,734,929 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Debrito, Daniel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti; David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US10/836,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,230 Days
• Field of Search: 713/184, 713/183, 726/5
• US Class Current: 713/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

An authorization method includes establishing a password for a user, wherein the password includes password characters in a defined order. The method further includes assigning a code character to each of the password characters at an authorization site, transmitting the code characters assigned to the password characters to a remote client and authorizing a user at the remote client upon entry of the code characters corresponding to the password characters in the defined order.

Claims

1. An authorization method comprising:

establishing a password for a user, the password including password characters in a defined order;

assigning a code character to each of the password characters at an authorization site;

transmitting the code characters assigned to the password characters to a remote client; and

authorizing a user at the remote client upon entry of the code characters corresponding to the password characters in the defined order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization site is a server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote client is selected from a group of devices including:

laptop, a personal computer, a printer, a fax machine, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a scanner, a copier, and an access terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the password characters comprise a portion of available characters.

5. The method of claim 4 including assigning a code character to each of the available characters.

6. The method of claim 5 including transmitting the code characters corresponding to the available characters which are not password characters to the remote client.

7. The method of claim 6 including:

transmitting the password characters to the remote client; and

identifying to the user at the remote client the code characters assigned to each available character.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the password characters are alpha-numeric symbols.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the code characters are alpha-numeric symbols.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the code characters are alpha-numeric symbols.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the code characters are randomly assigned to the password characters.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the code characters are randomly assigned to the password characters for each authorization request.

13. The method of claim 1 including:

transmitting characters to the remote client; and

identifying to the user at the remote client the code characters assigned to each password character.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the password is a random order of password characters.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the code characters are transmitted across a network.

16. The method of claim 1 including prompting a user to enter code characters corresponding to the password characters in the defined order.

17. The method of claim 1 including transmitting user entered code characters and the order of the user entered code characters from the remote client to the authorization site.

18. The method of claim 17 including evaluating the user entered code characters, the password characters, the defined order of the password characters, the code characters assigned to each of the password characters and an order of the entered code characters.

19. The method of claim 1 including evaluating entered code characters, an order of the entered code characters, the password characters, the defined order of the password characters, and the code characters assigned to each of the password characters.

20. The method of claim 1 including storing the password at the authorization site.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorizing of the user at the remote client is upon manual entry by the user of the code characters corresponding to the password characters in the defined.

22. A computer readable medium comprising:

executable instructions configured to;

direct an authorization site to;

assign a code character to each of password characters from which a password may be established; and

transmit the code characters assigned to the password characters to a remote client;

executable instructions configured to direct the remote client to;

display the code characters assigned to each of the password characters to a user at the remote client; and

prompt the user to enter the code characters corresponding to the password characters in a defined order; and

executable instructions configured to direct one of the authorization site and the remote client to evaluate the entered code characters, the order of the entered code characters, characters of a password assigned to or established for the user, an order of the characters of the password established for the user, and the code characters assigned to each of the password characters.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 including:

executable instructions configured to;

direct the authorization site to assign a code character to each of the available characters, a portion of which are password characters; and

transmit the code characters corresponding to the available characters which are not password characters to the remote client; and

executable instructions configured to direct the remote client to display the code characters corresponding to the available characters which are not password characters.

24. The medium of claim 22 including:

executable instructions configured to direct the remote client to transmit user entered code characters and the order of the user entered code characters to the authorization site; and

executable instructions configured to direct the authorization site to evaluate the user entered code characters, the order of the user entered code characters, the password characters, the defined order of the password characters, and the assignment of the code characters to each password character.

25. The medium of claim 22, wherein the executable instructions are configured to direct the authorization site to establish the password for the user.

26. The medium of claim 22 including executable instructions configured to direct the authorization site to randomly assign the code characters to the password characters.

27. The medium of claim 22, wherein the medium is configured to be read by a sensing device associated with the authorization site, wherein executable instructions for directing the remote client are transmitted to the remote client.

28. The medium of claim 22, wherein the medium is configured to be read by a sensing device associated with the remote client, wherein executable instructions for directing the authorization site are transmitted to the remote client.

29. The medium of claim 22, wherein the medium includes:

a first portion configured to be read by a first sensing device of the authorization site and including the executable instructions configured to direct the authorization site; and

a second portion configured to be read by a second sensing device of the remote client and including the executable instructions configured to direct the remote client.

30. An authorization system using a user assigned password having password characters in a defined order, the system comprising:

an authorization site; and

remote clients in communication with the authorization site;

wherein the authorization site is configured to assign a code character to each password character and is configured to transmit the assigned code characters to the remote clients;

wherein each remote client is configured to communicate the code characters to a user and is configured to prompt the user to input the code characters assigned to the password characters in the defined order; and

wherein at least one of the authorization site and each of the remote clients is configured to grant or deny access to the user based upon the user input code characters, an order of the user input code characters, the password characters, the defined order of the password characters and the assignment of the code characters to the password characters.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the authorization site is configured to assign a code character to each of the available characters, wherein the password characters comprise a portion of the available characters, wherein the authorization site is configured to transmit the code characters corresponding to the available characters which are not password characters to the remote client and wherein the remote client is configured to identify to the user at the remote client the code characters assigned to the available characters which are not password characters.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the remote client is configured to transmit the user input code characters in the input order to the authorization site and wherein the authorization site is configured to evaluate the user input code characters and the input order of the code characters.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the authorization site includes a memory configured to store the user assigned password.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the remote client includes a character input device.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the remote client includes a display configured to show the assignment of the code characters to the password characters.

36. The system of claim 30 including a network providing communication between the authorization site and the remote clients.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein the remote client is selected from a group of devices including:

laptop, a personal computer, a printer, a fax machine, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cell phone, a scanner, a copier, and an access terminal.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the authorization site includes at least one server.

39. An authorization system using a user assigned password having password characters in a defined order, the system comprising:

an authorization site;

remote clients in communication with the authorization site;

means at the authorization site for creating an assignment of code characters to each of the password characters;

means for transmitting the assignment from the authorization site to at least one of the remote clients;

means at the remote client for communicating the assignment to a user;

means at each remote client for receiving an input of code characters from the user in an input order; and

means for evaluating the password characters, the defined order of the password characters, the input code characters, the input order of the code characters and the assignment of the code characters to the password characters.