System and method for using a visual password scheme

• US 8,145,912 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: MCLEAN, Ivan Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Teshome
• Application Number:
  US11/070,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,583 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A system and method for inputting a password. The system and method operates to associate unique non-descriptive graphical features with unique text-based characters. The system and method operates to receive in sequence, a plurality of text-based characters. The system and method operates to display in sequence, in accordance with a sequence scheme, the non-descriptive graphical features associated with the plurality of text-based characters. The system and method also operates to process the plurality of text-based characters as the password. In addition, the system and method operates wherein the password, including text-based characters, may be deciphered from both the display of the non-descriptive graphical features associated with the plurality of text-based characters and the sequence scheme.

Claims

1. A method of user authentication, comprising:

displaying on a display of a device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique background colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each text-based character corresponds to one of a plurality of keys comprising an input mechanism of the device and wherein each background color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular background color of the graphical password;

displaying on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique pen colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each pen color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular pen color of the graphical password;

displaying on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique non-descriptive graphical figures and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each graphical figure is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the non-descriptive graphical figure in a predetermined grid location of a 3×

3 grid in accordance with a defined sequence scheme comprising rules for the order of entry of a sequence, and repeating receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a next non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the next non-descriptive graphical figure in a next predetermined grid location of the 3×

3 grid in accordance with the defined sequence scheme until receipt of the sequence is complete; and

processing the input text-based characters as a user password.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined sequence scheme further comprises:

a rule requiring that each non-descriptive graphical figure contains a continuous segment that begins at a corner of a square and ends at another corner of the same square, or is a square that has no segment therein; and

a rule requiring that the overall display of the 3×

3 grid includes an outline of an image as provided by the continuous segments, such that an overall image is shown that is fully bounded.

3. A personal computing device, comprising:

an input mechanism comprising a plurality of keys corresponding to text-based characters;

a display;

logic configured to display on the display at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique background colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each background color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

logic configured to receive input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular background color of the graphical password;

logic configured to display on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique pen colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each pen color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

logic configured to receive input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular pen color of the graphical password;

logic configured to display on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique non-descriptive graphical figures and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each graphical figure is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

logic configured to receive input of a text-based character corresponding to a non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and display the non-descriptive graphical figure in a predetermined grid location of a 3×

3 grid in accordance with a defined sequence scheme comprising rules for the order of entry of a sequence, and repeat receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a next non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the next non-descriptive graphical figure in a next predetermined grid location of the 3×

3 grid in accordance with the defined sequence scheme until receipt of the sequence is complete; and

logic configured to process the input text-based characters as a user password.

4. The personal computing device of claim 3, wherein the defined sequence scheme further comprises:

a rule requiring that each non-descriptive graphical figure contains a continuous segment that begins at a corner of a square and ends at another corner of the same square, or is a square that has no segment therein; and

a rule requiring that the overall display of the 3×

3 grid includes an outline of an image, as provided by the continuous segments, such that an overall image is shown that is fully bounded.

5. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform user authentication operations comprising:

displaying on a display of a device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique background colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each text-based character corresponds to one of a plurality of keys comprising an input mechanism of the device and wherein each background color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular background color of the graphical password;

displaying on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique pen colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each pen color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular pen color of the graphical password;

displaying on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique non-descriptive graphical figures and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each graphical figure is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the non-descriptive graphical figure in a predetermined grid location of a 3×

3 grid in accordance with a defined sequence scheme comprising rules for the order of entry of a sequence, and repeating receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a next non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the next non-descriptive graphical figure in a next predetermined grid location of the 3×

3 grid in accordance with the defined sequence scheme until receipt of the sequence is complete; and

processing the input text-based characters as a user password.

6. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 5, wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform user authentication operations such that defined sequence scheme further comprises:

a rule requiring that each non-descriptive graphical figure contains a continuous segment that begins at a corner of a square and ends at another corner of the same square, or is a square that has no segment therein; and

a rule requiring that the overall display of the 3×

3 grid includes an outline of an image, as provided by the continuous segments, such that an overall image is shown that is fully bounded.

7. A personal computing device, comprising:

means for receiving user inputs comprising a plurality of keys corresponding to text-based characters;

means for displaying on a display of a device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique background colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each background color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

means for receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular background color of the graphical password;

means for displaying on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique pen colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each pen color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

means for receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular pen color of the graphical password;

means for displaying on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique non-descriptive graphical figures and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each graphical figure is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

means for receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the non-descriptive graphical figure in a predetermined grid location of a 3×

3 grid in accordance with a defined sequence scheme comprising rules for the order of entry of a sequence, and repeating receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a next non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the next non-descriptive graphical figure in a next predetermined grid location of the 3×

3 grid in accordance with the defined sequence scheme until receipt of the sequence is complete; and

means for processing the input text-based characters as a user password.

8. The personal computing device of claim 7, wherein the defined sequence scheme further comprises:

a rule requiring that each non-descriptive graphical figure contains a continuous segment that begins at a corner of a square and ends at another corner of the same square, or is a square that has no segment therein; and

a rule requiring that the overall display of the 3×

3 grid includes an outline of an image, as provided by the continuous segments, such that an overall image is shown that is fully bounded.

9. A personal computing device, comprising:

a memory;

a display;

an input mechanism comprising a plurality of keys corresponding to text-based characters; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the display and the input mechanism, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

displaying on the display at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique background colors and corresponding text-based characters, wherein each background color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular background color of the graphical password;

displaying on the display at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique pen colors and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each pen color is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a particular pen color of the graphical password;

displaying on the display of the device at least one pallet illustrating associations between a series of unique non-descriptive graphical figures and corresponding unique text-based characters, wherein each graphical figure is associated with a corresponding text-based character;

receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the non-descriptive graphical figure in a predetermined grid location of a 3×

3 grid in accordance with a defined sequence scheme comprising rules for the order of entry of a sequence, and repeating receiving input of a text-based character corresponding to a next non-descriptive graphical figure of the graphical password and displaying the next non-descriptive graphical figure in a next predetermined grid location of the 3×

3 grid in accordance with the defined sequence scheme until receipt of the sequence is complete; and

processing the input text-based characters as a user password.

10. The personal computing device of claim 9, wherein the defined sequence scheme further comprises:

a rule requiring that each non-descriptive graphical figure contains a continuous segment that begins at a corner of a square and ends at another corner of the same square, or is a square that has no segment therein; and

a rule requiring that the overall display of the 3×

3 grid includes an outline of an image, as provided by the continuous segments, such that an overall image is shown that is fully bounded.