Picture gesture authentication

• US 8,650,636 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeff, Seixeiro, Steve, Pace, Zachary, van der Bogert, Giles, Gilmour, Sean, Siebens, Levi, Tubbs, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US13/163,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 726/19
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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

In one embodiment, a picture signature password system may use a picture signature password to determine access to a computing device or service. A display screen 172 may display a personalized digital image 310. A user input device 160 may receive a user drawing set executed by a user over the personalized digital image 310. A processor 120 may authenticate access to the user session if the user drawing set matches a library drawing set associated with the user.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for authenticating a user session, comprising:

displaying a personalized digital image on a display screen;

receiving a user drawing set executed by a user, the user drawing set superimposed on the personalized digital image and having a user drawing set member, the user drawing set member having a user touch point selecting a position on the personalized digital image and a user gesture selecting a set of positions on the personalized digital image; and

authenticating access to the user session if the position or the set of positions on the personalized digital image match a library position set associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracing the user drawing set onto the personalized digital image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user gesture includes a user circle gesture, a user line gesture, or a user freestyle form gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to authenticating access to the user session:

associating the user drawing set member with a user position set;

associating a library drawing set member with the library position set; and

determining that the user drawing set member and the library drawing set member match if the user position set is within a position tolerance value of the library position set, and

wherein authenticating access to the user session is responsive to determining that the user drawing set member and the library drawing set member match.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an initial library drawing set input from the user; and

creating the library drawing set member from the initial library drawing set input.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation library drawing set input from the user; and

displaying a reentry request if the confirmation library drawing set input does not match the initial library drawing set input.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

tracing a training library drawing set over the personalized digital image if the confirmation library drawing set input does not match the initial library drawing set input.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the user drawing set member is a first user drawing set member, the user drawing set further includes a second user drawing set member, the second user drawing set member having a user line gesture and further comprising:

associating the second user drawing set member with a user vector set;

associating a second library drawing set member with a library vector set; and

determining that the second user drawing set member and the second library drawing set member match if the user vector set is within a vector tolerance value of the second library vector set, and

wherein authenticating access to the user session is further responsive to determining that the second user drawing set member matches the second library drawing set member within the vector tolerance value.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

adjusting the vector tolerance value based on at least one of a user accuracy, a user profile, or a user setting.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

associating the library drawing set member with a set of timing data indicating at least one of duration of entry or speed of entry.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the user drawing set includes two or more additional user drawing set members and authenticating access to the user session authenticates if a majority of the user drawing set members match a majority of respective library drawing set members.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the user drawing set includes multiple drawing set members and authenticating access to the user session authenticates access to the user session if an aggregate comparison score of the multiple drawing set members relative to their respective multiple library drawing set members does not exceed a maximum limit for deviation.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting reentry of the user drawing set if the position or the set of positions of the user drawing set member does not match the library position set associated with the user.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting a text password if the position or the set of positions of the user drawing set member does not match the library position set associated with the user.

15. A computer-readable storage device having a set of instructions stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

displaying a digital image on a display screen;

receiving, from a user and superimposed over the digital image on the display screen, a user drawing set having one or more user drawing set members, at least one of the user drawing set members having a user touch point selecting a position on the digital image and a user gesture selecting a set of positions on the digital image;

associating one of the user drawing set members with a user position set;

associating a library drawing set member with a library position set;

determining that the user drawing set member and the library drawing set member match if the user position set is within a position tolerance value of the library position set; and

authenticating access to a user session responsive to determining that the user drawing set member matches the library drawing set member.

16. The computer-readable storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the user drawing set member is the user gesture, the user gesture being a user circle gesture, a user line gesture, or a user freestyle form gesture.

17. The computer-readable storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the digital image from a digital image library provided by the user.

18. The computer-readable storage device as recited in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

setting a minimum library set size and a minimum complexity level for a library drawing set that includes the library drawing set member and is associated with the user.

19. A picture signature password system, comprising:

a display screen to display a personalized digital image;

a user input device to receive, superimposed over the personalized digital image on the display screen, a user drawing set having a user touch point selecting a position on the personalized digital image and a user gesture selecting a set of positions on the personalized digital image; and

a processor to authenticate access to a user session if the position or the set of positions selected by the user touch point or the user gesture on the personalized digital image, respectively, matches, within position tolerance values, a library position set.

20. The picture signature password system of claim 19, wherein the user input device is at least one of an interactive stylus, a mouse, a direct motion input, or a touch screen, the touch screen integrated into the display screen.