Authentication using multi-layered graphical passwords

• US 8,756,672 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: WMS Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Allen, Jeffrey L., Block, Rory L., Childs, Douglas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US13/280,992
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 463/29
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

In some embodiments, a computerized method includes presenting multiple choices for attributes of a multi-layered graphical password, wherein each of the attributes is associated with one of a plurality of layers of the multi-layered graphical password. The multi-layered graphical password is for use in accessing a system. The method includes receiving selections from among the multiple choices, wherein the selections identify a group of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password. The selections are associated with a user attempting access to the system. The method includes authenticating the user based on the group of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password. The method also includes allowing the user access to the system.

Claims

1. A computerized method comprising:

presenting, by one or more central processing units (CPUs), multiple choices for attributes of a multi-layered graphical password, wherein each of the attributes is associated with one of a plurality of layers of the multi-layered graphical password, wherein the multi-layered graphical password is for use in accessing a system, and wherein the presenting includes at least one of randomly ordering the attributes in a display area and randomly locating, in the display area, the multiple choices for the attributes;

receiving selections from among the multiple choices, wherein the selections identify a group of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password, and wherein the selections are associated with a user attempting access to the system;

creating a single image representing the multi-layered graphical password in accordance with the selected group of attributes;

authenticating the user based on the group of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password; and

allowing the user access to the system.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the attributes comprise at least one of a background color for the multi-layered graphical password, an image for the multi-layered graphical password, a color for the image for the multi-layered graphical password and an image attribute for the image for the multi-layered graphical password.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a wagering game machine.

4. The computerized method of claim 3, wherein the user comprises a player that is to play a wagering game on the wagering game machine after authenticating the player based on each of the multiple of layers of the multi-layered graphical password.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a hash for each of the attributes for each of the multiple layers of the multi-layered graphical password, and wherein the authenticating is based on the hash for the attributes for each of the multiple layers of the multi-layered graphical password.

6. One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request to login to a system, wherein the request is associated with a user;

performing the following operations, in response to the first request,

presenting a first group of choices for each of a number of attributes of a multi-layered graphical password, wherein the multi-layered graphical password is for use in logging-in the user into the system, wherein each of the number of attributes are associated with one of a plurality of layers of the multi-layered graphical password, and wherein the first group of choices is in a randomly determined first order, and wherein the presenting includes randomly locating, in a display area, the first group of choices for the number of attributes;

receiving user input indicating first selections from among the first group of choices for each of the number of attributes of the multi-layered graphical password, wherein the first selections identify a first group of selected attributes;

create a single image representing the multi-layered graphical password in accordance with the first group of selected attributes;

determining that the first group of selected attributes match stored attributes associated with the user; and

allowing the user access to the system, in response to the determining that the first group of selected attributes match stored attributes associated with the user.

7. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 6, the operations further comprising:

receiving user input indicating a second request to login to the system; and

performing the following operations, in response to the second request,

presenting a second group of choices for each of the number of attributes of the multi-layered graphical password, wherein each of the number of attributes is associated with one of the plurality of layers of the multi-layered graphical password, and wherein the second group of choices is in a randomly determined second order that is different from the first order;

receiving user input indicating second selections from among the second group of choices for each of the number of attributes of the multi-layered graphical password, wherein the second selections identify a second group of selected attributes;

determining that the second group of selected attributes match the stored attributes associated with the user; and

allowing the user access to the system.

15. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 6, wherein presenting the first group of choices for each of the number of attributes of the multi-layered graphical password includes presenting a first subset of the first group of choices in a first palette associated with a first layer of the multi-layered graphical password and presenting a second subset of the first group of choices in a second palette associated with a second layer of the multi-layered graphical password.

16. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein presenting the second subset of the first group of choices includes presenting the second subset based, at least in part, on a selection from the first palette.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a CPU;

a password module, executable on the CPU, configured to,

present multiple choices for attributes of a multi-layered graphical password, wherein each of the attributes are associated with one of a multiple of layers of the multi-layered graphical password used to access the apparatus, wherein the presentation includes at least one of a random ordering of the attributes for each of the multiple of layers of the multi-layered graphical password and random location of the multiple choices for the attributes for at least one of the multiple layers of the multi-layered graphical password; and

receive selections from among the multiple choices for each of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password, from a user that is attempting to login to the apparatus;

create a single image representing the multi-layered graphical password in accordance with the selections; and

an authentication module, executable on the CPU, configured to authenticate the user to enable access of the apparatus in response to the selections being correct for each of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises a wagering game machine and the user is a wagering game player, wherein the apparatus further comprises a wagering game module, executable on the CPU, configured to present a wagering game on which monetary value can be wagered to the wagering game player, after the user has been authenticated for access.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the attributes comprise at least one of a background color for the multi-layered graphical password, an image for the multi-layered graphical password, a color for the image for the multi-layered graphical password and an image attribute for the image for the multi-layered graphical password.

11. A system comprising:

an apparatus comprising,

a first CPU; and

a password module, executable on the first CPU, configured to, receive, from a user, a first request to login to a system;

present multiple choices for each of a number of attributes of a multi-layered graphical password that is used to login the user into the system, wherein each of the number of attributes are associated with one of a multiple of layers of the multi-layered graphical password, wherein the presentation includes at least one of a random ordering of the number of attributes for each of the multiple of layers of the multi-layered graphical password and random location of the multiple choices for the attributes for at least one of the multiple layers of the multi-layered graphical password;

receive, from the user, selections from among the multiple choices for each of the number of attributes of the multi-layered graphical password;

create a single image representing the multi-layered graphical password in accordance with the selections;

generate a hash for each of the selections for each of the number of attributes of the multi-layered graphical password;

transmit the hash for each of the selections over a network for authentication;

a server communicatively coupled to the apparatus through the network, the server comprising,

a second CPU; and

an authentication module, executable on the second CPU, configured to,

receive the hash for each of the selections over the network from the password module;

determine whether the hash for each of the selections is correct; and

transmit a response, to allow the user to access the apparatus, back to the password module over the network, responsive to a determination that the hash for each of the selections is correct.

12. An apparatus comprising:

means for presenting multiple choices for attributes of a multi-layered graphical password, wherein each of the attributes are associated with one of a multiple of layers of the multi-layered graphical password used to access a system, and wherein the means for presenting includes at least one of means for randomly ordering the attributes in a display area and means for randomly locating, in the display area, the multiple choices for the attributes;

means for receiving selections from among the multiple choices for each of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password, from a user that is attempting to login to the system;

means for creating a single image representing the multi-layered graphical password in accordance with the selections for each of the attributes; and

means for authenticating the user to enable access of the system based on the selections for each of the attributes of the multi-layered graphical password.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the attributes comprise at least one of a background color for the multi-layered graphical password, an image for the multi-layered graphical password, a color for the image for the multi-layered graphical password and an image attribute for the image for the multi-layered graphical password.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for generating a hash for each of the attributes for each of the multiple layers of the multi-layered graphical password, wherein the authenticating of the user is based on the hash for the attributes for each of the multiple layers of the multi-layered graphical password.