Picture gesture authentication

• US 8,910,253 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey Jay, Seixeiro, Steve, Pace, Zachary, van der Bogert, Giles, Gilmour, Sean, Siebens, Levi, Tubbs, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elahi, Shan
• Application Number:
  US13/656,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20130047252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 726/17, 726/5, 726/1, 726/2, 726/4
• US Class Current: 726/5
• 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 associated with a user, comprising:

displaying a personalized digital image on a display screen;

receiving a user drawing set superimposed on the personalized digital image, the user drawing set including multiple drawing set members, at least two of the multiple drawing set members comprising;

a user touch point indicating a position associated with the personalized digital image,

a user circle gesture indicating a first set of positions associated with the personalized digital image,

a user freestyle form gesture indicating a second set of positions associated with the personalized digital image, or

a user line gesture indicating a third set of positions associated with the personalized digital image; and

authenticating access to the user session if the position, the first set of positions, the second set of positions, or the third set of positions of the at least two of the multiple drawing set members of the user drawing set matches a library drawing 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 multiple drawing set members of the user drawing set include three or more of the user touch point, the user circle gesture, the user freestyle form gesture, or the user line gesture.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an initial library drawing set input; and

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

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a confirmation library drawing set input; and

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

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

tracing a training library drawing set if the confirmation library drawing set input does not match the initial library drawing set input.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting reentry of the user drawing set if the user drawing set does not match the library drawing set associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting a text password if the user drawing set does not match the library drawing set associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating access to the user session is responsive to determining that each of the multiple user drawing set members match, within a position tolerance value, one of multiple library drawing set members.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating access to the user session is responsive to determining that one of the multiple user drawing set members matches, within a vector tolerance value, one of multiple library drawing set members.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting the vector tolerance value based on a user accuracy, a user profile, or a user setting.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a library drawing set member with a set of timing data indicating a duration of entry, or a speed of entry, of the user touch point, the user circle gesture, the user freestyle form gesture, or the user line gesture for the user drawing set, and

wherein authenticating access to the user session is responsive to determining that timing of one of the multiple user drawing set members matches the set of timing data for one of multiple library drawing set members.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the user drawing set matches the library drawing set if a majority of the multiple user drawing set members matches a majority of library drawing set members.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the user drawing set matches the library drawing set based on an aggregate comparison score.

15. One or more computer-readable-media storage devices comprising a set of instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

displaying a digital image on a display screen, the digital image associated with a user;

receiving a user drawing set via superimposition over the digital image on the display screen, the user drawing set having multiple user gestures, the multiple user gestures including at least two of;

a user touch point indicating a position associated with the digital image;

a user circle gesture indicating a first set of positions associated with the digital image;

a user line gesture indicating a second set of positions associated with the digital image;

or

a user freestyle form gesture indicating a third set of positions associated with the digital image; and

authenticating access to a user session if at least two of the position, the first set of positions, the second set of positions, or the third set of positions associated with the multiple user gestures of the user drawing set match a library drawing set associated with the user.

16. One or more computer-readable-media storage devices as recited in claim 15, wherein the multiple user gestures at least include the user freestyle form gesture.

17. One or more computer-readable-media storage devices as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the digital image from a digital image library associated with the user.

18. One or more computer-readable-media storage devices as recited in claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

setting a minimum library set size and a minimum complexity level for the library drawing set.

19. A picture signature password system, comprising:

a display screen to display a digital image associated with a user;

a user input device to receive a user drawing set superimposed over the digital image associated with the user and displayed on the display screen, the user drawing set having at least two user gestures, two of the user gestures being;

a touch point indicating a position associated with the digital image,

a circle gesture indicating a first set of positions associated with the digital image,

a line gesture indicating a second set of positions associated with the digital image,

or a freestyle form gesture indicating a third set of positions associated with the digital image; and

a processor to execute a set of instructions to authenticate access to a user session if positions associated with the digital image indicated through the at least two user gestures of the user drawing set match a library drawing set associated with the user.

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