Real time password generation apparatus and method

• US 8,984,599 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bodavula, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrishamkar, Kaveh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoica, Adrian
• Application Number:
  US13/359,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20120198530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a password in real time by creating at least one password map during creation of an account associated with a user, and generating and providing a random password hint sequence grid to the user in real time, authenticating the user for accessing the account using a password created by the user, where the password is created by the user using the random password hint sequence grid and the at least one password map.

Claims

1. A method for generating a password in real time in a processor, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of password maps during creation of an account associated with a user;

generating and providing a random password hint sequence grid to the user in real time; and

authenticating the user for accessing the account using a password created by the user, wherein the password is created by the user using random characters in the random password hint sequence grid and one of the plurality of password maps, wherein the random password hint sequence grid includes a password map number that identifies the one of the plurality of password maps.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the random password hint sequence grid includes a plurality of random characters generated in real time, and wherein the plurality of characters are selected from the group consisting of case sensitive characters, case insensitive characters, numeric characters, alpha numeric characters, numeric alphabet characters, picture-numeric characters, and picture-alphabetic characters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the password is created using the plurality of random characters in the random password hint sequence grid generated in real time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the plurality of password maps during creation of the account associated with the user comprises:

receiving a first input from the user;

generating and providing at least one random password hint sequence grid to the user based on the first input received from the user, wherein the first input indicates a number of random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid;

receiving a second input from the user;

generating and providing the password sequence grid to the user for creating a password based on the second input received from the user, wherein the second input indicates a number of characters associated with the password;

receiving the password created by the user using the random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid through the password sequence grid;

creating at least one password map from the password received in the password sequence grid based on the position of the random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid used in the password; and

creating the account associated with the user upon creating the at least one password map.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating and providing the random password hint sequence grid to the user in real time comprises:

generating the random password hint sequence grid including random characters, wherein a number of random characters in the random password hint sequence grid is based on the first input; and

providing the random password hint sequence grid including the random characters to the user such that the password is created by the user using the random characters in the random password hint sequence grid generated in real time and one of the plurality of password maps created during creation of the account.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for generating a password in real time in a processor, the medium comprising:

a first code segment, for creating a plurality of password maps during creation of an account associated with a user;

a second code segment, for generating and providing a random password hint sequence grid to the user in real time; and

a third code segment, for authenticating the user for accessing the account using a password created by the user, wherein the password is created by the user using random characters in the random password hint sequence grid and one of the plurality of password map,

wherein the random password hint sequence grid includes a password map number that identifies the one of the plurality of password maps.

7. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein the random password hint sequence grid includes a plurality of random characters generated in real time, and wherein the plurality of characters are selected from the group consisting of case sensitive characters, case insensitive characters, numeric characters, alpha numeric characters, numeric alphabet characters, picture-numeric characters, and picture-alphabetic characters.

8. The storage medium of claim 7, wherein the password is created using the plurality of random characters in the random password hint sequence grid generated in real time.

9. The storage medium of claim 6, wherein creating the plurality of password maps during creation of the account associated with the user comprises:

receiving a first input from the user, generating and providing at least one random password hint sequence grid to the user based on the first input received from the user, wherein the first input indicates a number of random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid;

receiving a second input from the user, generating and providing the password sequence grid to the user for creating the password based on the second input received from the user, wherein the second input indicates a number of characters associated with the password;

receiving the password created by the user using the random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid through the password sequence grid;

creating at least one password map from the password received in the password sequence grid based on the position of the random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid used in the password; and

creating the account associated with the user upon creating the at least one password map.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein generating and providing the random password hint sequence grid to the user in real time comprises:

generating the random password hint sequence grid including random characters, wherein a number of random characters in the random password hint sequence grid is based on the first input, and

providing the random password hint sequence grid including the random characters to the user such that the password is created by the user using the random characters in the random password hint sequence grid generated in real time and one of the plurality of password maps created during creation of the account.

11. An apparatus for generating a password in real time in a processor, the apparatus comprising:

the processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes a password generation module for creating a plurality of password maps during creation of an account associated with a user, generating and providing a random password hint sequence grid to the user in real time, and authenticating the user for accessing the account using a password created by the user, wherein the password is created by the user using random characters in the random password hint sequence grid and one of the plurality of password maps,

wherein the random password hint sequence grid includes a password map number that identifies the one of the plurality of password maps.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the random password hint sequence grid includes a plurality of random characters generated in real time, and wherein the plurality of characters are selected from the group consisting of case sensitive characters, case insensitive characters, numeric characters, alpha numeric characters, numeric alphabet characters, picture-numeric characters, and picture-alphabetic characters.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the password generation module enables creation of the password using the plurality of random characters in the random password hint sequence grid generated in real time.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein in creating the plurality of password maps during creation of the account associated with the user, the password generation module is configured for:

receiving a first input from the user

generating and providing the at least one random password hint sequence grid to the user based on the first input received from the user, wherein the first input indicates a number of random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid;

receiving a second input from the user;

generating and providing the password sequence grid to the user for creating a password based on the second input received from the user, wherein the second input indicates a number of characters associated with the password;

receiving the password created by the user using the random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid through the password sequence grid;

creating at least one password map from the password received in the password sequence grid based on the position of the random characters in the at least one random password hint sequence grid used in the password; and

creating the account associated with the user upon creating the at least one password map.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein in generating and providing the random password hint sequence grid to the user in real time, the password generation module is further configured for:

generating the random password hint sequence grid including random characters, wherein a number of random characters in the random password hint sequence grid is based on the first input, and

providing the random password hint sequence grid including the random characters to the user such that the password is created by the user using the random characters in the random password hint sequence grid generated in real time and one of the plurality of password maps created during creation of the account.