Password creating method and device

• US 9,665,706 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PIN Genie Limited
• Original Assignee: Smart Electronic Industrial (Dong Guan) Co., Ltd., Zheng Li
• Inventors: Zheng, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): LANIER, BENJAMIN E
• Application Number:
  US15/166,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20160350527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

A password creating device and method is provided. In this method, two keyboard layouts are employed. Each key location of each layout is mapped onto an information unit comprising a plurality of information elements. The information units are different from each other among a specific layout. The two keyboard layouts are displayed, and two series of key location selections based on the respective keyboard layouts are received to obtain two information unit sequences. The two series of information units are compared with each other in accordance with the order of occurrence of each information element, an information element shared by two corresponding information units associated with a same key location is taken as an information element selected by the user as part of his password, and a password is created by joining all of the shared information elements together in sequence.

Claims

1. A method for creating a password on a device having a display, a user interface, a storage unit, and a control unit, the method comprising the following steps:

generating and displaying a first and a second keyboard layout on the display, the first keyboard layout having a plurality of key locations, each key location corresponding to a respective information unit, each information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units of the first keyboard layout being different from the other information units of the first keyboard layout, and the second keyboard layout having a plurality of key locations, each key location corresponding to a respective information unit, each information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units of the second keyboard layout being different from the information units of the first keyboard layout and of the other information units of the second keyboard layout, wherein each information unit of the second keyboard layout comprises at most one information element in common with any information unit of the first keyboard layout;

receiving, through the user interface, a first and a second series of user inputs, each user input selecting key locations of the first and second keyboard layouts, respectively;

corresponding the selected key locations of the second keyboard layout to the selected key locations of the first keyboard layout in accordance with their order of selection;

for each pair of corresponding selected key locations;

comparing the information unit of the corresponding key locations with one another; and

identifying a common information element shared by the compared information units;

creating the password from the sequence of identified information elements; and

storing the created password in the storage unit.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein generating each of the first and second keyboard layouts comprises randomly assigning the information elements to the information units at the key locations of the keyboard layout, and wherein the random assignment of information elements in the second keyboard layout is controlled to ensure that the information units of the second keyboard layout are different from the information units of the first keyboard layout, and that each information unit of the second keyboard layout contains at most one information element in common with any information unit of the first keyboard layout.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first keyboard layout is displayed prior to displaying of the second keyboard layout.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein an information unit mapped onto a specific key location of a corresponding keyboard layout is indicated in the same key location.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein the information unit is graphically displayed as an image or a collection of coded information elements.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the information elements of each information unit are any one or a combination of characters, colors, fonts, font sizes, graphics, and patterns.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the key locations of each keyboard layout appear in a fixed location of the display in a static manner.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the key locations of each keyboard layout move around the display over time in a dynamic manner.

9. The method recited in claim 3, wherein selection of a specific key location by the user results in a click event to the same key location.

10. The password creating method as recited in claim 8, wherein the user interface is a touch-screen display.

11. A device comprising:

a controller for executing a program for creating a password;

memory for storing information units of selected key locations during execution of the program; and

a touch-screen display for providing said key locations and for receiving a pressing of the key locations from a user and converting the pressing into a selection of the information unit at the key location that is pressed,

wherein the controller is operable to;

generate and display a first and a second keyboard layout on the touch-screen display, the first keyboard layout having a plurality of key locations, each key location corresponding to a respective information unit, each information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units of the first keyboard layout being different from the other information units of the first keyboard layout, and the second keyboard layout having a plurality of key locations, each key location corresponding to a respective information unit, each information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units of the second keyboard layout being different from the information units of the first keyboard layout and of the other information units of the second keyboard layout, wherein each information unit of the second keyboard layout comprises at most one information element in common with any information unit of the first keyboard layout;

receive a first and a second series of user inputs, each user input selecting key locations of the first and second keyboard layouts, respectively;

correspond the selected key locations of the second keyboard layout to the selected key locations of the first keyboard layout in accordance with their order of selection;

for each pair of corresponding selected key locations;

compare the information unit of the corresponding key locations with one another; and

identify a common information element shared by the compared information units;

create the password from the sequence of identified information elements; and

store the created password in the memory.

19. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to randomly assign the information elements to the information units at the key locations of each keyboard layout, and to control the random assignment of information elements in the second keyboard layout to ensure that the information units of the second keyboard layout are different than the information units of the first keyboard layout.

20. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to map an information unit onto a specific key location of a corresponding keyboard layout in the same key location.

21. The device recited in claim 20, wherein the display is operable to graphically display each information unit as an image or a collection of coded information elements.

22. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to provide each of the key locations of the first and second keyboard layouts in fixed locations of the touch screen.

23. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to move each of the key locations of the first and second keyboard layouts around the touch screen over time.

12. A method for creating a password on a device having a display, a physical keyboard, a storage unit, and a control unit, the method comprising:

generating and displaying a first keyboard layout on the display, each key of the first keyboard layout corresponding to a respective key of the physical keyboard, the first keyboard layout having the same key arrangement as that of the physical keyboard, each key further corresponding to an information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units being different from one another;

receiving at the physical keyboard, a first series of user inputs selecting key locations of the first keyboard layout;

generating and displaying a second keyboard layout on the display, each key of the second keyboard layout corresponding to a respective key of the physical keyboard, the second keyboard layout having the same key arrangement as that of the physical keyboard and the first keyboard layout, each key further corresponding to an information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units of the second keyboard layout being different from the information units of the first keyboard layout and from the other in of the second keyboard layout, each information unit of the second keyboard layout comprising at most one information element in common with any information unit of the first keyboard layout;

receiving at the physical keyboard, a second series of user inputs selecting key locations of the second keyboard layout;

corresponding the selected key locations of the second keyboard layout to the selected key locations of the first keyboard layout in accordance with their order of selection;

for each pair of corresponding selected key locations;

comparing the information units of the corresponding key locations with each other; and

identifying a common information element shared by the compared information units;

creating the password from the sequence of identified information elements; and

storing the created password in the storage unit.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first keyboard layout is displayed prior to displaying of the second keyboard layout.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein the information unit is graphically displayed at the display as an image or a collection of coded information elements.

15. The method recited in claim 12, wherein generating each of the first and second keyboard layouts comprises randomly assigning the information elements to the information units at the key locations of the keyboard layout, and wherein the random assignment of information elements in the second keyboard layout is controlled to ensure that the information units of the second keyboard layout are different than the information units of the first keyboard layout, and that each information unit of the second keyboard layout contains at most one information element in common with any information unit of the first keyboard layout.

16. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the information elements of each information unit are any one or a combination of characters, colors, fonts, font sizes, graphics, and patterns.

17. The method recited in claim 12, wherein selection of a specific key location of the physical keyboard is caused by a key-down or a key-up event.

18. A device comprising:

a controller for executing a program for creating a password;

memory for storing information units of selected key locations during execution of the method;

a physical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys for receiving user inputs, and converting a pressing of a given key into a selection of a corresponding information unit; and

a display for displaying information units corresponding to the keys of the physical keyboard,

wherein the controller is operable to;

generate and display a first keyboard layout on the display, each key of the first keyboard layout corresponding to a respective key of the physical keyboard, the first keyboard layout having the same key arrangement as that of the physical keyboard, each key further corresponding to an information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units being different from one another;

receive a first series of user inputs selecting key locations of the first keyboard layout;

generate and display a second keyboard layout on the display, each key of the second keyboard layout corresponding to a respective key of the physical keyboard, the second keyboard layout having the same key arrangement as that of the physical keyboard and the first keyboard layout, each key further corresponding to an information unit comprising a plurality of information elements, each of the information units of the second keyboard layout being different from the information units of the first keyboard layout and from the other in of the second keyboard layout, each information unit of the second keyboard layout comprising at most one information element in common with any information unit of the first keyboard layout;

receive a second series of user inputs selecting key locations of the second keyboard layout;

correspond the selected key locations of the second keyboard layout to the selected key locations of the first keyboard layout in accordance with their order of selection;

for each pair of corresponding selected key locations;

compare the information units of the corresponding key locations with each other; and

identify a common information element shared by the compared information units;

create the password from the sequence of identified information elements; and

store the created password in memory.

24. The device recited in claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to display the first keyboard layout prior to displaying of the second keyboard layout.

25. The device recited in claim 24, wherein the controller is operable to graphically display each information unit as an image or a collection of coded information elements.

26. The device recited in claim 18, wherein the controller is operable to randomly assign the information elements to the information units at the key locations of each keyboard layout, and to control the random assignment of information elements in the second keyboard layout to ensure that the information units of the second keyboard layout are different than the information units of the first keyboard layout.

27. The device recited in claim 18, wherein the device is operable to convert a key-down or a key-up event of the physical keyboard as a selection of a specific key location.

28. The device recited in claim 18, wherein the keys of the physical keyboard are associated with input circuits, and switching on a input circuit of each key represents selection of the information unit associated with said key.