Secure display element

• US 9,965,654 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dai Zovi, Dino
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garca
• Application Number:
  US15/196,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20160307003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/031 Protect user input by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/206 comprising security or operator identification provisions, e.g. password entry

Abstract

Techniques for securely displaying sensitive information against attempts to capture such information via screenshots are introduced. Similar to the pieces of a puzzle, a plurality of images that collectively represent a keypad (for example) are generated and each image represents a different part of the characters. The generated images are to be displayed to a human user in a sequential fashion at at least a predetermined minimum frame rate, such that the plurality of images sequentially displayed are perceivable by the human user collectively as the keypad. In each of the plurality of images, at least a part of the characters of the keypad is disguised or concealed, and in some embodiments, to the extent that not a single character of the keypad is recognizable by a human or a machine. Further, bogus data can be selectively inserted to enhance security.

Claims

1. A method of securely displaying information on a computing device, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computing device, an instruction to display, on a display coupled to the computing device, an item of information to be secured;

altering, by the computing device, the item of information so as to render at least one segment of the item of information with a fake data to display at a first number of instances in time in sequence with real data of the at least one segment displayed at a second number of instances in time;

converting, by the computing device, results from said altering into pixel information representing a plurality of images; and

displaying the pixel information using the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of images, when sequentially displayed at least at a minimum rate, are perceivable by a human user collectively as the item of information being substantially statically displayed without being substantially interfered by the fake data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the plurality of images are sequentially displayed at or above a minimum rate, an amount of the fake data for a given region in the plurality of images is at or less than a predetermined percentage of an amount of the real data in the plurality of images for the given region.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the item of information to determine a content category; and

selecting the fake data from the content category.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the content category indicates whether the item of information is (1) alphanumerical, (2) alphabetical, or (3) numerical.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said selecting is to choose, for the fake data, stylistic attributes for creating a similar appearance to what the fake data is to cover.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a total number of the segments of the item of information with fake data based on a computing performance of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said adjusting comprises:

reducing the total number of the segments if an effective rate is reducing, and wherein the total number of segments is never reduced below a minimum threshold defined by a minimum security level.

9. A point-of-sale (POS) system comprising:

a payment card reader suitable for coupling with a computing device; and

a software application that, when installed on the computing device, is operable to cause the computing device to;

detect an instruction to display an item of information to be secured; and

display the item of information by sequentially displaying a plurality of images that collectively represent the item of information at least at a minimum rate,

wherein at least one image of the plurality of images includes fake data that is displayed in place of real data during the sequentially displaying of the plurality of images that collectively represent the displayed item of information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of images, when sequentially displayed at least at the minimum rate, are perceivable by a human user collectively as the item of information being substantially statically displayed without being substantially interfered by the fake data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further caused to:

analyze the item of information to determine a content category; and

select the fake data from the content category.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the content category indicates whether the item of information is (1) alphanumerical, (2) alphabetical, or (3) numerical.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device, in selecting the fake data, is further caused to choose, for the fake data, stylistic attributes for creating a similar appearance to what the fake data is to cover.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further caused to adjust a total number of the segments of the item of information with fake data based on a computing performance of the computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device, in adjusting the total number of segments, is further caused to reduce the total number of the segments if an effective rate is reducing, and wherein the total number of segments is never reduced below a minimum threshold defined by a minimum security level.

16. A method of securely displaying information on a computing device, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computing device, an instruction to display an original image on a display coupled to the computing device;

storing, by the computing device, a persistent portion of the original image into a memory of the computing device for display;

storing, by the computing device, a replacement image into the memory of the computing device for display, wherein the replacement image will be displayed on the display in place of a replaceable portion of the original image, and wherein the replacement image is different from the replaceable portion of the original image; and

responsive to the instruction to display the original image;

concurrently displaying, by the computing device, the persistent portion of the original image and the replacement image in place of the replaceable portion of the original image; and

concurrently displaying, by the computing device, the persistent portion of the original image and the replaceable portion of the original image, wherein the persistent portion of the original image and the replaceable portion of the original image are displayed a threshold plurality of times for each display of the replacement image.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

analyzing the replaceable portion of the original image to determine a content category; and

composing the replacement image from the content category.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the content category indicates whether information included in the replaceable portion is (1) alphanumerical, (2) alphabetical, or (3) numerical.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the selecting comprises choosing, for the replacement image, stylistic attributes for creating a similar appearance to what the replacement image is to cover.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the concurrently displaying steps are performed in the recited order.