User credentials

• US 9,979,723 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Saylor, Michael J., Chen, Gang, Butin, Kirill, Zolin, Roman, Vazquez, Hector
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chavez, Rodrigo
• Application Number:
  US15/015,817
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 704231, 704246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/24 the user being prompted to utter a password or a predefined phrase
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Obtaining and/or validating user credentials at client devices is described. A phrase may be generated based on one or more index values determined according to a function of time and a credential identifier identifying a user credential. The phrase may be output by the client device for validating the user credential.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors in an electronic device which, upon such execution, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

obtaining, by the one or more processors in the electronic device, a credential identifier that identifies a credential granted to a user;

receiving, by the electronic device, synchronization data from one or more servers;

synchronizing, by the one or more processors, a timing device of the electronic device with a time of the one or more servers based on the synchronization data;

after synchronizing the timing device of the electronic device, obtaining, by the one or more processors, a time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

determining, by the one or more processors, one or more parameters using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine different values for the one or more parameters having different values for different times obtained from the synchronized timing device;

generating, by the one or more processors, a representation for the credential according to the one or more parameters determined using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device; and

controlling, by the one or more processors, one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential to indicate possession of the credential.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein controlling, by the one or more processors, the one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential comprises displaying a graphical representation at the display of the electronic device.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the graphical representation includes a fractal or a three-dimensional rendering of an object, and

wherein controlling the one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential comprises outputting the fractal or the three-dimensional rendering of the object to the display of the electronic device in a manner that enables a credential authority to validate the credential by visual inspection of the fractal or the three-dimensional rendering of the object.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters define at least a shape included in the representation for the credential.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein generating, by the one or more processors, the representation for the credential comprises generating, independent of a second electronic device, the representation for the credential using the one or more parameters, the representation for the credential matching a time-varying representation of the credential generated by the second electronic device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the representation for the credential encodes data that matches time-varying data utilized by the second electronic device to generate the time-varying representation of the credential.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

upon expiration of a time period during which the representation for the credential is valid, obtaining an updated time from the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

updating the one or more parameters based on the credential identifier and the updated time obtained from the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

based on the updated one or more parameters, generating an updated representation for the credential granted to the user; and

outputting the updated representation in a manner that enables the credential authority to validate the credential.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise outputting, to the display of the electronic device, a representation of the timer in the electronic device during output of the representation for the credential, the representation of the timer in the electronic device showing a time that counts down to expiration of the representation for the credential.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein generating, by the one or more processors, the representation for the credential comprises:

generating an index value using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device;

selecting, using the index value, one or more objects from a collection of objects; and

rendering the representation for the credential based on the selected one or more objects.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors and one or more computer storage media storing instructions that are operable and when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

obtaining a credential identifier that identifies a credential granted to a user;

receiving synchronization data from one or more servers;

synchronizing a timing device of an electronic device with a time of the one or more servers based on the synchronization data;

after synchronizing the timing device of the electronic device, obtaining a time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

determining one or more parameters using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine different values for the one or more parameters having different values for different times obtained from the synchronized timing device;

generating a representation for the credential according to the one or more parameters determined using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device; and

controlling one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential to indicate possession of the credential.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein controlling the one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential comprises displaying a graphical representation at the display of the electronic device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphical representation includes a fractal or a three-dimensional rendering of an object, and

wherein controlling the one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential comprises outputting the fractal or the three-dimensional rendering of the object to the display of the electronic device in a manner that enables a credential authority to validate the credential by visual inspection of the fractal or the three-dimensional rendering of the object.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

upon expiration of a time period during which the representation for the credential is valid, obtaining an updated time from the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

updating the one or more parameters based on the credential identifier and the updated time obtained from the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

based on the updated one or more parameters, generating an updated representation for the credential granted to the user; and

outputting the updated representation in a manner that enables the credential authority to validate the credential.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise outputting, to the display of the electronic device, a representation of the timer in the electronic device during output of the representation for the credential, the representation of the timer in the electronic device showing a time that counts down to expiration of the representation for the credential.

15. A method comprising:

obtaining, by one or more processors in an electronic device, a credential identifier that identifies a credential granted to a user;

receiving, by the electronic device, synchronization data from one or more servers;

synchronizing, by the one or more processors, a timing device of the electronic device with a time of the one or more servers based on the synchronization data;

after synchronizing the timing device of the electronic device, obtaining, by the one or more processors, a time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

determining, by the one or more processors, one or more parameters using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine different values for the one or more parameters having different values for different times obtained from the synchronized timing device;

generating, by the one or more processors, a representation for the credential according to the one or more parameters determined using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device of the electronic device; and

controlling, by the one or more processors, one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential to indicate possession of the credential.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein controlling, by the one or more processors, the one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential comprises displaying a graphical representation at the display of the electronic device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the graphical representation includes a fractal or a three-dimensional rendering of an object, and

wherein controlling the one or more of a display and a speaker to output the representation for the credential comprises outputting the fractal or the three-dimensional rendering of the object to the display of the electronic device in a manner that enables a credential authority to validate the credential by visual inspection of the fractal or the three-dimensional rendering of the object.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

upon expiration of a time period during which the representation for the credential is valid, obtaining an updated time from the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

updating the one or more parameters based on the credential identifier and the updated time obtained from the synchronized timing device of the electronic device;

based on the updated one or more parameters, generating an updated representation for the credential granted to the user; and

outputting the updated representation in a manner that enables the credential authority to validate the credential.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

outputting, to the display of the electronic device, a representation of the timer in the electronic device during output of the representation for the credential, the representation of the timer showing a time that counts down to expiration of the representation for the credential.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein generating, by the one or more processors, the representation for the credential comprises:

generating an index value using the credential identifier and the time indicated by the synchronized timing device;

selecting, using the index value, one or more objects from a collection of objects; and

rendering the representation for the credential based on the selected one or more objects.