Automated test to tell computers and humans apart

• US 10,097,360 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hachey, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kanaan, Simon P
• Application Number:
  US14/943,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2133 Verifying human interaction, e.g., Captcha
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

Techniques for verifying a user is human as opposed to a machine are provided. A series of images may be presented to the user sequentially along with a challenge question that instructs the user to select the image that is responsive to the challenge question. If the user selects the correct image, there likelihood that the user is a human as opposed to a machine is greatly increased. Techniques for varying certain parameters associated with display of images and challenge question are also provided. The variations in these parameters may further help distinguish human users from machines.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to validate a user to determine if the user is a machine or a human;

randomly selecting a set of images, wherein each image is categorized into a different category according to content of the image;

randomly selecting, by a computer, an image among the set of images;

determining, by the computer, the category associated with the randomly selected image among the set of images;

generating, by the computer, a challenge instruction instructing the user to select an image from the set of images corresponding to the determined category;

randomly determining, by the computer, an amount of time for the set of images;

providing for display, via a user interface, of the challenge instruction and the set of images for the randomly determined amount of time to the user without providing a control image for comparison;

providing for receipt, via the user interface, of a user input indicating an image selected by the user among the set of images; and

when the image selected by the user is associated with the category determined by the computer, generating a response to the request to validate the user, the response indicating that the user has successfully responded to the challenge instruction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the category associated with an image is descriptive of the content of the image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content of the image corresponding to the determined category includes at least one element in addition to an element identified by the determined category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected set of images are combined into a single animated image prior to display to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each image from the set of images is displayed sequentially to the user one at a time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each image from the set of images is displayed for a randomly selected amount of time such that a first image is displayed for a first amount of time and a second image is displayed for a second amount of time that is different from the first amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the image selected by the user is associated with the category identified in the challenge instruction, granting the user access to a resource.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the resource is one of e-mail, accessing a web page, or posting a comment on a website.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of images in the set of images is randomly selected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the challenge instruction and the set of images further comprises:

randomly selecting a position of each image on the user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing for display of the challenge instruction and the set of images further comprises:

providing for dynamic display of the set of images such that the displayed set of images move about the user interface.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying a binary representation of the set of images prior to displaying the set of images via the user interface.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein a first image in the set of images is in an image format different than a second image in the set of images.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of images are randomly selected from a database storing the set of images, wherein a first image in the set of images is stored at the database using a unique filename, wherein the method further comprises, prior to providing for display the set of images:

randomly selecting, by the computer, a filename for the first image;

assigning the randomly selected filename to the first image;

storing a mapping between the randomly selected filename and the unique filename; and

providing for display, via the user interface, of the first image along with the randomly selected filename for the first image to the user.

13. A computer comprising a processor;

and a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, and storing executable program code, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive a request to validate a user to determine if the user is a machine or a human;

randomly select a set of images, wherein each image is categorized into a different category according to content of the image;

randomly selecting an image among the set of images;

determining the category associated with the randomly selected image among the set of images;

determine the category associated with one of the set of images;

generate a challenge instruction instructing the user to select an image from the set of images corresponding to the determined category;

randomly determine an amount of time for the set of images;

provide for display, via a user interface, of the challenge instruction and the set of images for the randomly determined amount of time to the user without providing a control image for comparison;

provide for receipt, via the user interface, of a user input indicating an image selected by the user among the set of images; and

when the image selected by the user is associated with the determined category, generate a response to the request to validate the user, the response indicating that the user has successfully responded to the challenge instruction.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the selected set of images are combined into a single animated image prior to display to the user.

15. The computer of claim 13, wherein each image from the set of images is displayed for a randomly selected amount of time such that a first image is displayed for a first amount of time and a second image is displayed for a second amount of time that is different from the first amount of time.

16. The computer of claim 13, wherein a number of images in the set of images is randomly selected.

17. The computer of claim 13, wherein the displaying the challenge instruction and the set of images further comprises:

randomly selecting a position of each image on the user interface.

18. The computer of claim 13, wherein the providing for the display of the challenge instruction and the set of images further comprises:

providing for dynamic display of the set of images such that the displayed set of images move about the user interface.

19. A method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of images from a plurality of image sources;

assigning a category to each one of the plurality of images based on content of each image;

storing the plurality of images along with associated categories in a data store;

randomly selecting a set of images among the plurality of images;

randomly selecting, by a computer, an image among the set of images;

determining, by the computer, the category associated with the randomly selected image among the set of images;

generating, by the computer, a challenge instruction for selecting an image from the set of images corresponding to the determined category;

randomly determining, by the computer, an amount of time for the set of images;

providing for display, via a user interface, of the challenge instruction and the set of images for the randomly determined amount of time without providing a control image for comparison;

providing for receipt, via the user interface, of a user input indicating an image selected by a user among the set of images; and

when the image selected by the user is associated with the category determined by the computer, determining that the user has successfully responded to the challenge instruction.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

continuously updating the plurality of images stored in the data store by purging old images and acquiring new images.