Computing device with graphical authentication interface

• US 10,325,086 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Riddiford, Martin Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Canh
• Application Number:
  US13/379,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,290 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A computing device with a graphical authentication interface in which the device displays a base image and authenticates a user when a pre-selected element in a secondary image overlying the base image is aligned with a pre-selected element in the base image.

Claims

1. An authentication method for a computing device, comprising:

displaying a first image and a second image overlaying the first image on a display of the computing device, the first image comprising a plurality of points of interest and the second image comprising a plurality of elements,

wherein the first image comprises a digital photograph,

wherein the second image is partially transparent except for the plurality of elements in the second image,

wherein the plurality of elements in the second image comprise any of the following;

numbers, letters, words, colors, shapes, lines, icons, or any combination thereof;

receiving input from an input device of the computing device;

repositioning the second image on the display with respect to the first image in response to the received input;

detecting when a predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with a predetermined point of interest in the first image in response to the repositioning, wherein geometrical alignment occurs when the predetermined element in the second image is within a threshold distance of the predetermined point of interest in the first image; and

authenticating a user in response to the detecting that the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the elements in the second image are arranged in a pattern.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pattern comprises a grid pattern.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the pattern is repositioned with respect to the first image while the position of the first image is fixed.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the pattern is repeated or looped in one or more directions.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the arrangement of the elements in the pattern is randomly generated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the arrangement of the elements in the pattern is randomly generated with respect to any of the following:

a pitch of the pattern, an orientation or skew of the pattern, an order of the elements in the pattern, an shape of the pattern, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the first image from a source image by at least one of re-sizing, re-positioning, or re-arranging at least some of the plurality of points of interest of the first image.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in multiple elements in the second image with multiple predetermined points of interest in the first image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in the same predetermined element in the second image with different predetermined points of interest in the first image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in different predetermined elements in the second image with the same predetermined point of interest in the first image.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing different levels of security, wherein a first level of security corresponds to unlocking the computing device and accessing certain functions, and a second level of security corresponds to access to an enterprise environment.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a third image overlaying at least one of the first image or the second image, the third image comprising a plurality of elements;

repositioning the second image on the display with respect to the third image in response to received input

detecting when a predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with a predetermined point of interest in the first image and a predetermined element in the third image in response to the repositioning;

wherein the user is authenticated in response to detecting the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image and the predetermined element in the third image.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the third image is displayed in response to detecting the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of images are used for work and home logins.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined point of interest in the first image is a type of element that does not have a fixed position in the first image but that appears anywhere in the first image.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined point of interest in the first image is in a fixed location in the first image.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating allows access to the computing device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating allows access to a certain function of the computing device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating allows access to a certain area of the computing device.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor of a computing device to perform, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

display a first image and a second image overlaying the first image on a display of the computing device, the first image comprising a plurality of points of interest and the second image comprising a plurality of elements,

wherein the first image comprises a digital photograph,

wherein the second image is partially transparent except for the plurality of elements in the second image,

wherein the plurality of elements in the second image comprise any of the following;

numbers, letters, words, colors, shapes, lines, icons, or any combination thereof;

receive input from an input device of the computing device;

reposition the second image on the display with respect to the first image in response to the received input;

detect when a predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with a predetermined point of interest in the first image in response to the repositioning, wherein geometrical alignment occurs when the predetermined element in the second image is within a threshold distance of the predetermined point of interest in the first image; and

authenticate a user in response to the detecting that the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the elements in the second image are arranged in a pattern.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the pattern comprises a grid pattern.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the pattern is repositioned with respect to the first image while the position of the first image is fixed.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the pattern is repeated or looped in one or more directions.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the arrangement of the elements in the pattern is randomly generated.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the arrangement of the elements in the pattern is randomly generated with respect to any of the following:

a pitch of the pattern, an orientation or skew of the pattern, an order of the elements in the pattern, an shape of the pattern, or any combination thereof.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

generate the first image from a source image by at least one of re-sizing, re-positioning, or re-arranging at least some of the plurality of points of interest of the first image.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in multiple elements in the second image with multiple predetermined points of interest in the first image.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in the same predetermined element in the second image with different predetermined points of interest in the first image.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in different predetermined elements in the second image with the same predetermined point of interest in the first image.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

provide different levels of security, wherein a first level of security corresponds to unlocking the computing device and accessing certain functions, and a second level of security corresponds to access to an enterprise environment.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

display a third image overlaying at least one of the first image or the second image, the third image comprising a plurality of elements;

receive further user input;

reposition the second image on the display with respect to the third image in response to the received further user input; and

detect when a predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with a predetermined point of interest in the first image and a predetermined element in the third image in response to the repositioning;

wherein the user is authenticated in response to detecting the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image and the predetermined element in the third image.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the third image is displayed in response to detecting the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein a plurality of images are used for work and home logins.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the predetermined point of interest in the first image is a type of element that does not have a fixed position in the first image but that appears anywhere in the first image.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the predetermined point of interest in the first image is in a fixed location in the first image.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the authenticating allows access to the computing device.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the authenticating allows access to a certain function of the computing device.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the authenticating allows access to a certain area of computing device.

41. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

an input device coupled to the processor;

a display; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon to perform, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to;

display a first image and a second image overlaying the first image on the display, the first image comprising a plurality of points of interest and the second image comprising a plurality of elements,

wherein the first image comprises a digital photograph,

wherein the second image is partially transparent except for the plurality of elements in the second image,

wherein the plurality of elements in the second image comprise any of the following;

numbers, letters, words, colors, shapes, lines, icons, or any combination thereof;

receive input from an input device of the computing device;

reposition the second image on the display with respect to the first image in response to the received input;

detect when a predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with a predetermined point of interest in the first image in response to the repositioning, wherein geometrical alignment occurs when the predetermined element in the second image is within a threshold distance of the predetermined point of interest in the first image; and

authenticate a user in response to the detecting that the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image.

42. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the computing device comprises any one or more of the following:

a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a personal information manager, a cellular telephone, an automated teller machine, a security access system, or a point of sale terminal.

43. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the elements in the second image are arranged in a pattern.

44. The computing device of claim 43, wherein the pattern comprises a grid pattern.

45. The computing device of claim 43, wherein the pattern is repositioned with respect to the first image while the position of the first image is fixed.

46. The computing device of claim 43, wherein the pattern is repeated or looped in one or more directions.

47. The computing device of claim 43, wherein the arrangement of the elements in the pattern is randomly generated.

48. The computing device of claim 47, wherein the arrangement of the elements in the pattern is randomly generated with respect to any of the following:

a pitch of the pattern, an orientation or skew of the pattern, an order of the elements in the pattern, an shape of the pattern, or any combination thereof.

49. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

generate the first image from a source image by at least one of re-sizing, re-positioning, or re-arranging at least some of the plurality of points of interest of the first image.

50. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in multiple elements in the second image with multiple predetermined points of interest in the first image.

51. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in the same predetermined element in the second image with different predetermined points of interest in the first image.

52. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the user is authenticated in response to successive geometrical alignment of points in different predetermined elements in the second image with the same predetermined point of interest in the first image.

53. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

provide different levels of security, wherein a first level of security corresponds to unlocking the computing device and accessing certain functions, and a second level of security corresponds to access to an enterprise environment.

54. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

display a third image overlaying at least one of the first image or the second image, the third image comprising a plurality of elements;

receive further user input;

reposition the second image on the display with respect to the third image in response to the received further user input; and

detect when a predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with a predetermined point of interest in the first image and a predetermined element in the third image in response to the repositioning;

wherein the user is authenticated in response to detecting the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image and the predetermined element in the third image.

55. The computing device of claim 54, herein the third image is displayed in response to detecting the predetermined element in the second image is geometrically aligned with the predetermined point of interest in the first image.

56. The computing device of claim 41, wherein a plurality of images are used for work and home logins.

57. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the predetermined point of interest in the first image is a type of element that does not have a fixed position in the first image but that appears anywhere in the first image.

58. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the predetermined point of interest in the first image is in a fixed location in the first image.

59. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the authenticating allows access to the computing device.

60. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the authenticating allows access to a certain function of the computing device.

61. The computing device of claim 41, wherein the authenticating allows access to a certain area of the computing device.