Method for supporting dynamic password

• US 20030037262A1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited
• Original Assignee: Activcard Ireland, Limited
• Inventors: Hillhouse, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,093,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords

Abstract

A method of generating dynamic password is disclosed. A method of generating a dynamic password comprising the steps of providing a plurality of variable parameters, each parameter from the plurality of variable parameters being variable upon predetermined criteria; providing a plurality of predetermined static parameters; and processing at least some of the plurality of variable parameters and of the predetermined static parameters according to a dynamic password generating equation manipulating at least some of the plurality of variable parameters and of the predetermined static parameters resulting in an ordered sequence of dynamic and static parameters.

Claims

1. A method of password verification comprising the steps of:

providing a process for transforming at least a variable parameter into an ordered string of characters, wherein the process sometimes results in different ordered strings of characters for a same variable parameter;

providing at least a variable parameter as a known password;

determining from data available to an individual and from the known password a static string;

providing the determined static string as a password for verification; and

, verifying the static string to determine that it is an accurate transformation of the at least a variable parameter according to the provided process and when the determination is that the transformation is accurate, providing an indication that the password is verified.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the static string includes the steps of:

performing the process for transforming at least a variable parameter on the known password to determine a second static string;

comparing the provided static string with the second static string to determine a comparison result and, when the comparison result is indicative of a match, providing an indication that the password is verified.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least a variable parameter includes an uncontrollably variable parameter.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the at least a variable parameter includes at least a static parameter.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the process includes steps of determining from present time data, a current value for a variable parameter relating to time.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the process includes steps of providing data to a user for interpretation by the user and then comparing the user'"'"'s interpretation to a predetermined known interpretation.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the provided data is an image and the interpretation is a string indicative of the image.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the known password is provided by a user.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the known password is entered as a string of characters and wherein at least a character is indicative of one of a variable parameter and a static parameter.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the string of characters is parsable to form the known password, the parsing distinguishing variable parameters from static parameters within the known password.

11. A method of changing dynamic passwords comprising the steps of:

providing a string of characters, the string including indications of at least a parameter from a plurality of parameters, the at least a parameter being a variable parameter variable upon predetermined criteria;

receiving the provided string of characters; and

, storing data based on the known password, the data sufficient for verifying provided passwords to determine their accuracy.

12. A method of changing dynamic passwords according to claim 11, comprising the step of:

with a processor parsing the provided string of characters to distinguish static data from the at least a variable parameter.

13. A method of changing dynamic passwords according to claim 11, wherein the parameters are selected from a plurality of available parameters and wherein the plurality of available parameters are provided to a user for selecting thereform.

14. A method of changing dynamic passwords according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of available parameters are each represented by an identifier and wherein the identifier for a given parameter in one instant is different from the identifier for a same parameter in another instant.

15. A method of changing dynamic passwords according to claim 11, wherein the step of storing data based on the known password comprises the steps of:

extracting static data from the known password;

hashing the extracted static data to determine at least a static hash value;

storing the at least a static hash value; and

, extracting dynamic data from the known password and storing indications of the dynamic data.

16. A method of verifying a dynamic password comprising the steps of:

receiving a password comprising a string of characters wherein the characters are sequenced according to a predetermined sequence of variable parameters and static parameters;

identifying static parameters within the string of characters;

determining dynamic parameter values related to the dynamic parameters in accordance with the predetermined sequence;

comparing static parameters received within the string of characters with previously stored static parameters and the received dynamic parameter within the determined dynamic parameters to determine a first comparison result;

wherein upon both the first comparison result being indicative of a match, the dynamic password is validated.

17. A method of generating a dynamic password comprising the steps of:

providing a process for transforming at least a variable parameter into an ordered string of characters, wherein the process sometimes results in different ordered strings of characters for a same variable parameter; and

, providing at least a variable parameter as a password, the provided variable parameter provided by an individual via a data entry device.

18. A method of generating dynamic passwords according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of variable parameters comprises uncontrollably varying parameters.

19. A method of generating dynamic passwords according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined criteria for varying the variable parameters is characteristic of a time frame.