User interface for displaying protected information

• US 6,747,676 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Botz, Patrick S., Cragun, Brian John
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US09/735,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 345/741, 345/742, 345/743, 345/689, 345/780, 345/859, 345/861, 713/202, 713/184
• US Class Current: 715/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication

Abstract

Method for providing at least a portion of a disguised password in an undisguised form is described. More particularly, a program is described having a capability of displaying a single character at a time, more than one character at a time or all of otherwise disguised characters of a password in an undisguised form in response to a successful pre-password check.

Claims

1. A method for revealing at least a portion of a password on a display device, the password disguised to curtail unauthorized disclosure, the method comprising:

displaying on the display device a graphical user interface comprising a password field;

displaying on the display device a cursor object;

determining if the cursor object has been continuously positioned over a portion of the password field for at least a predetermined time;

if the cursor object has been continuously positioned over the password field for at least the predetermined time, then

determining if access to the password is authorized; and

if access to the password is authorized, displaying at least the portion of the password in an undisguised form.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the undisguised form of the password is displayed as only one character of the password at a time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the undisguised form of the password is displayed as more than one character of the password at an instance but less than all characters of the password during the instance.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the undisguised form of the password is displayed as all characters of the password for a time limited duration.

5. A method for revealing at least a portion of a password on a display device, comprising:

displaying on the display device a graphical user interface comprising a password field;

displaying, in the password field, input in a disguised form;

displaying, on the display device, a cursor object;

determining if the cursor object has been continuously positioned over the password field for at least a predetermined time;

if the cursor object has been continuously positioned over the password field for at least the predetermined time, revealing only a portion of the input in an undisguised form, wherein a remaining portion of the input remains in the disguised form.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein revealing is performed only after determining that access to the input is authorized.

7. A method for selectively displaying a portion of a first password on a display device in communication with a programmed computer, the method comprising:

invoking a cursor object for display on the display device;

invoking a graphical user interface for display on the display device, the graphical user interface configured with a password field to receive the first password;

providing access to at least a portion of the first password at least in partial response to the cursor object having a positional association with the password field of the graphical user interface;

waiting for an amount of time of continuous positioning of the cursor object over the password field prior to accepting input associated with a second password;

processing input to the programmed computer without displaying on the display device characters associated with the input;

determining if the input is the second password; and

if the input is the second password, providing the access.