Method for secure data entry in an application

• US 8,161,395 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Girgaonkar, Sandeep Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUONG, TRUC T
• Application Number:
  US11/559,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 715771-773, 715863-864
• US Class Current: 715/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A method and device for entering data in an application is disclosed. The method may comprise displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard within the application, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys. A detection module may monitor the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys and detects that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting the selection of the identifier key. In response to detecting the selection, data associated with the selected identifier key may be generated and indication data representative of the generated data may be displayed in a data field.

Claims

1. A method for entering data in an application, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys, wherein the multiple identifier keys are mapped to randomly generated code representing the multiple identifier keys, wherein each identifier key of the multiple identifier keys is mapped to different randomly generated code generated each time the GUI keyboard is displayed;

monitoring the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys;

detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys;

detecting selection of the identifier key based on the position of the pointer, the selection of the identifier being independent of a clicking action associated with the pointing device and wherein detecting selection of the identifier key comprises detecting when the pointer has been positioned for a predetermined period of time over the identifier key;

in response to detecting the selection, generating data associated with the selected identifier key; and

displaying indication data representative of the generated data in a data field, wherein the indication data is the generated data or masked data, the masked data being one of an asterisk, a hash, an ampersand symbol, or a randomly generated sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the operation of monitoring the position of the pointer of the pointing device and the operation of detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys for a predetermined period of time are performed by the application.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

monitoring the position of the pointer of the pointing device in relation to a data field selector in a GUI of the application; and

detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the data field selector for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting a request to display a GUI keyboard associated with the data field selector.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the data field selector is a keyboard identifier associated with a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI or a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI.

5. The method of claim 4, in which at least one of the multiple identifier keys comprises an action key, the method comprising:

detecting that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the action key for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting the selection of the action key; and

taking an action associated with the selected action key.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the action key selected is an unmask identifier key and the action taken comprises:

detecting that the indication data is masked data and, in response to this detection, displaying the indication data as generated data in a data field;

or

detecting that the indication data is generated data and, in response to this detection, displaying the indication data as masked data.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the data field is a data field of the application'"'"'s GUI.

8. The method of claim 6, in which the data field is a data field of the GUI keyboard.

9. The method of claim 5, in which the action key is a finalization identifier key and the action taken comprises removing the display of the GUI keyboard from the application'"'"'s GUI.

10. The method of claim 5, in which the action further comprises displaying data representative of the generated data in the application'"'"'s data field.

11. The method of claim 5, in which the action key is a correction key and the action taken comprises:

deleting indication data displayed in the data field.

12. The method of claim 1, displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard within the application comprises randomly generating the mapping and random code each time the GUI keyboard is displayed.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising simulating false pointer movements.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

display a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys, wherein the multiple identifier keys are mapped to randomly generated code representing the multiple identifier keys, wherein each identifier key of the multiple identifier keys is mapped to different randomly generated code generated each time the GUI keyboard is displayed;

monitor the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys;

select one of the multiple identifier keys in response to the pointer being positioned over the multiple identifier key for a predetermined amount of time, the selection of the identifier being independent of a clicking action associated with the pointing device;

in response to the selection, generate data associated with the selected identifier key; and

display indication data representative of the generated data in a data field, wherein the indication data is the generated data or masked data, the masked data being one of an asterisk, a hash, an ampersand symbol, or a randomly generated sequence.

15. A device to enter data in an application, the device comprising:

a processor;

a keyboard display module in communication with the processor to;

display a graphical user interface (GUI) keyboard, the keyboard comprising multiple identifier keys;

generate data associated with a selected identifier key;

map the multiple identifier keys to a random code representing the multiple identifier keys, wherein each identifier key of the multiple identifier keys is mapped to different randomly generated code generated each time the GUI keyboard is displayed; and

display indication data representative of the generated data in a data field, wherein the indication data is the generated data or masked data, the masked data being one of an asterisk, a hash, an ampersand symbol, or a randomly generated sequence;

a detection module in communication with the processor to;

monitor the position of a pointer of a pointing device in relation to the multiple identifier keys;

detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over one of the multiple identifier keys; and

detect selection of the identifier key based on the position of the pointer, the selection of the identifier being independent of a clicking action associated with the pointing device; and

a timer in communication with the processor to provide the detection module with a predetermined period of time for which the pointer is positioned over the identified key to indicate the selection of the identifier key.

16. The device of claim 15, in which the keyboard display module and detection module operate within the application.

17. The device of claim 15, in which the detection module is to monitor the position of the pointer of the pointing device in relation to a data field selector in a GUI of the application;

and is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the data field selector for a predetermined period of time, thereby detecting a request for the display of a GUI keyboard associated with the data field selector.

18. The device of claim 17, in which the data field selector is a keyboard identifier associated with a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI, or a data field in the application'"'"'s GUI.

19. The device of claim 15, in which at least one of the multiple identifier keys comprises an action key.

20. The device of claim 19, in which the detection module is to monitor the position of the pointer of the pointing device in relation to an identified action key, and wherein an action associated with the identified action key is performed in response to the pointer being positioned over the identified action key.

21. The device of claim 20, in which the detection module is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over an unmask identifier key for a predetermined period of time and is further to detect that indication data is masked data and in response thereto, instruct the keyboard display module to display the indication data as generated data in the data field.

22. The device of claim 20, in which the detection module is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the unmask identifier key for a predetermined period of time and is further to detect that indication data is generated data and in response thereto, instruct the keyboard display module to display the indication data as masked data in the data field.

23. The device of claim 20, in which one of the identifier keys is a finalization identifier key, and wherein the detection module is to detect that the pointer of the pointing device has been positioned over the finalization identifier key for a predetermined period of time, is to remove the display of the GUI keyboard from the application'"'"'s GUI, and is to display data representative of the generated data in the GUI'"'"'s data field.

24. The device of claim 15, comprising a keyboard creation module to create a GUI keyboard, the GUI keyboards being configured according to a data entry data field associated with the GUI keyboard.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the keyboard creation module is to create small variations in the keyboard layout of the GUI keyboard each time the keyboard layout is generated, wherein the small variations include changing between a consecutive alphabet to a QWERTY alphabet.