Contextual visual challenge image for user verification

• US 8,631,467 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: D'Urso, Christopher Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/515,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20080072293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,692 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/23, 705/67, 709/229
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A method and a system generate a contextual visual challenge image to be presented to a user thereby to verify that the user is human. For example, an image module generates a visual challenge to be presented to a user as part of a challenge-response to verify that the user is human. A contextual background module identifies a contextual background that is contextual to a specific environment and a combiner image module combines the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the specific environment, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the specific environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor coupled to a memory;

a challenge image module to generate, using the at least one processor, a visual challenge to be presented to a user as part of a challenge-response to verify that the user is human;

a background image module to identify, using the at least one processor, a contextual background that is contextual to a specific environment associated with a service provider of a service for which the challenge-response is to be presented, the contextual background including multiple presentations of an environment identifier that comprises a symbol identifying the service provider the background image module further to select at least one of random sizes for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier, random locations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier, and random orientations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier; and

a combiner image module to combine, using the at least one processor, the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the specific environment, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the specific environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the visual challenge is an image-based test to which the response is provided by the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the specific environment is any one of a group of environments including a website environment, and a portal environment.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the specific environment is an application environment.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the application environment is an on-line application environment provided by the service provider.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the environment identifier is at least one of a group of identifiers including a name, logo, service mark, trademark and copyrighted image associated with the environment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the contextual background is a watermark to the visual challenge.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the challenge image module is to generate the visual challenge by modifying a plurality of randomly selected glyphs by randomizing at least one of a spacing, placement, font type, font size, glyph orientation or vertical offset of each of the glyphs.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the background image module is to:

select the environment identifier; and

select a number of times the environment identifier is to be presented on a predefined image area.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the background image module is to:

select the random size for each presentation of the environment identifier;

select the random location for each presentation of the environment identifier;

select the random orientation for each presentation of the environment identifier; and

distribute the multiple presentations of the environment identifier in the predefined image area.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the background image module is to determine the location of the visual challenge in the predefined image area prior to selecting the random locations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the combiner image module is to select a color or color arrangement for the visual challenge and for the contextual background.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the background image module is to determine the random locations of the multiple presentations of the environment identifier such that the multiple presentations of the environment identifier are not obscured by the visual challenge.

14. A method comprising:

generating a visual challenge to be presented to a user as part of a challenge-response to verify that the user is human;

identifying a contextual background that is contextual to a specific environment associated with a service provider of a service for which the challenge-response is to be presented, the contextual background including multiple presentations of an environment identifier that comprises a symbol identifying the service provider, the background image module further to select at least one of random sizes for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier, random locations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier, and random orientations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier; and

using one or more processors, combining the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the specific environment, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the specific environment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the visual challenge is an image-based test to which the response is provided by the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the specific environment is any one of a group of environments including a website environment and a portal environment.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the specific environment is an application environment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the application environment is an on-line application environment provided by an application of the service provider.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the environment identifier is at least one of a group of identifiers including a name, logo, service mark, trademark and copyrighted image associated with the environment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the contextual background is a watermark to the visual challenge.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein generating the visual challenge includes modifying a plurality of randomly selected glyphs by randomizing at least one of a spacing, placement, font type, font size, glyph orientation or vertical offset of each of the glyphs.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein identifying the contextual background includes automatically generating the contextual background.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein identifying the contextual background includes:

selecting the environment identifier and a number of times the environment identifier is to be presented on a predefined image area.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein identifying the contextual background includes:

selecting the random size for each presentation of the environment identifier;

selecting the random location for each presentation of the environment identifier;

selecting the random orientation for each presentation of the environment identifier; and

distributing the multiple presentations of the environment identifier in the predefined image area.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein selecting random locations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier includes determining the location of the visual challenge in the predefined image area.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein selecting the random locations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier includes determining the random locations of the multiple presentations of the environment identifier such that the multiple presentations of the environment identifier are not obscured by the visual challenge.

27. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions to instruct a machine to perform operations comprising:

generating a visual challenge to be presented to a user as part of a challenge-response to verify that the user is human;

identifying a contextual background that is contextual to a specific environment associated with a service provider of a service for which the challenge-response is to be presented, the contextual background including multiple presentations of an environment identifier that comprises a symbol identifying the service provider, the background image module further to select at least one of random sizes for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier, random locations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier, and random orientations for the multiple presentations of the environment identifier; and

using one or more processors, combining the visual challenge and the contextual background into an image which is to be presented to the user in the specific environment, the contextual background associating the visual challenge with the specific environment.