Methods and systems for secure pass-set entry

• US 9,652,914 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Rosener, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Khan, Omer S
• Application Number:
  US12/872,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,450 Days
• Field of Search: 340 41, 340 414, 340 551, 340 554, 340 581, 340 585
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H

Abstract

Methods and systems for secure pass-set entry are disclosed. In one example, an authenticator device is configured to generate a pass-set menu to output in visual format on the display. An I/O device is configured to output audio corresponding to the pass-set menu to the user. A user input interface is configured to receive user actions to navigate the pass-set menu and receive user menu selections.

Claims

1. A system for secure pass-set entry comprising:

an authenticator device comprising;

a processor;

a display; and

a memory storing an authentication application, the authentication application configured to generate a pass-set menu comprising a matrix of images to output in visual format on the display, wherein each image in the matrix of images is designated with a unique numeric identifier, the authentication application further configured to output audio comprising the unique numeric identifier for each image; and

a headset device configured to receive the audio comprising the unique numeric identifier for each image from the authenticator device, the headset device comprising;

an output interface to output the audio comprising the unique numeric identifier for each image to the pass-set menu to a user;

a user input interface configured to receive user actions to navigate the pass-set menu and receive user menu selections; and

a data interface for receiving the audio comprising the unique numeric identifier for each image from the authenticator device and transmitting user menu selections to the authenticator device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a start point of the audio corresponding to the pass-set menu is randomized.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication application is configured to receive user menu selections from the headset device and assemble the user menu selections into a user-entered pass-set.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the output interface comprises a headphone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user input interface comprises an interface configured to navigate a list of menu items in a forward direction only.

6. A method for secure pass-set entry comprising:

generating a pass-set menu comprising a matrix of images, wherein each image in the matrix of images is designated with a unique numeric identifier;

outputting the pass-set menu comprising the matrix of images in a visual format on an authenticator device display of an authenticator device;

outputting an audio comprising the unique numeric identifier for an image associated with the pass-set menu at a headset device;

receiving user actions at the headset device to navigate the pass-set menu and receive user menu selections comprising unique numeric identifiers, the user actions responsive to the pass-set menu in the visual format in conjunction with the audio output at the headset device and

transmitting from the headset device to the authenticator device the user actions.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising assembling the user actions into a user-entered pass-set, the user-entered pass-set comprising two or more images in the matrix of images.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the audio further comprises numerical choices and the audio is stored at the headset.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the audio associated with the pass-set menu is transmitted from the authenticator device to the headset.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the audio associated with the pass-set menu is transmitted from the authenticator device to the headset responsive to the user actions at the headset device.

11. A method for secure pass-set entry comprising:

generating a pass-set menu having a fixed order of menu items;

randomizing a start point within the pass-set menu at which the menu items are audibly output to a user;

outputting an audio associated with the pass-set menu corresponding to a next menu item or a previous menu item at a headset device;

receiving user actions corresponding to a next item command, a previous item command, or an item selection command, the user actions responsive to the audio output at the headset device;

tracking user actions corresponding to the next item command and the previous item command comprising counting a number of next item commands and counting a number of previous item commands; and

determining a selected item using the start point and the tracked user actions corresponding to the next item command and the previous item command.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising assembling the user actions into a user-entered pass-set.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving user actions comprises receiving user actions at a scroll wheel user interface.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the next item command is a button press up and the previous item command is a button press down, wherein the number of button press ups is tracked and the number of button press downs is tracked.

15. A method for secure pass-set entry comprising:

generating a pass-set menu at a headset device;

transmitting the pass-set menu to an authenticator device;

outputting the pass-set menu in a visual format on an authenticator device display;

outputting an audio associated with the pass-set menu at the headset device;

receiving user actions at the headset device to navigate the pass-set menu and receive a user menu selection from the pass-set menu, the user actions responsive to outputting the pass-set menu in the visual format on the authenticator device display and outputting the audio associated with the pass-set menu at the headset device; and

transmitting from the headset device to the authenticator device the user actions;

wherein the pass-set menu is a plurality of images, wherein each image is designated with an identifier;

wherein the identifier is a numeric identifier and the audio associated with the pass-set menu output at the headset device is an audible reading of the numeric identifier.