Abstract:
A locking apparatus is provided which includes a display including a plurality of characters comprising the predetermined characters of the personal identification code, a pointer for moving along the plurality of characters on the display means and a controller for selecting the predetermined characters of the personal identification code when the pointing means moves along the plurality of characters on the display means. The controller is configured to select a first predetermined character of the personal identification code when the pointing means is configured to move in a first direction on the display means and to pass the first predetermined character and then to stop randomly between the first predetermined character and a first predetermined marker character on the display means. The apparatus provides password fraud protection.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority under 35 USC §119 to Great Britain Patent Application No. 1315235.0, filed Aug. 27, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to an apparatus for selecting predetermined characters of a personal identification code or a password. 
     BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
     Obtaining authorised personal identification (PIN) codes or passwords are well known. Unauthorised persons can obtain a user&#39;s authentication code as it is being correctly entered into a combination lock or an existing internet-based system. The code can be obtained by several methods for example by looking over the shoulder of the user or spying remotely with the use of visual aids. 
     It is an object of the present invention to stop unauthorised people from obtaining someone&#39;s password. 
     STATEMENT OF INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for selecting predetermined characters of a personal identification code. The apparatus comprises: display means comprising a plurality of characters comprising the predetermined characters of the personal identification code; pointing means for moving along the plurality of characters on the display means; control means for selecting the predetermined characters of the personal identification code when the pointing means moves along the plurality of characters on the display means; wherein the control means is configured to select a first predetermined character of the personal identification code when the pointing means is configured to move in a first direction on the display means and to pass the first predetermined character and then to stop randomly between the first predetermined character and a first predetermined marker character on the display means; and wherein the control means is configured to select a second predetermined character of the personal identification code when the pointing means is configured to move in a second direction and to pass the second predetermined character and then to stop randomly between the second predetermined character and a second predetermined marker character on the display means. 
     The present invention helps to ensure that a predetermined character of the password is selected when the pointer is positioned between the character and a marker character so that the position of the pointer does not indicate to the actual predetermined selected character. The selected character and the marker character has to be linked with each other that when the pointer is stopped anywhere between the marker character and the predetermined character, the predetermined character of the password is selected. 
     The first direction of the pointing means may be opposite the second direction of the pointing means. This helps to ensure that the complexity of the movement of the pointing device is increased and therefore it would be even difficult to steal the password. 
     The predetermined character of the personal identification code and the corresponding predetermined marker character may be spaced apart by at least one character in between which is not the predetermined character and the corresponding marker character. This helps to ensure that there is sufficient scope for the pointer to stop between the predetermined character and the marker character. 
     The control means is configured to control the pointing means such that the pointing means stops after the predetermined character and before the corresponding predetermined marker character. This ensures that the pointing device passes the predetermined character and then stops after that so that the pointer does not directly indicates the selected character. 
     The predetermined marker character and the predetermined character to be selected may both designate a same character. In such a case, the predetermined character is the first character recognised on the display means and the marker character is the second same character recognised on the display means when the pointer is moving towards a particular direction. 
     Alternatively the predetermined marker character may be a different character compared with the predetermined character of the personal identification code. In this case the marker character can be a known character and can be fixed for each predetermined character selection. 
     The control means may be configured to couple with a server or an electronic system. The server or the electronic system may be configured to store the predetermined characters of the personal identification code. The control means may be configured to match each selected predetermined character with the stored predetermined characters in the server. 
     The predetermined characters of the personal identification code may be a plurality of digits. The predetermined characters of the personal identification code may be a plurality of symbols. The predetermined characters of the personal identification code may be a plurality of pictures. The predetermined characters of the personal identification code may be a combination of plurality of digits, symbols and pictures. The plurality of characters on the display means may be a plurality of digits. The plurality of characters on the display means may be a plurality of symbols. The plurality of characters on the display means may be a plurality of pictures. 
     A computer system may comprise the apparatus described hereinbefore. A mechanical lock may comprise the apparatus described hereinbefore. A mobile device may comprise the apparatus described hereinbefore. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for selecting predetermined characters of a personal identification code using an apparatus comprising: display means comprising a plurality of characters comprising the predetermined characters of the personal identification code; pointing means for moving along the plurality of characters on the display means; and control means for selecting the predetermined characters of the personal identification code when the pointing means moves along the plurality of characters on the display means; the method comprising: moving the pointing means in a first direction on the display means; passing a first predetermined character on the display means; stopping the pointing means randomly between the first predetermined character and a first predetermined marker character on the display means; selecting the first predetermined character of the personal identification code by the control means on the basis of the position of the pointing means between the first predetermined character and the first predetermined marker character; moving the pointing means in a second direction on the display means; passing the second predetermined character on the display means; stopping the pointing means randomly between the second predetermined character and a second predetermined marker character on the display means; and selecting the second predetermined character of the personal identification code by the control means on the basis of the position of the pointing means between the second predetermined character and the second predetermined marker character. The first direction of the pointing means may be opposite the second direction of the pointing means. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other aspects of the invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic illustration of a locking apparatus; 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic illustration of an alternative locking apparatus; 
         FIG. 3  shows a schematic illustration of an alternative apparatus; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a flow diagram illustrating the steps of conducting the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows a schematic illustration of a locking apparatus  100 . The apparatus  100  includes a display surface  105 . The perimeter of the display surface  105  includes a plurality of characters printed on it  105 . The apparatus  100  further includes a pointing device or a pointer  106  which may be coupled with the display surface  105 . In this embodiment, the pointer  106  is coupled to the central part of the circular display surface  105 . The pointer  106  may be capable of rotating clockwise or anti-clockwise. 
     The apparatus  100  may also include a controller (not shown) which is configured to store a password or PIN of a user. When the user operates the pointer  106  along the display surface  105 , the controller is configured to match each selected character with the stored password. When the controller finds an exact match (for example in a sequential order), it authorises the locking apparatus to open. In order to do so the controller may use a activation device known in the state of the art. 
     It will be appreciated that in this specification the term “character” is a generic term and includes numerical digits, alphabetical letters, symbols as well as pictures. However, the characters are still not limited to these only. They can be any other well know characters. Although in  FIG. 1  the characters  101  are printed on the perimeter of the display surface  105 , it will be appreciated that the characters  101  can be printed on the other parts of the display surface  105 . 
     The following steps are now described with reference to the operation of locking apparatus  100 .
     S 1 : The controller is configured to store a password including characters “DE$”   S 2 : The user would like to select the character “D” by turning the pointer  106  on the display surface  105 . In order to do this, the user turns the pointer  106 , for example, in a clockwise direction, and looks for the character “D”  110  first time seen on the display surface  105  in the clockwise direction.   S 3 : The user then continues to turn the pointer  106  until it passes “D”  110  which is seen for the first time in the clockwise direction.   S 4 : The controller is already configured to store a marker character in relationship with the character “D” on the predetermined selected character. In this example the marker character is the same as the main character, i.e. the marker character is also a “D”. In other words, the controller is already configured such that the marker character is designated as the second “D”  115  in the clockwise direction. The user then stops the pointer  106  randomly after the first “D”  110  and before the marker character (i.e. the second “D”  115  in the clockwise direction). As long as the pointer  106  stops between the predetermined character “D”  110  and the marker character (in this example, the second “D”  115 ), the predetermined character “D”  110  is selected.   S 5 : The user would then like to select the second predetermined character of the password. The second predetermined character is “E” which is stored in the controller.   S 6 : The user then turns the pointer  106  in an anti-clockwise direction and looks for the character “E”  120  first time seen in the anti-clockwise direction.   S 7 : The controller designates the second “E”  125  as the marker character seen on the display surface  105  in the anti-clockwise direction.   S 8 : The user then passes the pointer  106  the first “E”  120  and then stops the pointer  106  randomly after the first “E”  120  and before the second “E”  125  (the marker character).   S 9 : The controller then selects the predetermined character “E” and compares with the stored characters of the password.   S 10 : The user would then like to select the character “$”, as this is the third character of the password “DE$”. The user turns the pointer  106  in the clockwise direction (opposite the anti-clockwise direction) and looks for the character “$”  130  first time seen in the clockwise direction.   S 11 : The controller designates the second “$”  135  as the marker character in the clockwise direction. The user then turns the pointer  106  and passes the first “$”  130  and then stops randomly after the first “$”  130  and before the second “$”  135  (the marker character)   S 12 : Based on these actions, the controller then selects “$” as the third character and compares with the third character of the stored password. In this example, the controller finds the required match for the stored password and therefore the controller is configured to open the locking apparatus.   

     Although, in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the marker character is the same as the predetermined character to be selected, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this feature. The marker character can be different from the predetermined character to be selected. For example, the marker character could be a known fixed character and the pointer has to be always stopped before the fixed marker character and after the predetermined character to be selected. 
     It will also be appreciated that the controller can be an electronic system in which the predetermined passwords are stored. The controller can also be a mechanical controller which is used as a standard component in a combination lock device. 
       FIG. 2  shows a schematic illustration of an alternative locking apparatus  200 . The differences between the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 and 2  are that the device of this embodiment does not have a circular display surface and the pointer is not at the centre of the circular display surface. Instead, the locking device of this embodiment includes a locking bar  206  and the characters are printed longitudinally on the locking bar  206 . The apparatus  200  also includes a pointer  205  which is configured to slide along the longitudinal axis of the locking bar  206 . 
     Apart from these structural differences from the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the embodiment of  FIG. 2  operates substantially the same way as  FIG. 1 . For example, there would be a predetermined character to be selected and a corresponding marker character. Each predetermined character of the password is selected when the pointer  206  is slid along the bar in a particular direction and passes the predetermined character and then stops after the predetermined character and before the marker character. The next predetermined character is selected when the pointer  206  is moved in the opposite direction and stopped after passing the next predetermined character and before the corresponding marker character. 
       FIG. 3  shows a schematic illustration of an alternative apparatus. The operation of the apparatus  300  is substantially the same as the apparatus  100  of  FIG. 1 . However, the differences are that the apparatus in this example is a computer or a mobile device. The apparatus  300  includes a display  305  in which various characters can be randomly generated. A pointer  306  is also provided. The computer or mobile device forming the apparatus  300  is programmed such that the pointer  306  can rotate according to a user&#39;s instructions. The characters  301  are randomly generated on the display  305 . The apparatus  300  also includes a character generating bar  330  which is configured to generate new characters when the display  305  is rotated in each cycle. 
     The apparatus  300  is also configured to connect with a server  340  which stores all the passwords of the users. The selection of a predetermined character is substantially the same as the steps described in respect of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a flow diagram illustrating the steps of conducting the present invention. In this  figure S1  to S 8  are the steps performed by the apparatus of the present invention. 
     Further modification will be apparent to those skilled in the art without depending from the scope of the present invention.