Patent Publication Number: US-2012036573-A1

Title: Drag-and-Tag Authentication

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention emphasizes on a drag-and-tag authentication. Particularly focus on a drag-and-tag authentication that is capable of ensuring login security and avoiding unfriendly attacks and dictionary attacks. 
     2. Pioneer Technique 
     Login authentication is widely used and is indispensible for security. Entering a personal identification number (“PIN”) to log in an automatic teller machine (“ATM”) or a cyber bank. Entering a password to log in a personal computer. Selecting an icon into an electronic device and writing a word or drawing on a picture to log in a touch panel are examples that involve the application of login authentication. 
     In a traditional login system, users have to provide accounts and passwords in order to login an electronic device in a secured environment. In addition, users login into their accounts by entering their passwords through a physical keyboard, a virtual keyboard, a touch panel or a mouse. Although the login processes are known to be in a protected and secured environment, these manners are however vulnerable to unfriendly recording via unavoidable attacks such as a monitor program implanted in the electronic device or a camera located near the electronic device. The account information and passwords could be stolen and used to cause damages of the finance of the user. Moreover the tendency of using small electronic devices such as cell phones, PDAs and tablet computers make virtual keyboards impractical. Should such a small electronic device be equipped with a virtual keyboard, it would be too small for a user to operate to log in. There is a need for a drag-and-tag login. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in pioneer technique. 
     In order to prevent the identity or money from being stolen and to keep away from inconvenience of using virtual keyboards in small device, the invention with improved login authentication becomes prominent and essential. 
     The invention repeating here can replace the traditional login system and exclude the risks of identity being stolen. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The purpose of this invention is to provide a secured and reliable login that resists unfriendly recording and dictionary attacks to further reduce the risks of passwords being stolen. 
     To achieve the goal, the drag-and-tag authentication apparatus includes an electronic device, a setting mechanism and an authentication mechanism. The electronic device includes a processor, a display electrically connected to the processor, an operation unit electrically connected to the processor, and a power supply electrically connected to the processor. The setting mechanism is electrically connected to the processor and includes first and second selection units that are operable for selecting literal and graphic items. The authentication mechanism is electrically connected to the processor and includes literal and graphic items. Some of the literal items can be located and define a polygonal region. Some of the graphic items can be located and covered by the polygonal region for authentication. 
     The electronic device can be a computer, a personal digital assistant or a cell phone. 
     In an embodiment, the electronic device includes a shell containing the processor, the display, the operation unit and the power supply. 
     In an embodiment, the display is a screen. 
     In an embodiment, the operation unit includes a plurality of buttons. 
     In an embodiment, the display is combined with the operation unit, thus forming a touch panel. 
     In an embodiment, the first selection unit includes a plurality of literal items, and the second selection unit includes a plurality of graphic items. 
     In an embodiment, the first selection unit includes a plurality of literal and graphic items, and the second selection unit includes a plurality of literal and graphic items. 
     Each of the literal items shows a number, a letter, a character or a symbol. 
     Each of the graphic items shows a simple geographic shape, a picture, a pattern or a sign. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be presented from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a drag-and-tag authentication apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the drag-and-tag authentication apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  show a process for setting a numeric password with the drag-and-tag authentication apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  show a process for setting a graphic password with the drag-and-tag authentication apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIGS. 7 to 12  show a process for authenticating the numeric and graphic passwords set in the processes shown in  FIGS. 3 through 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 12 , a drag-and-tag authentication apparatus includes an electronic device  1 , a setting mechanism  2  and an authentication mechanism  3  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     The electronic device  1  can be a computer, a PDA or a cell phone for example. The electronic device includes a processor  11 , a display  12 , an operation unit  13 , a power supply  14  and a shell  15 . The processor  11  is electrically connected to the display  12 , the operation unit  13  and the power supply  14 . The processor  11 , the display  12 , the operation unit  13  and the power supply  14  are located in the shell  15 . The display  12  is preferably a screen. The operation unit  13  can be a keypad including buttons  16  or a touch pad (or “track pad”) including virtual buttons. In an alternative embodiment, the operation unit  13  can be combined with the display  12 , thus forming a touch panel (or “touch screen”) in another embodiment. 
     The setting mechanism  2  is electrically connected to the processor  11 . The setting mechanism  2  includes a first password selecting unit  21  and a second password selecting unit  22 . The first password selecting unit  21  is operable for selecting letters, characters, symbols or numbers. Preferably, the first password selecting unit  21  includes a plurality of literal items  211 . Each of the literal items  211  provides a letter, character, symbol or number. The literal items  211  can be arranged in a sequence or randomly. 
     The second password selecting unit  22  is operable for selecting pictures or patterns. The second password selecting unit  22  includes a plurality of graphic items  221 . Each of the graphic items  221  provides a simple geographic shape, a pattern or a picture. 
     The authentication mechanism  3  is connected to the processor  11  electrically. The authentication mechanism  3  includes alternately arranged literal authentication items  31  and graphic authentication items  32 . Each of the literal authentication items  31  provides a letter, character, symbol or number similar to that is provided by a related one of the literal items  211 . The literal authentication items  31  can be arranged in a sequence or randomly. Some of the literal authentication items  31  can be selected and put together to define a polygonal region  33 . 
     Each of the graphic authentication items  32  provides a simple geographic shape, a pattern or a picture similar to that is provided by a related one of the graphic items  221 . Selected one of the graphic authentication items  32  can be dragged into the polygonal region. 
     In operation, the electronic device  1  is energized by the power supply  14 . The processor  11 , the display  12  and the operation unit  13  are used together to show the setting mechanism  2  and the authentication mechanism  3 . Thus, a user is allowed to use the literal items  211  of the first selection unit  21  and the graphic items  221  of the second selection unit  22  to execute initial setting. For example, the user selects “6”, “13” and “15” and confirms the selection as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The user selects pictures of apple and banana and signs of “Beware of airplanes” and “Beware of trains” and confirms the selection as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     After the setting, when the user logs in again, the user has to use the literal authentication items  31  to locate “6”, “13” and “15” that he or she has selected through the first selection unit  21 , and define a polygonal region  33  with the numbers. The polygonal region  33  can be shown or concealed. Then, the user uses the graphic authentication items  32  to locate the pictures of apple and banana and the signs of “Beware of airplanes” and “Beware of trains” that he or she has selected via the second selection unit  22 , and drag the selected pictures and signs into the polygonal region  33  for authentication. Every time a selected picture or sign is dragged into the polygonal region  33 , the polygonal region  33  is changed, i.e., the literal items  31  are rearranged. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the user drags the selected pictures and signs into the polygonal region  33  for authentication. However, in another embodiment, the user may alternatively drag the polygonal region to cover the selected pictures and signs for authentication. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the first selection unit  21  includes a plurality of literal items  211 , and the second selection unit  22  includes a plurality of graphic items  221 . However, in another embodiment, the first selection unit  21  can include a plurality of literal items  211  and graphic items  221 , and the second selection unit  22  includes a plurality of literal items  211  and graphic items  221 . 
     As described above, the drag-and-tag authentication apparatus can resist unfriendly recording and dictionary attacks. Thus, the drag-and-tag authentication apparatus improves login security. 
     The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims. 
     Any invention that is either simply modified or manipulated of the basic idea of the invention presented here should be considered as the application of the claim, not a new discovery.