Patent Publication Number: US-2011060912-A1

Title: Password inputting system and method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to password inputting systems, and more particularly to a password inputting system and a method for inputting password. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A conventional password often includes numbers such as 0-9, and/or letters such as a-z or A-Z. However, input devices used for inputting a password are substantially similar, and locations of the numbers or the letters arranged in the input device are unchangeable. Accordingly, the password can easily be observed while inputting the password via the input devices. 
     Therefore, it is desired to provide a password inputting system and a method for overcoming the described shortcomings and deficiencies. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments of the password inputting system. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a password inputting system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing a predetermined password array displayed by the password inputting system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing another password array generated by the password inputting system of  FIG. 1 , the password array replaces the predetermined password array of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a password inputting system in accordance with another exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart of a method for inputting a password in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of a password inputting system  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is shown. The password inputting system  100  includes a processor  120 , a touch sensitive display  140 , a permuting signal receiving unit  150 , and a storage device  160 , all interconnected via buses  180 . 
     The processor  120  executes/runs various software components stored in the storage device  160  to perform various functions for the password inputting system  100 , and controls operations of the password inputting system  100 . 
     The touch sensitive display  140  provides both an output interface and an input interface between the password inputting system  100  and a user. The touch sensitive display  140  is operable to receive inputs/contacts by one or more means, for example, a stylus and/or by touch. In the embodiment, the user inputs password via the touch sensitive display  140 . The touch sensitive display  140  may receive/detect the inputs/contacts using any of a plurality of touch sensitive technologies, including, but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies. The touch sensitive display  140  is also operable to output visual data. The visual outputs may include text, graphics, video, and any combination thereof. The touch sensitive display  140  may use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, or light emitting polymer display (LPD) technology, although other display technologies may be used in other embodiments. 
     The permuting signal receiving unit  150  is electrically connected to the processor  120 . The permuting signal unit  150  is configured to generate permuting signals in response to user operations. The generated permuting signals are sent to the processor  120 . The processor  120  processes the permuting signals to change password arrays displayed on the touch sensitive display  140 . The permuting signal receiving unit  150  may be a special key and/or a menu item. The user can operate the special key and/or the menu item to input the operations for permuting the password arrays. 
     The storage device  160  includes one or more types of memories, such as a read only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The storage device  160  may also store an operating system  161 , a touch/contact application  163 , a password array generating application  165 , a graphical application  167 , a predetermined password array  169 , a password processing application  171 , and a predetermined value  173  used for authenticating an inputted password from the touch sensitive display  140 . The predetermined password array  169  is displayed on the touch sensitive display  140  when the processor  120  is triggered to perform operations of the password inputting system  100 . 
     The operating system  161  (e.g., LINUX®, UNIX®, WINDOWS®, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks®) includes various procedures, sets of instructions, software components and/or drivers for controlling and managing general system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control, and power management.) and facilitating communication between various hardware and software components. 
     The touch/contact application  163  includes various software components and/or set of instructions, which may be invoked/implemented by the processor  120  for detecting inputs/contacts with the touch sensitive display  140 . More particularly, the touch/contact application  163  may be invoked/implemented for performing various operations related to detections of inputs/contacts with the touch sensitive display  140 , such as determining if the inputs/contacts have occurred, and determining if the inputs/contacts have ended (i.e., if the inputs/contacts have stopped). In the embodiment, the touch/contact application  163  may be invoked/implemented for inputting the password such as numbers and/or letters according to detections of inputs/contacts with the touch sensitive display  140 . 
     The password array generating application  165  includes a set of computing instructions, which may be implemented by the processor  120  for generating a new password array randomly if a permuting signal is received by the processor  120 . In the embodiment, the password array includes ten numbers: 0-9. As the new password array is generated randomly, thus, the number of password array is P 10   10 . It is noteworthy that the password array can further include letters, or a combination of numbers and letters. For additional characters, such as for letters and numbers, the number of password array is greater than P 10   10 . 
     The graphical application  167  includes various software components and/or set of instructions, which may be implemented by the processor  120  for rendering and displaying graphical user interfaces (GUI) on the touch sensitive display  140 . It should be noted that the GUI may include any object that can be displayed, including, text, web pages, icons (such as user interface objects including soft keys), digital images, videos, animations. In the embodiment, the GUI includes a password array. The user contact/operates the touch sensitive display  140  according to the password array, such that users can input correct character information, such as, numbers and/or letters. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in operation, when the password inputting system  100  is triggered to prompt for access/unlock operations (procedures), the graphical application  167  is implemented by the processor  120  to display the predetermined password array  169  on the touch sensitive display  140 . The numbers of the predetermined password array  169  are arranged orderly. Referring to  FIG. 3 , when the processor  120  receives the permuting signal, the password array generating application  165  is implemented by the processor  120  to generate a new password array randomly, and the graphical application  167  is implemented by the processor  120  to display the generated new password array on the touch sensitive display  140  to replace the predetermined password array  169 . Because the user contacts/operates the touch sensitive display  140  according to the new password array, thus, when user inputs next numeral, the position that user contacts/operates the touch sensitive display  140  may indicates different numbers, as a result, the password is protected from being observed via remembering the position that the user contacts/operates the touch sensitive display  140  when the user is inputting the password. 
     The password processing application  171  includes various software components and/or set of instructions, which may be invoked/implemented by the processor  120  for comparing an inputted password via the touch sensitive display  140  with the predetermined value  173 , and granting an access when the inputted password satisfies the predetermined value  173 . 
     Furthermore, the GUI further includes a confirm button  21  and a cancel button  22 , such that the user can amend the inputted password. The confirm button  21  is configured to generate affirm signals according to detections of inputs/contacts with the touch sensitive display  140 . The cancel button  22  is configured to generate cancel signals according to detections of inputs/contacts with the touch sensitive display  140 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a block diagram of a password inputting system  200  in accordance with another exemplary embodiment is shown. The password inputting system  200  is similar to the password inputting system  100 . The difference between the password inputting system  100  and the password inputting system  200  is the following: the password inputting system  200  has no permuting signal receiving unit  150 , but the storage device  260  thereof, further stores a detecting application  210 . The detecting application  210  includes various software components and/or set of instructions, which may be implemented by the processor  120  for detecting whether the processor  120  receives a character for a password, and generating a permuting signal when the processor  120  receives a character. For example, a password is composed of 568957, according to a current password array A, the detecting application  210  is implemented by the processor  120  to generate a permuting signal when user inputs the first numeral ‘5’. The password array generating application  165  is implemented by the processor  120  to generate a new password array different from the current password array A randomly. The graphical application  167  is implemented by the processor  120  to display the generated new password array on the touch sensitive display  140  to replace the current password array A. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a flowchart illustrating a method applied on the password inputting system  100  of  FIG. 1  for inputting password is shown. The method includes following blocks, each of which is tied to various modules contained in the password inputting system  100  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     At block  510 , in operation, the processor  120  invokes/implements the graphical application  167  to display a graphical user interface including the predetermined password array  169  on a touch sensitive display  140 . 
     At block  520 , the processor  120  invokes/implements the touch/contact application  163  to receive user&#39;s touches/contacts, thereby, inputting password. 
     At block  530 , the processor  120  detects whether a permuting signal is received. If there is no permuting signal being received, the procedure returns to block  520 , and if there is a permuting signal being received, the procedure goes to block  540 . In one embodiment, the permuting signal is generated by operating a special key associated with the password inputting system  100 . In another embodiment, the permuting signal is automatically generated each time after a single numeral or a single letter is inputted. 
     At block  540 , the processor  120  invokes/implements the password array generating application  165  to generate a new password array randomly. 
     At block  550 , the processor  120  invokes/implements the graphical application  167  to display the generated new password array on the touch sensitive display  140 , such that the predetermined password array  169  is replaced by the generated new password array. 
     At block  560 , the processor  120  determined whether the touch/contact application  163  is invoked to receive another character for password. If not, the procedure ends, and if the processor  120  receives another character, the procedure returns to block  520 . 
     As described above, by virtue of the password inputting system  100  and the method for inputting password, user can change the password array displayed on the touch sensitive display  140 , thereby, protecting the password more efficiently. 
     It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.