Patent Publication Number: US-2009235197-A1

Title: System and method for password entry

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to passwords, and more particularly to a system and a method for password entry using a touch-activated device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Touch-activated devices, such as touch screens, are combined input/output devices allowing input of data and/or instructions and outputting information as a result of the input. These input/output devices include computers, cellular phones, and the like. A touch screen generally includes a display screen and a touch sensitive screen. The touch sensitive screen receives inputs from a user&#39;s finger or a stylus. In response to the inputs, the display screen may display residual imprints or trace characters corresponding to the inputted characters for a few seconds. 
     However, when the touch screen is used for entering a password, it is possible that an unauthorized observer may note such residual trace characters and discern the password. That is, the conventional system and method for password entry, on touch screens, is not very secure. 
     Therefore, it is desired to provide a system and method for overcoming the described shortcomings and deficiencies. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of system for password entry in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2   a  is a schematic diagram showing a password input interface generated by the system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with the exemplary embodiment, with the password input interface configured in a first state. 
         FIG. 2   b  is a schematic diagram showing the password input interface of  FIG. 2   a  configured in a second state. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a method for password entry in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides a novel and unobvious feature of disguising residual trace characters corresponding to user inputs such that the residual imprints or trace characters cannot be recognized as displayed. As used herein, residual imprints or trace characters are generated exactly corresponding to handwritten traces, motions and/or movements of a user&#39;s finger and/or a stylus on a touch sensitive screen. The residual imprints or trace characters are typically displayed accompanying or after inputs for a few seconds. As used herein, disguising the traces includes replacement or disablement of the residual imprints or trace characters. Accordingly, an unauthorized observer cannot easily discern the password by looking for residual imprints or trace characters. Another novel and unobvious feature is that at least two separate character databases including an alphabet character database and a numeric character database are configured independently for identifying the inputs. By such a configuration, the inputs can be more accurately identified. More detail with regard to the above mentioned novel and unobvious features will be described hereinafter. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of a system  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is shown. The system  100  includes a processor  110 , an input device  120 , a display device  130 , a storage device  140 , all interconnected by a bus  150 . The processor  110  executes program instructions stored in the storage device  140 , and controls operations of the system  100 . The storage device  140  includes one or more types of memory including Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random-Access Memory (RAM). The storage device  140  stores an operating system  141 , a graphical application  142 , a password authentication application  143 , a character recognition application  144 , a first character database  145 , and a second character database  146 . 
     The input device  120  may be a touch screen including an array of sensors (not shown). The display device  130  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD). In the embodiment, the input device  120  and the display device  130  are shown separately for description convenience. Actually, the input device  120  and the display device  130  are integrated together to form a combined input/output device. The sensors of the input device  120  may receive inputs or physical contacts from a user&#39;s finger and/or stylus via the input device  120 . The inputs or physical contacts between the input device  120  and the user&#39;s finger and/or stylus are converted to electrical signals. The input device  120  transmits the electrical signals to the processor  110 . 
     The processor  110  processes the electrical signals transmitted from the input device  120 , and may cause the display device  130  to display residual imprints or trace characters when there are inputs or physical contacts. The processor  110  implements the graphical application  142  to provide a password input interface  200  (see  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b ) in the display device  130 . Referring to  FIG. 2   a  and  FIG. 2   b , the password input interface  200  includes a first field  210  for inputting a user account name, a second field  220  for inputting a password corresponding to the user account, and a drop-down list  230  from which a recognition mode is selected for recognizing the inputs or physical contacts. The recognition mode includes an alphabet mode and a numeric mode. The drop-down list  230  provides an option by which one of the first character database  145  or the second character database  146  may be selected correspondingly for accurate translation of the inputs or physical contacts. In other embodiments, the drop-down list  230  can be replaced by some other form of mode selection item, such as a check-box field. 
     In operation, the first field  210  may be activated to receive user account name from the input device  120 . In this example, the name of the user account name is “FRED”. The input may be manually entered and the residual imprints or trace characters corresponding to the user account appear on the input device  120 . At the same time, the residual imprints or trace characters of “FRED” are displayed in the display device  130 . The processor  110  implements the character recognition application  144  in the storage device  140  to convert the residual imprints or trace characters of “FRED” to regular characters “FRED”. The regular characters “FRED” are not disguised and are literally displayed in the first field  210 . 
     After the first field  210  receives the user account name “FRED”, the second field  220  may be activated to receive password also from the input device  120 . In this example, the password is “ijkxyz19831122”. The password is preset corresponding to the user account “FRED”. The input may be manually entered and disguised residual imprints or trace characters appear on the display device  130 . In one embodiment, the disguised residual imprints or trace characters may be “qwe456asdf89”. In another embodiment, the residual imprints or trace characters may be totally disabled being displayed. 
     The password “ijkxyz19831122” can be divided into two portions, a first portion only having alphabet characters of “ijkxyz” and a second portion only having numeric characters of “19831122”. 
     When the first portion “ijkxyz” is manually input via the input device  120 , the alphabet mode is selected by activating the drop-down list  230 . In this case, the processor  110  implements the character recognition application  144  in the storage device  140  to only locate alphabet characters most closely matching inputs from the first character database  145 . The display device  130  does not literally display regular alphabet characters of the first portion “ijkxyz” in the second field  220 . In practice, the first portion “ijkxyz” is typically not displayed, and replaced by “******”. 
     When the second portion “19831122” is manually input via the input device  120 , the numeric mode is selected by activating the drop-down list  230 . In this case, the processor  110  implements the character recognition application  144  in the storage device  140  to only locate numeric characters most matching inputs from the second character database  146 . The display device  130  does not literally display regular numeric characters of the second portion “19831122” in the second field  220 . In practice, the second portion “19831122” is also typically not displayed, and replaced by “********”. 
     After the user account and password are input, an icon “OK” displayed in the password input interface  200  may be activated. Then, the processor  110  implements the password authentication application  143  in the storage device  140  to authenticate the user account, so as to allow a user to enter the system  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a flowchart illustrating a method  300  for password entry is shown. The method  300  includes the following blocks, each of which is tied to various devices contained in the system  100  as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     At block S 302 , the display device  130  displays a password input interface  200  by implementing a graphical application  142  stored in a storage device  140  of the system  100 . The password input interface  200  includes a first field  210 , a second field  220 , and a drop-down list  230 . 
     At block S 304 , the input device  120  receives inputs or physical contacts so as to input a user account name, for example “FRED” in the first field  210  via the input device  120 . 
     At block S 306 , the display device  130  displays residual imprints or trace characters corresponding to the user account, and regular characters in the first field  210  of the password input interface  200 . 
     At block S 308 , the input device  120  receives inputs or physical contacts so as to input password, for example “ijkxyz19831122” in the second field  220  via the input device  120 . The password includes a first portion only having alphabet characters and a second portion only having numeric characters. During entering the password, in one embodiment, the residual imprints or trace characters are disguised, such that disguised residual imprints or trace characters of “qwe456asdf89” are displayed. In other embodiment, the residual imprints or trace characters may be totally disabled, as such, the residual imprints or trace characters are not displayed in the display device  130 . 
     At block S 310 , the processor  110  of the system  100  implements a character recognition application  144  in the storage device  140  to recognize the first portion of alphabet characters of the password, and generate regular alphabet characters. The regular alphabet characters are only located from a first character database  145 . The regular alphabet characters are typically not displayed and replaced by “********” in the second field  220  of the password input interface  200 . 
     At block S 312 , the processor  110  implements the character recognition application  144  in the storage device  140  to recognize the second portion of numeric characters of the password, and generate regular numeric characters. The regular numeric characters are only located from a second character database  146 . The regular numeric characters are also typically not displayed and replaced by “********” in the second field  220  of the password input interface  200 . 
     At block S 314 , the processor  110  implements a password authentication application  143  in the storage device  140  to authenticate the user account for allowing a user to enter the system  100 . 
     It should be noted that the various blocks in the method  300  illustrated in  FIG. 3  may be performed in the order presented, or may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, in some embodiments, some blocks can be canceled from the method  300 . 
     For example, the blocks S 304  and S 306  can be omitted from the method  300 , if the user account is pre-displayed in the first field  210  of the password input interface  200  by default settings. In this case, only a password needs to be entered in the second field  220  of the password input interface  200 . 
     For another example, the order of blocks S 310  and S 312  can be reversed, if the password is preset to be “19831122ijkxyz” with the numeric characters “19831122” appearing before the alphabet characters “ijkxyz”. In this case, at block S 310 , the numeric characters are recognized, and regular numeric characters are generated correspondingly. At block S 312 , the alphabet characters are recognized, and regular alphabet characters are generated correspondingly. 
     As described, during password entry using the system  100  and method  300 , residual imprints or trace characters representing the inputs or physical contacts are disguised or totally disabled. In such a configuration, an unauthorized observer cannot easily discern the password. 
     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.