Patent ID: 8527337

Claim:
A method, comprising: transmitting, at a first time after the expiration of a first determined interval and from a first computer system to a second computer system, a prompt including one or more graphical images, and a means for a human operator of the second computer system to provide a respective response thereto, the prompt presented in a format sufficient to permit the human operator of the second computer system, but not an automated process executing thereon, to read the prompt and provide a corresponding single correct and distinct response to the respective prompt presented by said graphical image; receiving, at the first computer system and from the second computer system, a response related to the prompt, said response (i) purportedly generated by the human operator and (ii) being responsive to the respective prompt set forth in the graphical image; determining, by the first computer system, whether the respective response matches its corresponding single correct and distinct response; when so, inferring that the respective response was provided by the human operator of the second computer system and granting the human operator access to a computer-based resource; otherwise, not granting the human operator access to the computer-based resource; determining an amount of time or amount of resources that will be accessible by the human operator before a next prompt is transmitted including adjusting an interval for a next prompt including increasing an amount of time or resources associated with the interval from a baseline amount to an increased amount when the respective response is inferred to have been provided by the human operator, wherein the intervals at which the human operator is quizzed by means of respective prompts set forth in the graphical images are determined by correctness or incorrectness of the human operator's responses to prior ones of the respective prompts, and wherein when the respective response matches its corresponding single correct and distinct response, further increasing a number of accesses or time allowed, before a next graphical image is provided by the first computer system, to the computer-based resource; and providing a second prompt after expiration of the interval.