Patent Application
20080072036
In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus, system, and method of the present invention, as presented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention.
Many of the functional units described in this specification have been labeled as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a module may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like.
Modules may also be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions which may, for instance, be organized as an object, procedure, function, or other construct. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations which, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module.
Indeed, a module of executable code could be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustrated herein within modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.
Reference throughout this specification to “a select embodiment,” “one embodiment,” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “a select embodiment,” “in one embodiment,” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of programming, software modules, user selections, user interfaces, network transactions, database queries, database structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
The illustrated embodiments of the invention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. The following description is intended only by way of example, and simply illustrates certain selected embodiments of devices, systems, and processes that are consistent with the invention as claimed herein.
As used in this specification, the term “key” refers to any input device that may be used to enter data into a computer. A key may comprise, for example, a typing key, a numeric key, a function key, a control key, a mouse button, a contact-sensitive key, or any other type of key known to those in the art.
Referring now to
The password may include a sequence of key presses and key releases. A user may input the sequence of key presses and key releases by depressing and releasing a resilient key on a keyboard, mouse, or other device known to those in the art. In certain embodiments, the sequence of key presses and key releases may comprise a sequence of touches and releases on a touch pad or other contact-sensitive key pad, keyboard or other device known to those in the art. In other embodiments, the sequence of key presses and releases may comprise other key actions known to those in the art.
A key press in accordance with the present invention may send a scan-code for a corresponding value to an associated computer. A key release in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may send a release code to the computer. If one key is held down while another key is pressed and released, the computer may receive the scan-code for the held key and a scan and release code for the other key. In this manner, the computer may discern an ordered sequence of key presses and key releases in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
In some embodiments, the password may not be directly associated with key characters. Indeed, two or more key presses may precede a key release. In other embodiments, two or more keys may be consecutively released. Similarly, in some embodiments, two or more keys may be substantially simultaneously pressed and/or released. In this manner, embodiments of the present invention may maximize possible permutations from a finite set of character keys, and thus maximize acceptable passwords. The present invention may also confound an unauthorized user's ability to decode the password by either casual observation or by trial and error.
For example, in some embodiments, a user may select a password derived from the set of character keys “a,” “s,” and “j.” The password, however, may depend on an ordered sequence of key presses and releases involving such character keys, rather than simply the order of characters themselves. In one embodiment, for example, the password may comprise the following ordered sequence: press key “a,” press key “s,” press key “j,” release key “s,” release key “j,” release key “a.”
In other embodiments, a key press may comprise either depression of a substantially resilient key, or contact with the key surface. Key presses may be differentiated according to whether the key is depressed or simply contacted, so as to maximize password possibilities derived from a finite set of keys. In this manner, embodiments of the present invention may encode more than one password constituent depending on the action associated with a single character key. For example, depressing the “a” key may yield a value of “a” while contact with the surface of the “a” key may yield a value of “˜a.”
In another embodiment, a key press may comprise depressing more than one key substantially simultaneously. A substantially simultaneous key press may be encoded as part of a password via standard ASCII characters for easy electronic transmission. For example, a key press comprising substantially simultaneous depression of the “c,” “a,” and “t” keys may be encoded as “[cat].”
Passwords dependent on a sequence of key presses and releases as disclosed above may be intuitive to players of wind and other musical instruments. Indeed, wind instrument technique is based on independently operable keys that may be pressed and/or released in various combinations to create a range of notes much greater than the number of keys from which they are derived. Similarly, the present invention increases possible passwords available from a finite set of character keys.
The present invention also adds a layer of complexity to an otherwise simple, intuitive password. Indeed, while the particular ordered sequence of key presses and key releases may be easily remembered and entered by an authorized user, this added layer of complexity may stymie attempts by an unauthorized user to decode the password.
A comparator module 106 may compare the sequence of key presses and releases received by the input module 104 to the sequence of key presses and releases stored as the password by the set module 102. In some embodiments, the comparator module 106 may compare each key press and release of the set password to each key press and release of the input password to determine, in series, whether the input password matches the set password. In other embodiments, the comparator module 106 may compare the ordered sequence string of key presses and releases corresponding to the set password to the ordered sequence string of key presses and releases corresponding to the input password to determine a match. In either case, an access module 108 may grant access to a user in response to the input password matching the set password.
Referring now to
As in the apparatus 100, the sequence of key presses and key releases may comprise touches on a touch pad or other contact-sensitive key pad or keyboard known to those in the art. The password may not be directly associated with key characters. In some embodiments, two or more key presses may precede a key release. In other embodiments, two or more keys may be consecutively released. Also, in some embodiments, two or more keys may be substantially simultaneously pressed and/or released.
The method 200 may further comprise receiving 206 a password from a user. In some embodiments, receiving 206 a password may include prompting 208 a user for the password and receiving 210 a sequence of key presses and releases in response to the prompt. The method 200 may then include comparing 212 the received password to a stored password to determine whether the received password matches 212 the stored password. As in the apparatus 100, the comparing 212 step may compare each key press and release of the received sequence in series, or as a string of key presses and releases. If the received password fails to match the stored password, the method may deny 216 access to the user and return to the receive 206 password step. If the received password positively matches the stored password, the method may grant 214 user access to the secured resource.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
