Method and device for entering a computer database password

Abstract

The invention relates to computers, more particularly to a method and apparatus for entering a password to gain access to computer databases. The object of the invention is to provide efficient protection of the user's password from reproduction by an unauthorized person, to substantially increase the number of possible combinations and to create passwords that are maximum easy for the users to memorize. An embodiment of the invention comprises entering parameters of a password entry dynamic image to a computer; displaying to the user the dynamic image with the selected parameters; pointing at least one predetermined object of the dynamic image that has taken a user-predetermined position in space and / or state in time. Another embodiment comprises setting a predetermined access code in the form of a rhythmic pattern; preliminary entering said rhythmic pattern via a user's entry device to a computer to store and use the rhythmic pattern in subsequent password entries; when entering the password, entering said rhythmic pattern via a set of contact means of the user's entry device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a divisional of prior application Ser. No. 10 / 484,711, filed Jan. 26, 2004, in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and PCT Application PCT / RU01 / 00315 filed on Jul. 27, 2001, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to computers and specifically relates to a method for entering a password to gain access to computer databases and an apparatus for implementing the method.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]A method is known for entering a graphical password which requires a user to touch, via a mouse, areas of a graphical image on a display in a predetermined sequence (U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,961, IPC G06F 11 / 00, published on Sep. 24, 1996).[0006]The password, however, suffers from insufficient security. Firstly, an unauthorized person can oversee and repeat the process of entering data of the passwor...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for entering a password to gain access to computer databases, that would overcome the aforementioned problems of the prior art. The present invention provides the following technical result: efficient protection of the user's password from reproduction by an unauthorized person, substantially increased number of possible combinations to prevent learning the password by trial and error, and at the same time provision of passwords that are maximum easy for the users to memorize and convenient to enter.

Problems solved by technology

The password, however, suffers from insufficient security.

Firstly, an unauthorized person can oversee and repeat the process of entering data of the password.

Secondly, the number of password patterns that could be generated is small and the patterns are easy to produce by trial and error.

In addition to the insufficient security, the prior art method suffers one problem more—not every password selected by the user can be easily memorized.

To gain access to numerous databases, the user must remember a plurality of different password patterns, which becomes impossible due to abundance of such systems.

Security provided by the method is quite high, but the required additional logical operations increase load on the user.

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