Personalized Digital Image Authentication via Encrypted Key Color Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in remembering and securely authenticating to remote computing systems due to the complexity and lack of encryption in manually-typed passwords, which can lead to unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that generates a personalized digital image corresponding to an encrypted authentication key, allowing users to visually remember and authenticate using a memorable image instead of a password, while enhancing security through encryption and randomization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manually-typed passwords are used for authentication, then users can access remote computing systems, but the passwords are difficult to remember and not encrypted, making them vulnerable to unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by converting encrypted password characters into corresponding color values and mapping them to image areas. Each character of the encrypted key becomes a specific color in the digital image, allowing users to remember their password as a visual pattern rather than text, thereby improving memorability while maintaining security through encryption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a visual representation (digital image) that copies the essential information from the encrypted password. The image serves as a memorizable copy of the password's encrypted form, enabling users to recall authentication credentials without remembering the actual password text
2Ease of operation
If passwords are not encrypted, then users can easily remember and type them, but they can be easily compromised and used for unauthorized transactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by encrypting the password before creating the visual image. The encryption occurs in advance, transforming the plaintext password into an encrypted form that is then mapped to colors. This preliminary encryption ensures that even if the image is compromised, the actual password remains secure, addressing the security vulnerability while maintaining usability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by introducing encryption as a mediator between the password and the visual representation. The encrypted key serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between the original password and its visual depiction, allowing the system to maintain both usability and security through this intermediate encryption layer
3Reliability
If users must remember lengthy passwords, then authentication can be secured, but the authentication process becomes time-consuming and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces authentication time by converting the lengthy password into a visual image where each character maps to a color in a specific image area. Users can quickly recall the password by remembering the color pattern rather than reciting individual characters, significantly reducing the time required for authentication while maintaining the same security level
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dimensionality change by transitioning from a one-dimensional text-based password to a two-dimensional visual image. This dimensional transformation allows users to perceive and recall the authentication credential as a spatial pattern of colors across the image, making retrieval faster and more intuitive while preserving authentication strength
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses are described for generating a digital image using an unencrypted key. A server computing device generates an initial digital image comprising a plurality of image areas. The server computing device converts an unencrypted key associated with a remote computing device into an encrypted key using an encryption algorithm. The server computing device assigns a color value to each character of the encrypted key. The server computing device maps each character of the encrypted key to one of the plurality of image areas of the initial digital image. The server computing device generates an updated digital image by applying, to each of the plurality of image areas, a color that corresponds to the color value assigned to the character of the encrypted key that is mapped to the image area. The server computing device stores the updated digital image in a database record.