Keyboard Integrating One-Time Password Generation Hardware
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing one-time password (OTP) generation methods either rely on insecure software solutions or inconvenient dedicated hardware, lacking a balance between security and convenience.
Innovation Solution
Integration of OTP generation hardware into a keyboard, allowing secure OTP generation through a dedicated button or key sequence, with optional PIN entry and display on the keyboard or paired device, using tamper-proof chips and cryptography for secure seed-based OTP generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated hardware (token/fob) is used to generate OTP, then security is improved, but device complexity and convenience are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines OTP generation hardware with a standard keyboard device, merging two separate functions (authentication and text input) into a single integrated device. This eliminates the need for separate token/fob hardware while maintaining security, directly resolving the contradiction between security and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyboard is designed to perform multiple functions: standard text input and OTP generation. By making the keyboard universal, users don't need to carry or manage additional dedicated hardware devices, thus improving convenience while maintaining security through the integrated OTP capability.
2Ease of operation
If software is used to generate OTP, then convenience is improved, but security is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges software convenience with hardware security by integrating OTP generation hardware into the keyboard. The hardware component provides secure seed storage and OTP generation, while the keyboard interface provides convenient user interaction, resolving the contradiction between security and convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The keyboard acts as an intermediary device that provides a convenient interface (like software) while containing secure hardware components for OTP generation. This mediator approach allows users to benefit from both the convenience of software integration and the security of hardware-based OTP generation.
3Ease of operation
If OTP hardware is integrated into keyboard, then convenience is improved by eliminating additional hardware, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The OTP hardware is merged with the keyboard's existing structure and components. The keyboard's microcontroller and existing hardware resources are utilized to implement OTP generation functionality, minimizing the addition of separate components and reducing the impact on device complexity while improving convenience.
Data Source
AI summary
A keyboard includes a plurality of keys, a plurality of keyboard components coupled to the keys, and one-time password (OTP) generation hardware integrated with at least some of the keyboard components, where actuating at least one of the keys causes a one-time password to be generated. The OTP generation hardware may be actuated with a dedicated button on the keyboard, by pressing a button on the keyboard that is otherwise used for pairing the keyboard to a device, or by pressing a specific sequence of keys on the keyboard. The keyboard may maintain state information to cause input by the user for OTP generation to be provide to the OTP generation hardware instead of to a device paired with the keyboard. The keyboard may also include a display that is part of the keyboard, where the display shows the one-time password generated by the OTP hardware.