Obfuscated TV PIN Entry Using Remote Directional Pad Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing PIN entry methods on media devices, such as televisions, are susceptible to being visible to others due to large screen sizes and central room locations, leading to potential unauthorized access and transactions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an obfuscated PIN entry mode using a remote control that maps directional buttons to numerical characters and functional options, dividing the PIN pad into subsections and using a virtual directional pad interface to input PINs securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional PIN entry interface is displayed on a television device, then the user can easily input the PIN using a remote control, but the PIN becomes visible to others in the room due to the large screen size and central location
Solution Approach 1:
The PIN pad is divided into multiple subsections, with only one subsection active at a time. This segmentation allows the interface to hide most numerical characters from view while maintaining full input capability, as users navigate through subsections rather than seeing all numbers simultaneously on the large screen.
Solution Approach 2:
The active subsection is highlighted with a visual indicator (such as a border or background color) to draw attention to the current input area. This local quality enhancement ensures users can locate the active input field easily without the entire PIN pad being visible, thus maintaining ease of operation while reducing overall visibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the PIN pad is hidden or obscured, then privacy is improved, but the user cannot see which numerical character corresponds to each remote control button press
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual directional pad interface acts as an intermediary between the remote control buttons and the PIN pad. This virtual interface maps directional buttons to numerical characters and provides visual feedback about which character will be entered, allowing users to see the correspondence without exposing the entire PIN pad to view.
Solution Approach 2:
The numerical characters are extracted from the main PIN pad display and presented through the virtual directional pad interface instead. This extraction allows the characters to be shown in a controlled, localized manner that provides necessary information to the user while preventing the full PIN pad from being visible on the large screen.
3Measurement precision
If special purpose keys are added to the remote control for PIN entry, then PIN input accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and lack of universality increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual directional pad interface enables existing directional buttons on standard remote controls to serve dual purposes: navigation within the user interface and PIN entry. This multi-functionality maintains remote control universality across different media devices while achieving accurate PIN input through the mapped directional button to numerical character correspondence.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems, methods, and media for obfuscated personal identification number entry on media devices are provided. In some implementations, a method for personal identification number entry on media devices includes: receiving, using a media device, a request to enter a personal identification number (PIN) using a remote control device that is connected to the media device; causing a PIN entry interface screen that includes (i) a PIN pad in which a plurality of numerical characters and one or more functional options are divided into a plurality of subsections and (ii) a virtual directional pad interface that corresponds to a directional pad having a plurality of directional buttons and a central select button on the remote control device, wherein the virtual directional pad interface allocates a first subset of the directional buttons and a central select button on the remote control device to an active subsection of the plurality of subsections and wherein the virtual directional pad interface allocates a second subset of the directional buttons on the remote control device to navigate between each of the plurality of subsections; receiving a key press from the remote control device; and updating a PIN entry region on the PIN entry interface screen with a numerical character or performing a functional option from the one or more functional options that corresponds with the received key press, wherein the numerical character that corresponds with the received key press and the received key press are inhibited from being presented on the PIN entry interface screen.