Password Entry Security via Color Decomposition

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Large-screen electronic devices with virtual keyboards pose a security risk as others can easily observe password entries, making it difficult to ensure password entry security.

Innovation Solution

A password entry method and system that involves an intelligent display terminal randomly generating and decomposing soft keyboard image data using subtractive color processes, displaying a partial image on the terminal and restoring it on a portable display terminal using additive color processes, ensuring only the user sees the complete keyboard for entry.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a virtual keyboard is displayed on a large-screen electronic device for password entry, then the ease of operation is improved, but the security of password entry deteriorates because others can easily observe the entered content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassword entry convenienceVSAvoidpassword observation risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The soft keyboard image is segmented into multiple partial images through color decomposition. The intelligent display terminal displays only one partial image, while the portable display terminal displays another partial image. Neither terminal alone shows the complete keyboard, thus preventing observation while maintaining usability through color addition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the keyboard image are assigned different color characteristics. By decomposing the image into partial images with distinct color properties, each terminal displays a locally valid but globally incomplete view, ensuring security while preserving operational functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the complete soft keyboard image is displayed on the intelligent display terminal for user input, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of information increases for unauthorized observers who can see the complete keyboard layout

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvekeyboard visibilityVSAvoidpassword content exposure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The complete keyboard image information is segmented and distributed across multiple terminals. The intelligent display terminal holds one partial image while the portable display terminal holds another. The complete information is only reconstructed when both partial images are combined through color addition, preventing information loss to unauthorized observers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Color addition serves as an intermediary mechanism that reconstructs the complete keyboard image only when both partial images are combined. This intermediary process ensures that information is preserved for authorized users while remaining concealed from unauthorized observers who access only a single terminal.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances password entry security by preventing others from viewing the complete keyboard, thus masking the entered password content.

Implementation Method 1

decomposing, by the intelligent display terminal, the image data of the soft keyboard into image data of a first soft keyboard and image data of a second soft keyboard by using a subtractive color process

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSubtractive color process:

Implementation Method 2

combining the image data of the first soft keyboard and the image data of the second soft keyboard by using an additive color process to restore the image of the soft keyboard

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdditive color process:

Data Source

PatentEP3166000B1Password input method and system
Publication Date: 2019.03.13 SHENZHEN TCL NEW-TECH CO LTD
  • EP3166000B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3166000B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~3C
  • EP3166000B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Disclosed are a password entry method and system. In the present invention, an intelligent display terminal receives a password entry instruction of a user, and randomly generates image data of a soft keyboard; the intelligent display terminal decomposes the image data of the soft keyboard into image data of a first soft keyboard and image data of a second soft keyboard by using a subtractive color process; the intelligent display terminal displays an image of the first soft keyboard according to the image data of the first soft keyboard, and sends the image data of the second soft keyboard to a portable display terminal; and the portable display terminal combines the image data of the first soft keyboard and the image data of the second soft keyboard by using an additive color process to restore an image of the soft keyboard, and displays the image of the soft keyboard. The present invention improves password entry security.