Touch Screen Authentication with Dynamic Key Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumer and enterprise devices face challenges in protecting user authentication on touch screens, as simpler passwords are often used due to the difficulty of entering elaborate passwords, and identifying marks on the screen can unintentionally reveal security information to unauthorized users.
Innovation Solution
A method for user authentication on devices with touch screens involves randomly selecting character positions from a stored user authentication code, requiring users to enter matching characters, and optionally verifying pressure metrics, while repositioning keys to obscure entry patterns and prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users enter authentication codes on a touch screen, then user authentication is enabled, but identifying marks are left on the screen that can reveal security information to unauthorized users
Solution Approach 1:
The keyboard layout is dynamically repositioned between authentication attempts. The system changes the positions of keyboard keys on the touch screen, so that the same authentication code will produce different touch patterns on different attempts. This dynamic repositioning prevents unauthorized users from inferring the authentication code by analyzing static touch patterns on the screen surface.
2Reliability
If elaborate passwords are used, then security is improved, but the difficulty of entering passwords increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication code is segmented into individual character entries rather than requiring entry of the complete code in one sequence. The system presents a keyboard with multiple keys, and the user enters authentication characters one at a time by touching the corresponding keys. This segmentation makes elaborate authentication codes easier to enter accurately while maintaining security.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for user authentication in a device comprising a touch screen is provided. In operation, the device stores a user authentication code corresponding to a user. When a trigger for user authentication is detected, the device randomly selects one or more character positions in the sequence of characters. The device further requests the user to enter a character corresponding to each of the selected one or more character positions in the sequence of characters. When the device detects a user entry made using a keypad on the touch screen, the device determines whether the user entry matches a character corresponding to each of the selected one or more character positions. When the user entry matches a character corresponding to each of the selected one or more character positions in the sequence of characters, then the user is successfully authenticated to the device.