Image based passphrase for authentication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10885176-B2
Application number	US-201816004947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2018
Priority date	Jun 11, 2018
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

Example techniques are described for image-based user authentication. An example method includes receiving, by a host system, a passphrase comprising a plurality of words, the passphrase being provided for authentication of a user. The method further includes generating, by the host system, an image selection grid comprising a plurality of images, each word from the passphrase corresponding to one or more images from the image selection grid. The method further includes receiving, by the host system, a plurality of selected images from the image selection grid. The method further includes storing, by the host system, the selected images as a login challenge for the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for image-based user authentication, the method comprising:
receiving, by a host system, a passphrase comprising a plurality of words, the passphrase being provided for authentication of a user;
generating, by the host system, an image selection grid comprising a plurality of images, each word from the passphrase corresponding to a respective image from the image selection grid;
computing, by the host system, a confidence score for each word in the passphrase, the confidence score of a word represents whether the image corresponding to said word matches a context of said word in the passphrase;
creating, by the host system, a master-phrase based on the passphrase by selecting, from the passphrase, a subset of words with confidence scores above a predetermined threshold;
presenting, by the host system, the image selection grid comprising one or more images corresponding to the subset of words that is selected;
receiving, by the host system, a plurality of selected images from the image selection grid; and
storing, by the host system, the selected images as a login challenge for the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, by the host system, a challenge grid comprising a plurality of challenge images corresponding to the plurality of words from the master-phrase;
receiving, by the host system, a selection of one or more challenge images from the challenge grid by the user; and
authenticating, by the host system, the user based on the selection of the one or more challenge images comprising images from the login challenge.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the selection of the one or more challenge images from the challenge grid is in a predetermined sequence.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined sequence is a sequence in which the plurality of selected images is selected from the image selection grid.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the challenge grid further comprises a plurality of obfuscation images.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of challenge images is placed in the challenge grid at random positions.

7. A system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled with the memory, the processor configured to perform an image-based user authentication that comprises:
receiving a passphrase comprising a plurality of words, the passphrase being provided for authentication of a user;
generating an image selection grid comprising a plurality of images, each word from the passphrase corresponding to a respective image from the image selection grid;
computing a confidence score for each word in the passphrase, the confidence score of a word represents whether the image corresponding to said word matches a context of said word in the passphrase;
creating a master-phrase based on the passphrase by selecting, from the passphrase, a subset of words with confidence scores above a predetermined threshold;
presenting the image selection grid comprising one or more images corresponding to the subset of words that is selected;
receiving a plurality of selected images from the image selection grid; and
storing the selected images as a login challenge for the user.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the image-based authentication further comprises:
generating a challenge grid comprising a plurality of challenge images corresponding to the plurality of words from the master-phrase;
receiving a selection of one or more challenge images from the challenge grid by the user; and
authenticating the user based on the selection of the one or more challenge images comprising images from the login challenge.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the selection of the one or more challenge images from the challenge grid is in a predetermined sequence.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined sequence is a sequence in which the plurality of selected images is selected from the image selection grid.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the challenge grid further comprises a plurality of obfuscation images.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of challenge images is placed in the challenge grid at random positions.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by an electronic computer processor to perform an image-based user authentication that comprises:
receiving a passphrase comprising a plurality of words, the passphrase being provided for authentication of a user;
generating an image selection grid comprising a plurality of images, each word from the passphrase corresponding to a respective image from the image selection grid;
computing a confidence score for each word in the passphrase, the confidence score of a word represents whether the image corresponding to said word matches a context of said word in the passphrase;
creating a master-phrase based on the passphrase by selecting, from the passphrase, a subset of words with confidence scores above a predetermined threshold;
presenting the image selection grid comprising one or more images corresponding to the subset of words that is selected;
receiving a plurality of selected images from the image selection grid; and
storing the selected images as a login challenge for the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the image-based authentication further comprises:
generating a challenge grid comprising a plurality of challenge images corresponding to the plurality of words from the master-phrase;
receiving a selection of one or more challenge images from the challenge grid by the user; and
authenticating the user based on the selection of the one or more challenge images comprising images from the login challenge.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the selection of the one or more challenge images from the challenge grid is in a predetermined sequence.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the predetermined sequence is a sequence in which the plurality of selected images is selected from the image selection grid.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the challenge grid further comprises a plurality of obfuscation images.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
recording a set of related words for each word in the subset of words that is selected as the master-phrase;
searching for images using the set of related words for each word in the subset of words;
presenting the images that are searched to the user for selection as part of the image grid.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the confidence score is obtained using a third party service.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Whitney Michael J
• Nolan Colm
• Maresh Mark
• Vargas Juan F

Classifications

• G06F2221/2103

  Challenge-response · CPC title

• G06F21/36 Primary

  by graphic or iconic representation · CPC title

• H04L9/3226

  using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083) · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F21/45

  Structures or tools for the administration of authentication · CPC title