Generating or changing passwords using a degree of simplicity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9600658-B2
Application number	US-201514607267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Apr 11, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A technique for generating passwords. The technique includes displaying objects, enabling a degree of simplicity to be set for a password, and generating a password in accordance with the established degree of simplicity. The technique also includes superimposing and displaying a secondary object icon for at least one secondary object available to a primary object on top of the primary object icon for the primary object, and the superimposing and display entails either superimposing and displaying a display on the superimposed secondary object icon to indicate whether or not the superimposed secondary object is available on the basis of the degree of simplicity, or changing the superimposed secondary object icon so as to differentiate the availability of the superimposed secondary object on the basis of the degree of simplicity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for generating a password by an electronic device, the method comprising:
displaying, on an electronic display, a first object, the display of the first object including second objects available to the first object;
enabling a degree of simplicity to be set for the password by executing one or more steps comprising displaying a degree of simplicity setting display to enable the degree of simplicity for the password to be changed;
superimposing displays of secondary object icons of at least one of the second objects available to the first object on top of a first object icon of the first object to indicate whether the secondary object is available based on the degree of simplicity;
dynamically changing, in response to a change in the degree of simplicity established in the degree of simplicity setting display, at least one of (i) the display indicating whether or not the secondary objects is available on the basis of the degree of simplicity, and (ii) a display indicating whether or not the first object is available on the basis of the degree of simplicity; and
generating the password in accordance with the degree of simplicity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a changed degree of simplicity for the password;
dynamically changing, in response to the detected degree of simplicity, at least one of (i) the display indicating whether or not the secondary object is available on the basis of the degree of simplicity, and (ii) the display indicating whether or not the first object is available on the basis of the degree of simplicity; and
changing the password in accordance with the changed degree of simplicity.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein enabling a degree of simplicity to be set for a password further comprises calculating the degree of simplicity so as to enable a moved second object to be available in response to a secondary object icon having been moved onto a first object icon.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
dynamically changing, in response to the secondary object icon having been moved onto the first object icon, the display indicating whether or not the second object is available on the basis of the degree of simplicity.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein calculating the degree of simplicity further comprises:
calculating the degree of simplicity so a security level associated with the moved second object satisfies the security level associated with the established degree of simplicity.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein calculating the degree of simplicity further comprises:
calculating a security level based on a security level determined by at least one of (i) the moved second object, and the first object so that the calculated security level satisfies a security level associated with the established degree of simplicity.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the display indicating availability on the basis of the degree of simplicity is a checkbox, the display indicating that second objects are available on the basis of the degree of simplicity is the checkbox having been turned on, and the display indicating that second objects are not available on the basis of the degree of simplicity is the checkbox having been turned off.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
changing a color of the displays of the superimposed secondary object icons to indicate whether second objects associated with the superimposed displays of the secondary object icons are available.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further executes a step of displaying a tertiary object icon for at least one tertiary object available to a second object on top of an expanded secondary object icon in response to an expanded display of the secondary object icon.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first object or the second objects available on the basis of an established degree of simplicity, or a combination thereof, form an access group, and a security level associated with the first object belonging to the access group, the security level associated with the second objects belonging to the access group, or a security level calculated on the basis of a combination thereof satisfies a security level associated with the established degree of simplicity.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the step of generating a password in accordance with the established degree of simplicity further comprises a step of generating a plurality of passwords, the plurality of passwords being generated so that a different access group is associated with each of the plurality of passwords.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of enabling a degree of simplicity to be set for a password enables a degree of simplicity to be set in response to a primary password having been entered and verified, and the password has a lower security level than the primary password.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kanzaki Eisuke
• Ohkado Akira
• Shioya Tomohiro
• Tada Masami

Classifications

• G06F21/46 Primary

  by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords · CPC title

• G06F21/604

  Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems · CPC title