Encoding methods and systems

Abstract

The invention provides a solution for secure input of a user's input into an electronic device. The invention comprises methods and apparatus for secure input of a user's identifier e.g. password or other code. An image of a keyboard is superimposed over a scrambled, operable keyboard within a display zone of a screen associated with an electronic device. The keyboard image depicts a non-scrambled keyboard, in that the keys depicted in the image are in an expected or standardised format or order eg QWERTY keyboard arrangement. The difference in positions of the keys depicted in the image, and those in the operable keyboard, provides a mapping which enables an encoded form of the identifier to be generated, such that the un-encoded version is never stored in the device's memory. Preferably, the image depicts a keyboard which is standard for the device which it is being displayed on. The device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, laptop, PC, payment terminal or any other electronic computing device with a screen. The underlying keyboard, which is at least partially obscured from the user's view by the image, may be generated at run time by a procedure call. Preferably, this procedure is native to the device ie part of a library which is provided as standard with the device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.