# US 2014/0157121 A1 · Preventing malicious observance of private information

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- Number: US 2014/0157121 A1
- Document ID: US20140157121A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/100,770
- Filed: 2013-12-09
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Li Jun Jiang; Rui Lin; Hao Meng Wang; Qin Zhao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157121A1

## CPC

- G06F 21/60: Protecting data
- G06F 3/016: {Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user}
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- G06F 21/34: involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
- G06F 21/36: by graphic or iconic representation
- G06F 21/629: {to features or functions of an application}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A technique for preventing malicious observance of private information includes receiving an instruction of entering a mode of inputting private information; determining a correspondence between actual inputs and expected inputs; receiving an actual user input; and converting the actual input into an expected input as private information inputted by the user according to the correspondence. This security technique can prevent discovery of the private information of a user through observation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
determining a correspondence between visible input cues presented via a graphical user interface and input values, wherein each of the visible input cues indicate a value other than the corresponding input value; and
in response to selection of any one of the visible input cues via the graphical user interface,
determining the input value that corresponds to the selected visible input cue;
generating at least one of an audio output and a tactile output that indicates the corresponding input value instead of visually presenting the corresponding input value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the input value that corresponds to the selected visible input cue comprises converting a first value, which the selected visible input cue indicates, to a second value that is the input value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein said converting the first value to the second value comprises applying a conversion formula to the first value, wherein the conversion formula was pre-selected.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising automatically selecting a conversion formula and generating a notification of the automatically selected conversion formula prior to said determining the input value that corresponds to the selected visible input cue, wherein said converting the first value to the second value comprises applying the automatically selected conversion formula to the first value.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising: verifying that an earphone is connected to an interface of a device that presents the graphical user interface, wherein the audio output is output via the interface connected to the earphone instead of other output devices.