Password resetting method
OwnerGary G. Liuinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for automatically selecting a procedure for resetting an authentication data, such as a password, a PIN, a secret key, or a private key, according to the value of the user data protected by the authentication data and/or the likelihood for the user to forget or otherwise lose the authentication data. The user's preference is also considered in selecting the procedure for resetting the authentication data.
Claims28
A system for controlling access to user data, comprising:
- authentication data for controlling a user's access to user data;
- and
- a selector for automatically selecting a procedure from a set of at least two procedures for resetting the authentication data,
- where at least one of a value of the user data or a probability of the user losing the authentication data is considered in selecting the procedure;
- where the selected procedure is activated to reset the authentication data when the authentication data is lost or the user requests a reset of the authentication data;
- where the selector automatically selects a new procedure different from the selected procedure from the set upon determining a change in the value of the user data or a change in the probability of the user losing the authentication data based on one or more predetermined criteria.
A method for controlling access to user data on a computing system, comprising:
- using, by a processor, authentication data for controlling a user's access to user data;
- selecting a procedure from a set of at least two procedures for resetting the authentication data;
- and
- activating the selected procedure to reset the authentication data when the authentication data is lost or the user requests a reset of the authentication data,
- where selecting a procedure includes considering at least one of a value of user data or a probability of the user losing the authentication data, the method further comprising:
- automatically selecting a new procedure different from the selected procedure from the set upon determining a change in the value of the user data or a change in the probability of the user losing the authentication data based on one or more predetermined criteria.
A computer program product tangibly stored on a machine readable medium, the product including instructions operable to cause a processor to:
- store authentication data for controlling a user's access to user data;
- and
- select a procedure from a set of at least two procedures for resetting the authentication data,
- where at least one of a value of the user data or a probability of the user losing the authentication data is considered in selecting the procedure;
- where the selected procedure is activated to reset the authentication data when the authentication data is lost or the user requests a reset of the authentication data;
- and
- where the selector automatically selects a new procedure different from the selected procedure from the set upon determining a change in the value of the user data or a change in the probability of the user losing the authentication data based on one or more predetermined criteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.