US 9,519,296 B1Granted

Randomized input device heating

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorBrendan Murray

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Abstract

A security code input may be obfuscated from a thermal imaging device by randomly heating a random set of inputs of an input device. The security code is inputted on an input device, which communicates with a security system to grant or deny access to a user based on an entry of the security code. The input device includes a plurality of hearing elements. The input device may receive an input from the user. A random set of heating elements including one or more heating elements, are generated from the plurality of heating elements. A temperature is determined for the one or more heating elements of the random set of heating elements. The temperature is then applied to the one or more heating elements of the random set of heating elements of the input device.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A method for obfuscating a security code, the method comprising:

measuring an ambient temperature of an input device;
displaying the input device on a graphical user interface;
receiving an input from a user on the input device that grants access to a user based on an entry of a security code, the input device coupled to a plurality of heating elements;
communicating, in response to receiving the input, a random audible tone to the user;
recording a temperature of the input of the user on the input device;
generating, in response to receiving the input, a random set of heating elements including one or more heating elements of the plurality of heating elements;
determining a temperature of a temperature range for heating one or more heating elements of the random set of heating elements based on the temperature of the input of the user, wherein the temperature range includes:
an upper threshold of the temperature range which is the temperature of the input of the user, and
a lower threshold of the temperature range which is the ambient temperature of the input device;
and
applying the temperature of the temperature range to each of the one or more heating elements of the random set of heating elements.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/974,688Filed 18 Dec 2015 · continuation
Priority: 26 Aug 2015
Granted: 13 Dec 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

G06F 21/6254
Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes: by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's…
G05B 15/02
Systems controlled by a computer: electric
G05D 23/1917
Characterised by the use of electric means: using digital means
G06F 21/6209
Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules: to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope,…

Family

Application14/835,885Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Aug 2015
US 10,282,560 B2Related patent
US 2017/0061154 A1Published application
US 9,519,296 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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