JP2000305653A - Password recognizing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce danger to apply the permission of use to the third person, who knows a user identifier, by correspondently storing and collating several kinds of user identifier information after a second character corresponding to keying state holding time in the case of inputting the leading character of the user identifier. SOLUTION: In a state of enabling the input of a password, a user holds the state of pressing the key of the leading character of the password just for time corresponding to the desired password. This time is measured by a time measuring part 104. When the password is inputted shorter than 1.0 sec, for example, the classification of 'short' keying time is decided and further, the password after the second character is continuously inputted. On the stage when all the character string of the password is completely inputted, an input content collating part 107 collates the contents with the registered contents for the classification of 'short' keying time and when they are matched, the permission of use is applied. When the password is inputted longer than 1.0 sec and the classification of 'long' keying time is decided, the contents are collated with registered contents for the classification of 'long' keying time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for determining whether or not a user is a use-permitted subject from a user identifier input by a user in an information processing apparatus generally called a personal computer or a workstation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer or a work station, for the purpose of protecting programs and data stored in an internal storage device, whether a user is an authorized user or not. In order to determine whether or not the information processing apparatus has been used, a method of requesting input of a user identifier (specifically, a user ID, a password, or the like) at the start of use of a program or data is adopted.

[0003] In this method, a user identifier input by a user through an input device is compared with a pre-registered user identifier, and if the character string of the user identifier matches, the use authorization is given. If the character string of the user identifier is known to another person, use permission will be given to a third party who is not originally a target person of use permission,
There is a risk of being misused by a third party.

[0004] For this reason, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H2-13788.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-15189, a method for changing a password time limit in which the password itself is changed according to a time zone, and as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-1511891, when a password is entered. There are various abuse prevention technologies such as a password collation device that uses a key input time interval as a collation material.

[0005]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention
According to the technology described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4 (1993), when a password in one of the time zones is known to a third party, the risk of being misused by the third party in other time zones can be avoided. However, there is still the danger of being abused by third parties during the known hours, and users also have to remember passwords for each time zone, which is bothersome. There are drawbacks.

[0006] Further, in the personal identification number collating apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 2-151891, if the user registers the key input time intervals with variation, the personal identification number is known to a third party. Even if you do, it is difficult for a third party to match up to that key-in time interval,
The risk of being misused by a third party is reduced, but the user must remember his or her key input time interval.

[0007] The present technology is effective for a four-digit password used in a cash dispenser or the like because the key input time interval that the user must remember is small.
The user identifier used in the information processing device is usually as long as about eight digits, so that the key input time interval that the user must remember increases, and input errors easily occur. Therefore, when the present technology is employed for determining the use-permitted subject in the information processing apparatus, there is a risk that the use permission cannot be obtained even for the use-permitted subject.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus for determining whether or not a user is a use-permitted subject from a user identifier input by a user, even if the user identifier is known to a third party. , Reduce the risk of granting use permission to a third party who is not the use-allowed person without deteriorating the operability of the use-permitted person, and reduce the risk of programs and data stored in the storage device in the information processing device. Protection and reliability.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is based on the conventional method of collating a user identifier input by a user with a user identifier of a pre-registered user whose use is permitted. Although it does not change, the time to hold the input device such as a keyboard in a depressed state when inputting the first character (hereinafter, referred to as the first character) constituting the user identifier (hereinafter referred to as the “key depressed state holding time”) (Referred to as
, User identifier information of the second and subsequent characters is stored in association with several types, and this is used as collation means.

[0010] Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention, an input device, a display device, a storage device, and a processing device are provided.
The storage device, for each user identifier of the use-permitted person, for holding the input device such as a keyboard in a depressed state when inputting the first character constituting the user identifier (hereinafter, referred to as the first character) (hereinafter, referred to as the first character). User identifier information for the second and subsequent characters with respect to the "key press state holding time") is stored in association with several types, and the processing device performs the time measurement with respect to the first character of the user identifier input from the input device. By comparing the user identifier information of the second character and subsequent characters corresponding to the key press state holding time required for inputting the first character measured by the means with the storage content of the storage device, a user identifier is obtained from the input device. An information processing apparatus, comprising: a matching unit that determines that the input user is a use-permitted user.

[0011] The collating means determines which of the time ranges previously stored in the storage device corresponds to the key depressed state holding time at the time of the first character input measured by the time measuring means. Based on the result, it is possible to determine which user identifier is associated with each user identifier.

Further, the processing device can display, on the display device, an index indicating the elapse of the key press state holding time for the first character of the user identifier together with the user identifier input from the input device. Then, the key depressing state holding time of the first character is classified into an arbitrary number according to its length, a specific user identifier is selected based on the classification as a collation reference, and the user who inputs the user identifier from the input device is input. Can be used as matching means for determining that the user is a use-permitted subject.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a control system block diagram relating to determination of a use-permitted subject in an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a head of a user identifier in an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Character input screen explanatory diagram,
FIG. 3 is a flowchart relating to use permission determination in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing registration contents of the hard disk device, and FIG. 5 is information processing according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the internal configuration of the device.

As shown in FIG. 5, an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a keyboard 101 and a mouse 102.
, An I / O control unit 103, a display device 109, a display control unit 108, a floppy disk device 504, a floppy disk control unit 503, and a hard disk device 105.
, The hard disk control unit 106 and the central processing unit 50
1 and a main memory 502.

The central processing unit 501 includes a keyboard 101
According to various instructions input from the mouse 102 or the mouse 102, data is input / output to / from the main memory 502, the floppy disk device 504, the hard disk device 105, and the like. And the execution result is displayed on the display device 109.

Generally, in a conventional information processing apparatus,
As described above, if the user identifier entered by the user matches the user identifier of the pre-registered user whose use is to be authorized, the user is given permission to use, and the stored user ID is stored in the hard disk device 105. To protect programs and data.

For example, assuming that the password of the person to be authorized is “PASS”, the user can use the keyboard 101 to enter “PASS” when using the information processing apparatus.
S "at any speed, the central processing unit 501
Compares the entered character string “PASS” with the password of the person authorized to be used (hereinafter referred to as “basic registration password”) stored in the hard disk device 105 in advance, and if they match, It is a method of giving permission to use.

On the other hand, in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, first, for the user identifier input by the user, the first character constituting the user identifier (hereinafter referred to as the first character) is input. At this time, the time for holding the input device such as a keyboard in a pressed state (hereinafter referred to as a “key pressed state holding time”) is measured, and it is determined which time range is stored in the storage device in advance, and the Judging which character string is applied to each user identifier based on the result, associating a character array of a different user identifier with the classification as a collation criterion, and determining that the user who has input the character string is the authorized user. It is characterized in that it has a matching means for determination.

In the following description, only the input of a password will be described for convenience, but the same can be applied to the input of another user identifier.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 104 denotes a time measuring unit;
Reference numeral 7 denotes an input content collating unit.
Can be realized by the central processing unit 501 loading a program stored in the hard disk device 105 into the main memory 502 and executing it.

For example, if the password of the person to be authorized is
Assume “PASS”. In this case, the user pre-registers "PASS" from the keyboard 101. In the present invention, in addition to this password character string, a plurality of password character strings are determined by the key-pressing state holding time of the first character. Because it is a method that corresponds to
It is necessary to register a character string of the password for each class of the key press state holding time.

An example of the registration method will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows an example of a password registration screen according to the present invention.
This is shown in (1). Then, to simplify the explanation, the key press state holding time of the first character of the password is classified into two stages, that is, the key press state holding time is less than 1.0 second ⇒ The holding time is classified as "short". Lowering state holding time 1.0 seconds or more ⇒ It is assumed that the holding time is classified as “long”.

Here, when the user registers the basic password “PASS”, when the user first inputs the character “P” from the keyboard 101,
From the point in time when the pressing of 1 is started, the key pressed state holding time graph 202 starts displaying the progress of time in a manner of sequentially extending the bar graph.

Here, for example, when the user presses the key "P" for 0.5 seconds after the start of the key press, the key press is terminated, as shown in FIG. 2 (2). The first character "P" is determined to correspond to the key press time classification "short". "A", "S", "S"
Is input into the hard disk device 105 as follows.
Correspondence Table 40 between First Character Key Depression Time and Password in FIG.
Recorded as 2. When such a registration is made,
The first character “P” of the password to be input from the keyboard 101 when the user starts using the information processing device next time
Is input within 1.0 second, the key pressing state holding time is determined to be “short” with a key pressing state holding time of less than 1.0 second, and “A”, “S” “ S "must be input.

Similarly, for example, when the user presses the key "P" for 1.2 seconds after the start of key pressing, the key pressing is terminated, as shown in FIG. 2 (2). The first character "P" is determined to correspond to the key pressing time classification "long". Continuously, "X", "Y", "Z"
Is input into the hard disk device 105 as follows.
Correspondence Table 40 between First Character Key Depression Time and Password in FIG.
Recorded as 2.

When such registration is performed, when the user inputs the first character "P" of the password to be input from the keyboard 101 in 1.0 second or more at the next start of use of the information processing apparatus, , Key holding state holding time 1.0
It is determined that the key depressing time classification is “long” with seconds or more, and it is necessary to input “X”, “Y”, and “Z” in order from the second character.

FIG. 3 shows a flowchart relating to the password use permission determination in this process. First, in the password input enabled state 301, the user holds down the key of the first character of the password for a time corresponding to the password desired by the user. This time is measured by the first character key press time measurement 303, and if it is input in less than 1.0 second, it is determined that the key press state holding time is less than 1.0 second and the key press time classification is “short”, Further, the user inputs the password after the second character. At the stage when all the character strings of the password have been input, the key is compared with the registered contents of the key press time classification “short”, and if they match, use permission is given.

Similarly, the time during which the key of the first character of the password is depressed is measured as the first character key depression time measurement 303.
If the value is input in 1.0 seconds or longer, the key press state holding time is 1.0 seconds or longer.
Is determined, and the password after the second character is further input. When the input of all the character strings of the password is completed, it is compared with the registered contents of the key depression time classification “long”, and if they match, the use permission is given.

As a result, when the user starts using the information processing apparatus, the password "PASS" to be entered from the keyboard 101 is depressed when the first character "P" is entered. By adjusting the holding time, the character string after the second character can be freely selected. Then, the input content matching unit 107 performs matching based on the leading character key pressing time registered in the hard disk device 105 in advance and the password correspondence table 402. Then, all the characters of the input password are collated, and if the character string matches the password corresponding to the key press state holding time of the first character, use permission is given.

The key-pressing state holding time of the first character with respect to the character string of the password which must be registered in advance by the person to be authorized is a key-pressing time desired by the registrant and easy to reproduce. Actually keyboard 101
You just need to enter and register.

In the above description, the key press state holding time is also classified as "short" or "long".
However, it can be set freely according to the concept and purpose of each user regarding the importance of security. For example, if it is desired to further increase security, the key pressing time classification may be increased in increments of 0.5 seconds to six types. However, in this case, the allowable error of the key pressing state holding time input by the user is reduced, and the input operation becomes difficult.

Further, in the above embodiment, the method of changing the character string of the second character according to the key depressing state holding time of the first character has been described, but other applications are also possible. For example, various applications are possible, such as limiting the time required to complete the input of all character strings by changing the key press time of the first character without changing the character string. As an example, if the key press time of the first character is "short", all character strings must be input slowly over 3 seconds, and if "long", all character strings must be input quickly in less than 2 seconds. However, even if the character strings match, a method of not giving use permission is considered.

As described above, according to the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, a conventional method of collating a user identifier input by a user with a user identifier of a pre-registered person whose use is permitted. The method is basically the same, but the second character corresponding to the key press state holding time required for inputting the first character is measured by measuring the key press state holding time when inputting the first character of the user identifier. The subsequent user identifier information is collated with the stored content registered in advance.

Therefore, even if the basic password is disclosed to a third party, there is a danger that the license is given to a third party who is not the licensee without deteriorating the operability of the licensee. Can be lowered.

It should be noted that the method for determining the use-permitted subject in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is a personal computer.
It goes without saying that the present invention is applicable not only to general-purpose information processing apparatuses such as computers and workstations, but also to apparatuses that need to determine the use-permitted subject.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By measuring the key press state holding time when the user inputs the first character of the user identifier, multiple pieces of user identifier information after the second character corresponding to the key press state holding time required for the first character input By registering and collating, it is possible to use a plurality of user identifiers depending on the situation.

The key-pressed state holding time of the first character is difficult to reproduce unless the user is authorized to use the key, and a plurality of user identifiers can be registered and used according to the time. Even if a third party is known, the risk of giving a license to a third party who is not a licensed party can be reduced without deteriorating the operability of the licensed party, Protection and reliability of programs and data stored in a storage device in the storage device can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control system block diagram relating to determination of a use-permitted subject in an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a user identifier input screen in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart regarding use permission determination in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing registered contents of a hard disk device.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: keyboard, 102: mouse, 103: I / O
Control unit, 104: time measurement unit, 105: hard disk device, 106: hard disk control unit, 107: input content collation unit, 108: display control unit, 109: display device, 2
01: Password input field, 202: Key pressing state holding time graph, 203: Key pressing state holding time judgment display field, 401: Basic registration password, 402: Leading character key pressing time and password correspondence table, 501: Center Processing device, 502: Main memory, 503: Floppy disk control unit, 504: Floppy disk device

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An information processing apparatus such as a personal computer or a workstation including an input device, a display device, a storage device, and a processing device, wherein the storage device includes:
For each user identifier of a use-permitted subject, the time to hold down an input device such as a keyboard when inputting the first character of the user identifier (hereinafter referred to as the first character) (hereinafter referred to as `` key pressed state The processing device measures the key press state holding time of the first character with respect to the user identifier input from the input device. Time measuring means, a user identifier matching the user identifier input from the input device, and the second and subsequent character user identifiers for the key press state holding time required for the first character input measured by the time measuring means. When the information is stored in association with the storage device, the user who has input the user identifier from the input device is An information processing apparatus, comprising: a matching unit that determines that there is an information processing device. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said collating means is configured to determine a key pressing state holding time of the first character measured by said time measuring means, by a time range stored in said storage device in advance. An information processing apparatus comprising: determining whether a character string is to be applied to each user identifier based on a result of the determination. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing device receives an index indicating the elapse of a key press state holding time of a first character of the user identifier from the input device. An information processing apparatus comprising: display means for displaying the first character together with the first character on the display device. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the key press state holding time of the first character is classified into an arbitrary number according to its length, and the classification is collated. An information processing apparatus comprising: a matching unit that associates a character array of a different user identifier as a reference and determines that a user who has input the character string is a use-permitted subject.