JPH1185367A - Keyboard - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make such high-reliability password input that no illegal use is allowed even if a third person sees key input operation inputtable, by making an ON/OFF/transmission decision judging from the length of the depression time of a specific key. SOLUTION: The input of a normal key 1 is sent to a key code generation part 3 through a key matrix part 2 and a key code is generated and sent to a processor. The input of a specific key 4 for a password is sent to a means 5, which makes a '0'/'1'/transmission according to the length of the depression time of the key and source information for generating the password from the length of the depression time of the specific key 4 is generated and sent to a password generating means 6. The password generating means 6 uses the information sent from the ON/OFF decision means 5 as an address to generate the key number stored in the address and send it to the key code generation part 3, which generates a corresponding key code with the key number 7 sent by the password generation part 6 and sends it as the password to the processing main body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a keyboard which is an input device of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, and more particularly to a technique for inputting a password used for verification of a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a data processing apparatus such as a computer is started, a password input verification means is used as a security mechanism of a terminal device. This security mechanism checks the validity of the password entered from the keyboard based on whether or not the password matches a preset registration character string, and determines whether or not subsequent operations are possible. That is, when the passwords match, the subsequent processing is enabled, and when they do not match, the subsequent access is disabled.

The password as such a security protection mechanism is designed so as not to be known to others, not to be displayed / printed, etc., so that the password is not easily known to others.

[0004] However, when a key input operation of the keyboard is seen sideways when inputting the password, it is inevitable that the password is determined by another person.

[0005]

In the conventional password input as described above, since the security mechanism is a method of verifying only a match of a character string, the password is illegally detected by a key input operation or the like. There was a risk of being used, and there was a problem with reliability.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard which realizes a highly reliable password input which is not easily misused even if seen by others by such a key input operation.

[0007]

In order to achieve the object, a specific key is added to a keyboard which sends a key code to a processing apparatus main body by a key code generation section through a key matrix section by key input and presses down the specific key. ON / OFF depending on the length of time (make-break time interval)
A means for determining OFF / transmission and a means for generating a password based on a combination of ON / OFF information sent from the determining means are added. By transmitting information from the password generating means to the key code generating section, a password is generated. The code is transmitted to the processing device main body.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which a password specific key, which is a feature of the present invention, is added to a keyboard normally used as an input device such as a computer.

At the time of normal data input, the user does not use this specific key. At the time of password input, the user presses this specific key in combination with the data key to input a password.

Next, the block diagram of FIG. 2 will be described.
First, a key input by the normal key 1 is sent to a key code generator 3 via a key matrix unit 2, where a key code is generated and sent to a processing device.

Next, in the case of the password specific key 4, the pressing time of the key (that is, the pressing time: make-
“0” / “1” depending on the length of the break time interval)
/ Transmitted to the means 5 for determining transmission. The discriminating means 5 monitors the pressing time of the specific key 4, generates original information (address) for generating a password based on the length, and transmits the information to the next password generating means 6.

Next, in the password generating means 6, ON / O
Using the information sent from the FF discriminating means 5 as an address, a key number stored at that address is generated and sent to the key code generator 3. The key code generator 3 generates a corresponding key code based on the key number 7 sent by the password generator 6 and sends it to the processing apparatus main body as a password.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, FIG.
The ON / OFF determination means 5 will be described in more detail.

FIG. 3 is a time chart when a specific key is pressed and released. In this figure, a time interval from the time when the button is pressed (make) to the time when the button is released (break) is represented by t.
Based on the value of the time interval t, the determination is made under the determination conditions as shown in FIG.

That is, when the pressing time t is 250 msec or less, it is regarded as OFF, and the logic "0", 250 msec
If it is longer than 2 sec, it is regarded as ON, and if it is longer than 2 sec, the information pressed so far is transmitted to the password generating means 6.

When the specific key is pressed seven times as shown in FIG. 5, the respective time intervals are 100 ms, 120 ms, 3 ms.
1. 00 ms, 350 ms, 160 ms, 150 ms,
If it is 5 seconds, “0”, “0”, “1”, “1”,
It discriminates between "0", "0", and "transmit", and sends "001100" as data to the password generation means 6.

Next, the password generating means will be described with reference to FIG.

In the password generation means, the ON /
The data sent from the OFF discriminating means is input, this data is used as an address, and the stored corresponding data is regarded as a key number, which is serially sent to a key code generator. For example, in the case of the aforementioned data “001100”,
The key numbers 18, 33, 56, 43, and 16 are sent to the key code generator. In the key code generator, key number 18,
Key codes corresponding to 33, 56, 43, and 16 are generated and sent to the processing apparatus main body as a password.

In the above description, an example in which a password is input by turning on / off a specific key which is not used for normal data input has been described. It goes without saying that the password may be input only by the ON / OFF time regardless of the type of the pressed key.

Further, as still another embodiment, it is also possible to input only a part of the password by using a normal data input key, and to input the remainder by ON / OFF of a specific key.

[0021]

As described above, the change in the pressing of the specific key (change in the length of the specific key) has the effect that the confidentiality of the password is improved because it is not easily understood by others.

When combined with a normal data key, the confidentiality is further improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a keyboard in which the present invention is implemented.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining ON / OFF discriminating means.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining ON / OFF discriminating means.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining ON / OFF determination means.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a password generation unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Normal key 2 Key matrix part 3 Key code generation part 4 Specific key 5 ON / OFF discrimination means 6 Password generation means 7 Key number

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A keyboard for sending a key code to a processing apparatus main body by a key code generation unit through a key matrix unit by a key input, means for determining ON / OFF according to the length of time of pressing a specific key, and said determination means Means for generating a password based on a combination of ON / OFF information sent from the apparatus, and transmitting the information from the password generating means to the key code generating section to transmit the password code to the processing apparatus main body. Keyboard. 2. The keyboard according to claim 1, wherein the specific key is a key provided separately from a data input key.