Securing restricted operations of a computer program using a visual key feature
US6192478A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 2, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 20, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 2, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/36
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An embodiment of the present invention provides a facility for securing the use of a distinguished operation, such as a computer system administration operation, to authorized users. The facility first displays an ornamental image to a user. The displayed ornamental image contains a visual key feature that the facility uses to discern the authority of the user to perform the distinguished operation. The facility then determines whether the user has selected the key feature within the ornamental image. The facility invokes the distinguished operation only in response to a determination that the user has selected the key feature. In this way, only authorized users informed to select the key feature may invoke the distinguished operation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.