Password generation and verification system and method therefor

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating password control and maintenance is provided. A system 10 is provided where a plurality of categories are set so that a single piece or multiple pieces of information that are familiar to the user can be set as a password element(s) for each category. Each sampled password element that is grouped according to each category that is randomly sampled from said categories is displayed, in random order, together with a plurality of scramble elements, on a display device 17. Of those displayed, the user chooses selected password elements that are familiar to him. If all of the selected password elements match the preset sampled password elements, authentication is issued to the user.

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . A password authentication system, comprising: 
 password element storage means for storing a plurality of password elements, each password element being pre-selected and having a category attribution;    scramble element storage means for storing a plurality of scramble elements, each scramble element having a category attribution;    setting means for setting a predetermined number of verification;    password element sampling means for randomly sampling sampled password elements for the predetermined number of verification from the plurality of password elements;    mixing means for mixing the sampled password element with a predetermined number of scramble elements having the same category attribution as the sampled password element to form a mixed element group, the predetermined number of scramble elements being randomly sampled from the plurality of scramble elements;    a display device for displaying the mixed element group;    receiving means for receiving a selected password element selected from the mixed element group displayed on the display device; and    authentication means for verifying the selected password element to the sampled password element for the predetermined number of verification to issue an authentication when all the selected password elements match to the sampled password elements, respectively.    
   
   
       11 . The password authentication system according to  claim 10 , wherein the authentication is rejected when the selected password element is received after passing a predetermined time.  
   
   
       12 . The password authentication system according to  claim 10 , wherein the password element and the scramble element includes image information.  
   
   
       13 . The password authentication system according to  claim 10 , wherein the mixed element group is transmitted to the display means via a telecommunication line, and the selected password element is transmitted to the receiving means via the telecommunication line.  
   
   
       14 . The password authentication system according to  claim 10 , wherein the sampled password elements have a same category attribution.  
   
   
       15 . The password authentication system according to  claim 10 , wherein the category attribution includes first and family name and at least one of first name and family name.  
   
   
       16 . A machine-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for causing a computer to: 
 store a plurality of password elements, each password element being pre-selected and having a category attribution;    store a plurality of scramble elements, each scramble element having a category attribution;    set a predetermined number of verification;    randomly sample sampled password elements for the predetermined number of verification from the plurality of password elements;    mix the sampled password element with a predetermined number of scramble elements having the same category attribution as the sampled password element to form a mixed element group, the predetermined number of scramble elements being randomly sampled from the plurality of scramble elements;    display the mixed element group on a display device;    receive a selected password element selected from the mixed element group displayed on the display device; and    verify the selected password element to the sampled password element for the predetermined number of verification to issue an authentication when all the selected password elements match to the sampled password elements, respectively.    
   
   
       17 . The password authentication system according to  claim 16 , wherein the authentication is rejected when the selected password element is received after passing a predetermined time.  
   
   
       18 . The password authentication system according to  claim 16 , wherein the password element and the scramble element includes image information.  
   
   
       19 . The password authentication system according to  claim 16 , wherein the mixed element group is transmitted to the display means via a telecommunication line, and the selected password element is transmitted to the receiving means via the telecommunication line.  
   
   
       20 . The password authentication system according to  claim 16 , wherein the sampled password elements have a same category attribution.  
   
   
       21 . The password authentication system according to  claim 16 , wherein the category attribution includes first and family name and at least one of first name and family name.  
   
   
       22 . A password authentication method, the method comprising the steps of: 
 storing a plurality of password elements, each password element being pre-selected and having a category attribution;    storing a plurality of scramble elements, each scramble element having a category attribution;    setting a predetermined number of verification;    randomly sampling sampled password elements for the predetermined number of verification from the plurality of password elements;    mixing the sampled password element with a predetermined number of scramble elements having the same category attribution as the sampled password element to form a mixed element group, the predetermined number of scramble elements being randomly sampled from the plurality of scramble elements;    displaying the mixed element group on a display device;    receiving a selected password element selected from the mixed element group displayed on the display device; and    verifying the selected password element to the sampled password element for the predetermined number of verification to issue an authentication when all the selected password elements match to the sampled password elements, respectively.    
   
   
       23 . The password authentication system according to  claim 22 , wherein the authentication is rejected when the selected password element is received after passing a predetermined time.  
   
   
       24 . The password authentication system according to  claim 22 , wherein the password element and the scramble element includes image information.  
   
   
       25 . The password authentication system according to  claim 22 , wherein the mixed element group is transmitted to the display means via a telecommunication line, and the selected password element is transmitted to the receiving means via the telecommunication line.  
   
   
       26 . The password authentication system according to  claim 22 , wherein the sampled password elements have a same category attribution.  
   
   
       27 . The password authentication system according to  claim 22 , wherein the category attribution includes first and family name and at least one of first name and family name.