System and method of secure data entry

Abstract

A computational device having a user interface is disclosed, the user interface enables a user to securely enter data into the computational device. In particular, the user interface may include a user input portion and a user output portion. The user input portion may be partitioned into a number of input zones, each having a data value associated therewith that when engaged by a user causes the data value associated with the engaged input zone to be provided as input to the computational device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of securely receiving user input at a computational device, the method comprising:
 detecting user engagement of a user input at a first input zone of the user input;   determining a first data value corresponding to the first input zone;   displaying the first data value to the user via a user output;   detecting user engagement of the user input at a second input zone of the user input;   determining a second data value corresponding to the second input zone;   displaying the second data value to the user via the user output;   determining that the user has disengaged the user input at the second input zone; and   in response to determining that the user has disengaged the user input at the second input zone, conditioning the second data value as input data for the computational device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the input data to an authentication module for comparison with authentication data.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the authentication module is contained within the computational device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , the user input comprises a linear potentiometer and wherein the user output comprises a separate display unit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the linear potentiometer is at least one of a resistive and capacitive linear potentiometer and wherein the user output comprises an LED display. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second data value corresponds to the second input zone at a first instance, the method further comprising:
 detecting, at a second instance after the first instance, user engagement of the user input at the second input zone of the user input;   determining a third data value corresponding to the second input zone at the second instance;   displaying the third data value to the user via the user output;   determining that, at the second instance, the user has disengaged the user input at the second input zone; and   in response to determining that, at the second instance, the user has disengaged the user input at the second input zone, conditioning the third data value as input data for the computational device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second and third data values are combined as a string input. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein a size of the second input zone is smaller or larger at the first instance than at the second instance. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises a touch pad configured to detect and process multiple simultaneous engagements of the user input. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first input zone comprises a pinch zone defined by a distance between two simultaneous user engagements of the user input. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user output is configured to substantially prevent off-axis viewing of the user output. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user output comprises a privacy shielding material or louvers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, for the user engagement of the first input zone, a first value of a user input parameter of interest;   determining, for the user engagement of the second input zone, a second value of the user input parameter of interest; and   determining an average value of the user input parameter of interest based, at least in part, on the first and second values of the user input parameter of interest.   
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of the computational device, perform the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A computational device, comprising:
 a user interface including a user input portion and a user output portion; and   instructions configured to detect user engagement of the user input portion at a first input zone, determine a first data value corresponding to the first input zone, cause the first data value to be displayed via the user output portion, detect user engagement of the user input portion at a second input zone, determine a second data value corresponding to the second input zone, cause the second data value to be displayed via the user output portion, determine that the user has disengaged the user input portion at the second input zone, and in response to determining that the user has disengaged the user input portion at the second input zone, condition the second data value as input data for the computational device.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , further comprising a communication interface configured to transmit the second data value to a networked device. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the user input portion comprises a linear potentiometer. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the user input portion comprises an optical input. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the user input portion is configured with a plurality of input zones, wherein data values are assigned to the plurality of input zones at a first instance according to a first configuration, wherein data values are assigned to the plurality of input zones at a second instance according to a second configuration, wherein the second instance occurs after the first instance, and wherein the first and second configurations are different. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein a size of the first input zone in the first configuration differs from a size of the first input zone in the second configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the user output portion is physically separated from the user input portion such that the data values displayed via the user output portion are not viewed through the user input portion.