Dynamic pin pad for credit/debit/other electronic transactions

Abstract

A method is provided for authenticating debit card transactions engaged in by a cardholder on a communications network. The method includes: a) establishing a connection over the network with a client being used by the cardholder to engage in a transaction on the network; b) providing over the connection to the client a web page containing a keypad ( 22 ) having a plurality of buttons ( 24 ) that collectively define a geometry of the keypad ( 22 ), the keypad ( 22 ) being employed by the cardholder to enter a PIN via selection of the buttons ( 24 ) with a pointing device of the client; c) obtaining over the connection the PIN enter by the cardholder; d) determining if the obtained PIN is correct for a debit card being used by the cardholder to engage in the transaction; e) repeating step a) through d) for each transaction the cardholder engages in on the network; and, f) with respect to two transactions engaged in by the cardholder, changing at least one of a location of the keypad ( 22 ) on the web page, the geometry of the keypad ( 22 ), a size of the buttons ( 24 ) and a spacing between neighboring buttons ( 24 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of obtaining a secret code from a user, said method comprising:
 providing the user with a dynamically generated keypad having a plurality of buttons that collectively define a geometry of the keypad, said keypad being employed by the user to enter the secret code via selection of the buttons; and,   intermittently regenerating the dynamically generated keypad by randomly selecting the size of at least one of the buttons and randomly selecting the spacing between at least two neighboring buttons.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the keypad appears on a graphical user interface (GUI) presented to the user for entry of the secret code and the GUI includes a window for displaying the steps for entering a PIN, options, queries or instructions for the user, wherein the window is adjacent to the keypad and the location of the keypad on the GUI is varied with respect to the window. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , said method further comprising:
 transmitting a web page over a communications network to the user, said web page acting as the GUI.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , said method further comprising:
 obtaining, over the communications network, the secret code entered by the user.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 repeatedly providing the keypad to the user each time the secret code is to be obtained, said regenerating being carried out between each time the keypad is provided.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the secret code is a personal identification number (PIN) for a debit card. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the intermittently regenerating the dynamically generated keypad includes changing a size of the window. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the intermittently regenerating the dynamically generated keypad includes changing a size of the dynamically generated keypad. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , said method further comprising:
 assigning values to the buttons such that the keypad exhibits an ordered sequential progression of values;   wherein after the keypad is regenerated, the keypad continues to exhibit an ordered sequential progression of values.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the buttons are arranged in a circular configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web page is embedded with a secret identifier used by access devices to recognize authenticated parties. 
     
     
         12 . A dynamically changing keypad for obtaining a secret code, said keypad comprising:
 a plurality of buttons that collectively define a geometry of the keypad, said keypad being employed to enter the secret code via selection of the buttons; and,   a processor configured to intermittently change a size of at least one of the buttons and a spacing between at least two neighboring buttons by randomly selecting the size of at least one of the buttons and randomly selecting the spacing between at least two neighboring buttons.   
     
     
         13 . The keypad of  claim 12 , wherein the keypad is implemented on a graphical user interface (GUI) presented for entry of the secret code, said keypad appearing on a display of the GUI and wherein the display includes a window for displaying the steps for entering a PIN, options, queries or instructions for the user, the location of the keypad on the display being variable with respect to the window. 
     
     
         14 . The keypad of  claim 13 , wherein a web page transmitted over a communications network defines the appearance of the keypad on the GUI's display. 
     
     
         15 . The keypad of  claim 14 , wherein the secret code is a personal identification number (PIN) for a debit card, said PIN being collected by the web page over the communications network. 
     
     
         16 . The keypad of  claim 12 , wherein the buttons have values assigned thereto such that the keypad exhibits an ordered sequential progression of values. 
     
     
         17 . The keypad of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause the keypad to continue to exhibit an ordered sequential progression of values after the keypad is changed. 
     
     
         18 . The keypad of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to change the keypad after each time the secret code is entered therein. 
     
     
         19 . A graphical user interface (GUI) for entering a secret code, said GUI comprising:
 a display; and,   a keypad appearing on the display, said keypad including a plurality of buttons that collectively define a geometry of the keypad, said keypad being employed to enter the secret code via selection of the buttons;   wherein the GUI is configured to be varied by intermittently regenerating the keypad by randomly selecting the size of at least one of the buttons and randomly selecting the spacing between at least two neighboring buttons.   
     
     
         20 . The GUI of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of buttons include at least two buttons sharing a common shape having different sizes. 
     
     
         21 . The GUI of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of buttons include at least two neighboring buttons having a first spacing therebetween and at least two neighboring buttons having a second spacing therebetween, said second spacing being different from said first spacing. 
     
     
         22 . The GUI of  claim 19 , further comprising a window for displaying the steps for entering a PIN or instructions for a user, wherein the window is adjacent to the keypad. 
     
     
         23 . The GUI of  claim 19 , wherein the location of the keypad on the display is varied with respect to the window.