Order-based human interactive proofs (HIPs) and automatic difficulty rating of HIPs

Claim 1

A system that facilitates identifying human interaction comprising a computer processor executing software components, the software components recorded on a computer-readable medium and being executed by the computer processor: an access control component that controls access to one of a computer-based action and computer-based application; and an identification component that facilitates determining that access is initiated by a human, the identification component presenting an order-based human interactive proof (HIP) problem to be solved before access is allowed, the order-based problem being a “start to end” HIP and comprising an arrangement of a plurality of objects whereby a user is asked to correctly identify at least a subset of the objects as well as to identify them in a particular order, the order being based at least in part upon a set of instructions provided to the user, and to find a path of a consistent type and identify objects such as characters along the path, wherein at least a first subset of the objects being at least partially obscured by a second subset of objects, and wherein the path of a consistent type comprises a subset of objects which are connected by a consistent type of connector, the connector being selected from a group consisting of any one of arrows, lines, dotted lines, dashed lines, and shapes, and the identification component communicating with an order-based problem database to retrieve order-based problems as needed; wherein the order-based HIP problem utilizes three-dimensional ordering, and a user is given a three-dimensional image and asked to identify order of characters from front to back, from left to right, and from largest object to smallest object, and wherein size of the characters and/or size of shapes and/or objects employed in the three-dimensional image is varied, and wherein a sufficient number of visual elements that provide hints of correct order and hints of identities of the characters or objects is included in the three-dimensional ordering to make the HIP problem solvable by a human; and wherein the objects comprise images, pictures, shapes, characters, and other visual elements which are identifiable by a human, and wherein any one of the images, pictures, shapes, characters, and other visual elements vary in at least one of size, dimension, color, and distortion.

Claim 2

A system that facilitates identifying human interaction comprising a computer processor executing software components, the software components recorded on a computer-readable medium and being executed by the computer processor: an access control component that controls access to one of a computer-based action and computer-based application; and an identification component that facilitates determining that access is initiated by a human, the identification component presenting an order-based human interactive proof (HIP) problem to be solved before access is allowed, the order-based problem being a “start to end” HIP and comprising an arrangement of a plurality of objects whereby a user is asked to correctly identify at least a subset of the objects as well as to identify them in a particular order, the order being based at least in part upon a set of instructions provided to the user, and to find a path of a consistent type and identify objects such as characters along the path, wherein at least a first subset of the objects being at least partially obscured by a second subset of objects, and wherein the path of a consistent type comprises a subset of objects which are connected by a consistent type of connector, the connector being selected from a group consisting of any one of arrows, lines, dotted lines, dashed lines, and shapes, and the identification component communicating with an order-based problem database to retrieve order-based problems as needed; wherein the order-based HIP problem utilizes three-dimensional ordering, and a user is given a three-dimensional image and asked to identify order of characters from front to back, from left to right, and from largest object to smallest object, and wherein size of the characters and/or size of shapes and/or objects employed in the three-dimensional image is varied, and wherein a sufficient number of visual elements that provide hints of correct order and hints of identities of the characters or objects is included in the three-dimensional ordering to make the HIP problem solvable by a human; and wherein the objects comprise images, pictures, shapes, characters, and other visual elements which are identifiable by a human, and wherein any one of the images, pictures, shapes, characters, and other visual elements vary in at least one of size, dimension, color, and distortion.

Claim 17

A method that facilitates identifying human interaction compnsing: presenting an order-based HIP to a user desiring access to at least one of a HIP-controlled computer-based action and a HIP-controlled computer-based application, the order-based HIP being retrieved from a HIP database; requesting the user to solve the order-based HIP to gain the access, solving the order-based HIP, comprising: viewing an image comprising a plurality of objects; identifying at least a subset of the objects, the subset of objects determined at least in part upon a set of given instructions, wherein at least a first subset of the objects being at least partially obscured by a second subset of objects; and ordering the at least a subset of the objects, the ordering determined at least in part upon the set of given instructions; determining whether access should be given based at least in part on the user's response to the HIP; utilizing three-dimensional ordering in the order-based HIP problem, wherein a user is given a three-dimensional image and asked to identify order of characters from front to back, from left to right, and from largest object to smallest object; and providing a sufficient number of visual elements that provide hints of correct order and hints of identities of the characters or objects in the three-dimensional ordering to make the HIP problem solvable by a human.

Claim 18

A method that facilitates identifying human interaction compnsing: presenting an order-based HIP to a user desiring access to at least one of a HIP-controlled computer-based action and a HIP-controlled computer-based application, the order-based HIP being retrieved from a HIP database; requesting the user to solve the order-based HIP to gain the access, solving the order-based HIP, comprising: viewing an image comprising a plurality of objects; identifying at least a subset of the objects, the subset of objects determined at least in part upon a set of given instructions, wherein at least a first subset of the objects being at least partially obscured by a second subset of objects; and ordering the at least a subset of the objects, the ordering determined at least in part upon the set of given instructions; determining whether access should be given based at least in part on the user's response to the HIP; utilizing three-dimensional ordering in the order-based HIP problem, wherein a user is given a three-dimensional image and asked to identify order of characters from front to back, from left to right, and from largest object to smallest object; and providing a sufficient number of visual elements that provide hints of correct order and hints of identities of the characters or objects in the three-dimensional ordering to make the HIP problem solvable by a human.