Password entry using 3D image with spatial alignment

1. A method of controlling access to an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying, on a three-dimensional display of the electronic device, a digital image overlaid by an array of alphanumeric characters, wherein the digital image comprises a digital photograph or computer-generated image, wherein the digital image includes a three-dimensional representation of a visual scene comprising a number of visual elements and is displayed on the three-dimensional display of the electronic device in three-dimensional coordinates, wherein the digital image can be manipulated in three dimensions to display the visual scene from different perspectives;

receiving an input representative of moving the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display;

repositioning the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display in response to the received input representative of moving the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display;

repositioning the array of alphanumeric characters displayed on the three-dimensional display with respect to the digital image in response to received input;

detecting alignment of a designated character in the array with a designated visual element in the visual scene of the digital image in response to the repositioning the digital image and the array, wherein the designated character in the array is aligned with the designated visual element in the digital image by the designated character in the array being within a designated threshold distance of the designated visual element in the digital image; and

authenticating access to the electronic device in response to detecting that the designated character in the array is aligned with the designated visual element in the digital image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of alphanumeric characters is displayed in three-dimensional coordinates.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of alphanumeric characters is repositioned using gestures detected using proximity sensors and/or cameras.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the array of alphanumeric characters from a reference array of alphanumeric characters, the generating including modifying a position of the designated character in the reference array of alphanumeric characters so that the designated character in the array of alphanumeric characters image has a modified location relative to its position in the reference array of alphanumeric characters.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

generating the digital image from a reference digital image, the generating including modifying a position of the designated visual element in the reference digital image so that the designated visual element in the digital image has a modified location relative to its position in the reference digital image.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the digital image from a reference digital image, the generating including modifying a position of the designated visual element in the reference digital image so that the designated visual element in the digital image has a modified location relative to its position in the reference digital image.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the array of alphanumeric characters is provided by an image that is transparent except for a plurality of characters.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alphanumeric characters in the array of alphanumeric characters elements are arranged in rows and columns.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing a first angle from which alignment is reached with a second angle from which a previous alignment was reached and only authenticating access to the electronic device in response to the first angle and the second angle being different.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the previous alignment is from an immediately preceding authentication attempt.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the designated threshold distance is set based on a security setting of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

removing, from the three-dimensional display, the digital image in response to the received input to move the array of alphanumeric characters.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising moving, in three dimensions, the digital image displayed on the three-dimensional display in response to received input to display the designated visual element in the visual scene of the digital image in the three-dimensional display.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the designated visual element has three-dimensional coordinates, and the designated character has three-dimensional coordinates, wherein the method comprises aligning the three-dimensional coordinates of the designated visual element and the three-dimensional coordinates of the designated character.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the designated character of the array is a first designated character, the array having a second designated character; and

the designated visual element of the digital image is a first designated visual element, the digital image having a second designated visual element; and

the method comprising:

detecting alignment of the first designated character in the array with the first designated visual element of the digital image and alignment of the second designated character in the array with the second designated visual element of the digital image in response to the moving of the digital image and the moving of the array; and

authenticating access to the electronic device in response to detecting that the first designated character in the array is aligned with the first designated visual element in the digital image, and that the second designated character in the array is aligned with the second designated visual element in the digital image.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a three-dimensional display coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the processor storing instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to:

display, on the three-dimensional display, a digital image overlaid by an array of alphanumeric characters, wherein the digital image comprises a digital photograph or computer-generated image, wherein the digital image includes a three-dimensional representation of a visual scene comprising a number of visual elements and is displayed on the three-dimensional display of the electronic device in three-dimensional coordinates, wherein the digital image can be manipulated in three dimensions to display the visual scene from different perspectives;

receive an input representative of moving the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display;

reposition the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display in response to the received input representative of moving the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display;

reposition the array of alphanumeric characters displayed on the three-dimensional display with respect to the digital image in response to received input;

detect alignment of a designated character in the array with a designated visual element in the visual scene of the digital image in response to the repositioning the digital image and the array, wherein the designated character in the array is aligned with the designated visual element in the digital image by the designated character in the array being within a designated threshold distance of the designated visual element in the digital image; and

authenticate access to the electronic device in response to detecting that the designated character in the array is aligned with the designated visual element in the digital image.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to:

compare a first angle from which alignment is reached with a second angle from which a previous alignment was reached and only authenticating access to the electronic device in response to the first angle and the second angle being different.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to move, in three dimensions, the digital image displayed on the three-dimensional display in response to received input to display the designated visual element in the visual scene of the digital image in the three-dimensional display.

19. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the designated visual element has three-dimensional coordinates, and the designated character has three-dimensional coordinates, and wherein the instructions in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to align the three-dimensional coordinates of the designated visual element and the three-dimensional coordinates of the designated character.

20. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein:

the designated character of the array is a first designated character, the array having a second designated character; and

the designated visual element of the digital image is a first designated visual element, the digital image having a second designated visual element; and

wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to:

detect alignment of the first designated character in the array with the first designated visual element of the digital image and alignment of the second designated character in the array with the second designated visual element of the digital image, in response to the moving of the digital image and the moving of the array; and

authenticate access to the electronic device in response to detecting that the first designated character in the array is aligned with the first designated visual element in the digital image, and that the second designated character in the array is aligned with the second designated visual element in the digital image.

21. A non-transitory machine readable medium having tangibly stored thereon executable instructions that, in response to execution by a processor of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

display, on a three-dimensional display of the electronic device, a digital image overlaid by an array of alphanumeric characters, wherein the digital image comprises a digital photograph or computer-generated image, wherein the digital image includes a three-dimensional representation of a visual scene comprising a number of visual elements and is displayed on the three-dimensional display of the electronic device in three-dimensional coordinates, wherein the digital image can be manipulated in three dimensions to display the visual scene from different perspectives;

receive an input representative of moving the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display;

reposition the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display in response to the received input representative of moving the digital image being displayed on the three-dimensional display;

reposition the array of alphanumeric characters displayed on the three-dimensional display with respect to the digital image in response to received input;

detect alignment of a designated character in the array with a designated visual element in the visual scene of the digital image in response to the repositioning the digital image and the array, wherein the designated character in the array is aligned with the designated visual element in the digital image by the designated character in the array being within a designated threshold distance of the designated visual element in the digital image; and

authenticate access to the electronic device in response to detecting that the designated character in the array is aligned with the designated visual element in the digital image.

22. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the array of alphanumeric characters is displayed in three-dimensional coordinates.

23. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to move, in three dimensions, the digital image displayed on the three-dimensional display in response to received input to display the designated visual element in the visual scene of the digital image in the three-dimensional display.

24. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the designated visual element has three-dimensional coordinates, and the designated character has three-dimensional coordinates, and wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to align the three-dimensional coordinates of the designated visual element and the three-dimensional coordinates of the designated character.

25. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 21 , wherein:

the designated character of the array is a first designated character, the array having a second designated character; and

the designated visual element of the digital image is a first designated visual element, the digital image having a second designated visual element; and

wherein the instructions, in response to execution by the processor, cause the electronic device to:

detect alignment of the first designated character in the array with the first designated visual element of the digital image and alignment of the second designated character in the array with the second designated visual element of the digital image, in response to the moving of the digital image and the moving of the array; and

authenticate access to the electronic device in response to detecting that the first designated character in the array is aligned with the first designated visual element in the digital image, and that the second designated character in the array is aligned with the second designated visual element in the digital image.