Disambiguation of an alphanumeric security code to a user

1. A method of displaying a security code on an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, by control circuitry of the electronic apparatus, a request for a security code;

automatically generating, by the control circuitry, a security code in response to the request, the security code including a series of alphanumeric digits which contains at least one number and at least one letter, wherein generating the security code includes automatically choosing, by the control circuitry without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code, at least six alphanumeric digits from a predefined group of alphanumeric digits;

displaying, automatically by the control circuitry on a display screen of the electronic apparatus, in response to and after automatic generation of the security code by the control circuitry, and without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code, the security code, wherein the series of alphanumeric digits in the security code is automatically displayed by the control circuitry using a combination of different visual characteristics automatically selected by the control circuitry to visually distinguish numbers of the security code from letters of the security code, each number being displayed on the display screen using a first visual characteristic that is automatically selected by the control circuitry, and each letter being displayed on the display screen using, instead of the first visual characteristic, at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic and that is also automatically selected by the control circuitry, and wherein automatically displaying the security code by the control circuitry in response to and after automatic generation of the security code by the control circuitry and without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code further comprises i) automatically parsing the previously generated security code by the control circuitry with regard to each individual alphanumeric digit in the security code, and ii) automatically selecting, by the control circuitry after parsing of the previously generated security code by the control circuitry, the first visual characteristic for each individual number in the security code and the at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic for each individual letter in the security code; and

while the security code is displayed on the display screen, simultaneously displaying a legend adjacent to the security code, the legend visually indicating that the individual numbers of the security code are displayed using the first visual characteristic and that the individual letters of the security code are displayed using the at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein displaying the security code on the display screen includes:

outputting each number in a first typeset and each letter in a typeset that is different from the first typeset.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein displaying the security code on the display screen includes:

outputting each number in a first color and each letter in a color that is different from the first color.

4. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry of the electronic apparatus automatically generates the security code at least in part by deriving the security code based on a secret stored in the electronic apparatus on behalf of the user of the electronic apparatus.

5. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a mobile device;

wherein the rendering includes presenting the series of alphanumeric digits on an electronic display of the mobile device; and

wherein receiving the request for the security code includes detecting a button press event in response to a user gesture entered on a touchscreen of the mobile device.

6. A method as in claim 2 wherein the series of alphanumeric digits includes at least one number, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one uppercase letter;

wherein outputting includes:

rendering each number in the first typeset,

rendering each lowercase letter in a second typeset, and

rendering each uppercase letter in a third typeset; and

wherein the first typeset, the second typeset, and the third typeset are different from each other.

7. A method as in claim 3 wherein the series of alphanumeric digits includes at least one number, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one uppercase letter;

wherein outputting includes rendering each number in the first color, each lowercase letter in a second color, and each uppercase letter in a third color; and

wherein the first color, the second color, and the third color are different from each other.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein one color of the first color, the second color, and the third color is grey,

wherein another color of the first color, the second color, and the third color is blue, and

wherein a last color of the first color, the second color, and the third color is red.

9. A method as in claim 7 , further comprising:

wherein the legend further indicates that the numbers are rendered in the first color, lowercase letters are rendered in the second color, and uppercase letters are rendered in the third color.

10. A method as in claim 7 wherein rendering includes:

parsing the series of alphanumeric digits into separate symbols,

displaying each symbol that is a number in the color grey,

displaying each symbol that is a lowercase letter in the color blue, and

displaying each symbol that is an uppercase letter in the color red.

11. A method as in claim 8 wherein the predefined group of alphanumeric digits includes at least 70 digits.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein rendering includes presenting the series of alphanumeric digits on an electronic display of a mobile device.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein the mobile device is a smart phone, and the electronic display is a touchscreen of the smart phone.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein receiving the request for the security code includes:

detecting a button press event in response to a user gesture entered on the touchscreen.

15. A method as in claim 14 wherein choosing the at least six alphanumeric digits includes:

selecting, as the security code, a current password that matches an expected password maintained by an authentication server, the authentication server comparing a user-provided password to the expected password that matches the current password to control user access to a computerized protected resource.

16. A method as in claim 14 wherein receiving the request for the security code further includes:

after detecting the button press event in response to the user gesture entered on the touchscreen, performing an authentication operation to authenticate a user that entered the user gesture, the security code being generated in response to successful authentication of the user.

17. Electronic apparatus, comprising:

a display screen;

memory; and

control circuitry coupled to the display screen and the memory, the memory storing instructions which, when carried out by the control circuitry, cause the control circuitry to:

receive a request for a security code,

automatically generate a security code in response to the request, the security code including a series of alphanumeric digits which contains at least one number and at least one letter, wherein the security code is generated at least in part by the control circuitry automatically choosing at least six alphanumeric digits from a predefined group of alphanumeric digits without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code,

in response to and after generation of the security code by the control circuitry and without user input subsequent to the receipt of the request for the security code, automatically display the security code on the display screen, wherein the series of alphanumeric digits in the security code is automatically displayed by the control circuitry using a combination of different visual characteristics automatically selected by the control circuitry to visually distinguish numbers of the security code from letters of the security code, each number being displayed on the display screen using a first visual characteristic that is automatically selected by the control circuitry, and each letter being displayed on the display screen using, instead of the first visual characteristic, at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic and that is also automatically selected by the control circuitry, and wherein the instructions, when carried out by the control circuitry, further cause the control circuitry to automatically display the security code by the control circuitry in response to and after automatic generation of the security code by the control circuitry and without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code at least in part by causing the control circuitry to i) automatically parse the previously generated security code by the control circuitry with regard to each individual alphanumeric digit in the security code, and ii) automatically select, by the control circuitry after parsing of the previously generated security code by the control circuitry, the first visual characteristic for each individual number in the security code and the at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic for each individual letter in the security code, and

while the security code is displayed on the display screen, simultaneously display a legend adjacent to the security code, the legend visually indicating that the individual numbers of the security code are displayed using the first visual characteristic and that the individual letters of the security code are displayed using the at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic.

18. Electronic apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry, when displaying the security code on the display screen, is constructed and arranged to:

output each number in a first typeset and each letter in a typeset that is different from the first typeset.

19. Electronic apparatus as in claim 17 wherein the control circuitry, when displaying the security code on the display screen, is constructed and arranged to:

output each number in a first color and each letter in a color that is different from the first color.

20. Electronic apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the series of alphanumeric digits includes at least one number, at least one lowercase letter, and at least one uppercase letter;

wherein the control circuitry, when outputting, is constructed and arranged to render each number in the first color, each lowercase letter in a second color, and each uppercase letter in a third color; and

wherein the first color, the second color, and the third color are different from each other.

21. Electronic apparatus as in claim 20 wherein the control circuitry, when receiving the request for the security code, is constructed and arranged to:

detect a button press event in response to a user gesture entered on a touchscreen which operates as the display screen, and

after detecting the button press event, perform an authentication operation to authenticate a user that entered the user gesture, the security code being generated in response to successful authentication of the user.

22. Electronic apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the control circuitry is further constructed and arranged to:

display the legend such that the legend further indicates that the numbers are rendered in the first color, lowercase letters are rendered in the second color, and uppercase letters are rendered in the third color.

23. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to display a security code on an electronic apparatus, the set of instructions, when carried out by computerized circuitry of the electronic apparatus, causing the computerized circuitry to perform a method of:

receiving a request for a security code;

automatically generating a security code in response to the request, the security code including a series of alphanumeric digits which contains at least one number and at least one letter, wherein generating the security code includes automatically choosing, by the computerized circuitry without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code, at least six alphanumeric digits from a predefined group of alphanumeric digits;

in response to and after automatic generation of the security code by the computerized circuitry and without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code, automatically displaying the security code on a display screen, wherein the series of alphanumeric digits in the security code is automatically displayed by the computerized circuitry using a combination of different visual characteristics automatically selected by the computerized circuitry to visually distinguish numbers of the security code from letters of the security code, each number being displayed on the display screen using a first visual characteristic that is automatically selected by the computerized circuitry, and each letter displayed on the display screen using, instead of the first visual characteristic, at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic and that is also automatically selected by the computerized circuitry, and wherein automatically displaying the security code by the control circuitry in response to and after automatic generation of the security code by the control circuitry and without user input subsequent to receipt of the request for the security code further comprises i) automatically parsing the previously generated security code by the control circuitry with regard to each individual alphanumeric digit in the security code, and ii) automatically selecting, by the control circuitry after parsing of the previously generated security code by the control circuitry, the first visual characteristic for each individual number in the security code and the at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic for each individual letter in the security code; and

while the security code is displayed on the display screen, simultaneously displaying a legend adjacent to the security code, the legend visually indicating that the individual numbers of the security code are displayed using the first visual characteristic and that the individual letters of the security code are displayed using the at least one visual characteristic that is different from the first visual characteristic.