Variable-strength security based on time and/or number of partial password unlocks

1. A computer-readable device storing a plurality of instructions configured to control a processor to:

determine a time that a user has been locked out of a computing device;

determine which of a plurality of time spans that the time falls within, wherein the sum of the plurality of time spans being not more than the number of the characters in a full password of the user multiplied by 60 seconds;

prompt the user for a required password comprising the full password or a subset of the full password depending on the determined time span that the time falls within; and

display a visual indicator corresponding to the determined time span or required password length on a visual display, wherein

a length of the required password for login is progressively longer for each of the plurality of time spans as a time period that a respective time span covers increases.

2. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein when the required password comprises a subset of the full password.

3. The computer program of claim 2 , wherein the required password comprises a prefix or a suffix of the full password.

4. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein a length of the required password is indicated by a clock, a number of character slots, or a number of location indications.

5. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein the display comprises a series of location indications, and the required password comprises an ordered plurality of line segments that the user must draw to unlock the computing device.

6. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein a visual indicator of the visual display changes when the user has entered a required number of password characters.

7. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein a progressively longer subset of the password is required for each successive unlock until the full password is required.

8. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein the program is further configured to control the processor to determine a requisite length of the password by applying an algorithm that determines the requisite length by incrementing a length by one character for each time span that has passed, up to a length of the full password, for a length of each time span times the length of the full password.

9. The computer program of claim 1 , the program further configured to control the processor to:

track a number of previous unlocks using a subset of the full password; and

require the full password once the number of previous unlocks reaches a predetermined number.

10. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein the program is further configured to control the processor to:

unlock the computing device when a last character of the required password is entered.

11. The computer program of claim 1 , wherein the program is further configured to control the processor to:

provide the user with a subset of functionality of the computing device when the computing device is unlocked with less than the full password.

12. A computer-implemented process, comprising:

determining, by a computing system, a number of times that the computing system has been unlocked using at least one subset of a full password;

when the number of times is less than a predetermined number, requiring, by the computing system, a subset of the full password to unlock the computing system;

when the number of times is equal to the predetermined number, requiring, by the computing system, the full password to unlock the computing system;

receiving, by the computing system, either the subset of the full password or the full password entered by a user, based on a previous determination of the computing system; and

authenticating the password, by the computing system, to unlock the computing system.

13. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , wherein the at least one subset of the full password comprises a prefix or a suffix of the full password.

14. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , wherein a length of the required password is indicated by a clock, a number of character slots, or a number of location indications.

15. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , wherein a display of the computing system comprises a series of location indications, and a required password comprises an ordered plurality of line segments that the user must draw to unlock the computing system.

16. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , wherein a visual indicator of a visual display of the computing system changes when the user has entered a required number of password characters.

17. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , wherein a progressively longer subset of the password is required for each successive unlock until the full password is required.

18. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining a requisite length of the password by applying an algorithm that determines the requisite length by incrementing a length by one character for each time span of a plurality of time spans that has passed, up to a length of the full password, for a length of each time span times the length of the full password, unless the predetermined number of unlocks has been reached.

19. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , further comprising:

unlocking the computing system when a last character of the password is entered.

20. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , wherein the full password is required once a predetermined period of time has elapsed, regardless of the number of previous unlocks.

21. The computer-implemented process of claim 12 , further comprising:

providing the user with a subset of functionality of the computing system when the computing system is unlocked with the subset of the full password.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

physical memory comprising computer program instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, the at least one processor configured to:

determine a time that the apparatus has been in a locked state,

determine a requisite length of a required password to unlock the apparatus by dividing the time that the apparatus has been in the locked state by a first predetermined number,

receive a password of the requisite length entered by a user, and

authenticate the password to unlock the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to require a full password when the time in the locked state divided by the first predetermined number exceeds a second predetermined number.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein when the required password comprises a subset of the full password, the required password comprises a prefix or a suffix of the full password.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

a visual display comprising, as a visual indicator, a clock, a number of character slots, or a displayed number indicating the length of the required password.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the visual indicator of the visual display changes when a password entered by the user reaches the requisite length.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:

a visual display comprising a series of location indications, wherein

the required password comprises an ordered plurality of line segments that the user must draw to unlock the apparatus.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

track a number of previous unlocks using a subset of the full password; and

require the full password once the number of previous unlocks reaches a predetermined number.

29. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

unlock the apparatus when a last character of the password is entered.

30. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

provide the user with a subset of functionality of the apparatus when the apparatus is unlocked with less than the full password.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

physical memory comprising computer program instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, the at least one processor configured to:

determine a number of times that the apparatus has been unlocked using a partial password since a last full password unlock,

when the apparatus has been unlocked less than a predetermined number of times using the partial password, prompt the user for the partial password,

when the apparatus has been unlocked the predetermined number of times using the partial password, prompt the user for the full password,

receive a password entered by a user, and

authenticate the password to unlock the apparatus.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein when the apparatus has been unlocked less than the predetermined number of times, the at least one processor is further configured to:

increase a length of the partial password based on the determined number of times that the apparatus has been unlocked using the partial password since the last full password unlock.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a time that the apparatus has been in a current locked state, and

when the apparatus has been unlocked less than the predetermined number of times, increase a length of the partial password based on a time span in which the time falls.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein when the user enters an incorrect partial password, the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a number of times that the user has entered an incorrect partial password, and

prompt the user for the full password when the number of times the user has entered an incorrect password reaches a predetermined number.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

provide the user with a subset of functionality of the apparatus when the apparatus is unlocked with less than the full password.