Automated Access Management for User Information Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Sharing user information between parties is often time-consuming and inefficient, requiring manual requests and responses through email or other messaging systems.

Innovation Solution

An access management system that allows users to set policies and criteria for accessing their information, enabling automated determination and granting of access requests from other parties via a network, using a platform that includes user devices and an access manager with logic components for controlling access and managing user data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual email requests are used to share user information, then users can control who accesses their information, but the process becomes time-consuming and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess control reliabilityVSAvoidinformation sharing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables users to set up access control policies and criteria in advance, allowing the system to automatically determine and grant access requests without requiring manual intervention from the information owner for each request

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Users define their access control policies and authorized parties beforehand, so when access requests arrive, the system can immediately evaluate them against pre-established criteria and make automated decisions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If automated access management is implemented, then information sharing efficiency improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation sharing efficiencyVSAvoidaccess management system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The access management system serves multiple functions: it stores user information, manages access control policies, evaluates access requests, and facilitates information sharing - consolidating what would otherwise require multiple separate systems into one unified platform

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary access management layer between information owners and requesters, which automatically handles the complexity of access control decisions while presenting simple interfaces to both parties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8869296B2Access to user information

Publication Date: 2014.10.21 VERIZON PATENT & LICENSING INC

AI summary

A method may include storing user information associated with a first user, where the user information includes at least two of location information, presence information, address book information or calendar information. The method may also include storing access control information identifying criteria for allowing parties to access the user information and receiving, from a first party, a request for access to at least a first portion of the user information. The method may further include determining, based on the access control information, whether the first party is authorized to access the first portion of the user information and providing access to the first portion of the user information, when it is determined that the first party is authorized to access the first portion of the user information.