Aerosol Consumable Authentication via Remote ID Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerosol-generating devices face issues with counterfeit consumables, which can be of inferior quality and potentially harmful, and there is a need to authenticate consumables to protect both users and manufacturers.
Innovation Solution
A method involving communication between the device and a remote server to verify the authenticity of consumables using device and consumable IDs, with features like contactless payment and authentication to ensure only genuine cartridges are used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional authentication features are introduced to verify consumable authenticity, then security and reliability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A remote server is introduced as an intermediary between the aerosol-generating device and the consumable verification system. The server receives device ID and consumable ID, stores their association, and verifies authenticity remotely. This eliminates the need for complex authentication hardware within the device itself, resolving the contradiction by externalizing the verification function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing sensitive authentication information directly in the device memory, the system creates and stores a digital copy of the association between device ID and consumable ID in a remote server database. This allows verification without requiring the device to store sensitive data, reducing device complexity while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If sensitive information is stored on the device for authentication purposes, then authentication capability is improved, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The remote server acts as an intermediary that handles and stores sensitive authentication data externally. The device only stores non-sensitive identifiers (device ID and consumable ID) locally, while the server maintains the secure association database. This separation ensures authentication capability without compromising device security.
Solution Approach 2:
Sensitive authentication information is extracted from the device and relocated to a remote server. The device retains only minimal identification data, while the server stores the critical association between device ID and consumable ID. This extraction eliminates the security risk of storing sensitive data on the device while preserving authentication functionality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a remote verification system is implemented to prevent counterfeit consumables, then user safety is improved, but loss of time for authentication increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing the association between device ID and consumable ID in the remote server database before the consumable is used. When authentication is needed, the device simply sends its identifiers to the server, which already has the verified association data ready. This pre-establishment of the database eliminates the need for time-consuming verification processes during actual use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the remote server verify the consumable ID against the stored device-consumable association and return authentication status to the device. This efficient feedback mechanism allows rapid verification without requiring complex real-time analysis, thus minimizing authentication time while ensuring safety against counterfeits.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of authenticating a consumable for use with an aerosol generating device, the method comprising initiating a communication between the aerosol generating device and a first entity to obtain the consumable from the first entity for use with the aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device being associated with a device ID and the consumable being associated with a consumable ID; sending the device ID and the consumable ID from the first entity to a second entity, wherein the second entity is configured to associate and store the device ID with the consumable ID; and verifying use of the consumable with the aerosol generating device.