Anonymous Access via Intermediary Authentication Server

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face the inconvenience of needing to create separate accounts and reveal their identities when accessing resources across different web domains, which can compromise privacy and increase the complexity of accessing multiple services.

Innovation Solution

A server system that stores user account information and credentials for multiple web domains, allowing anonymous access by authenticating users and assigning temporary credentials that are recognizable across domains without revealing their identity, enabling seamless access to resources without the need for multiple account creations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users create separate accounts for each web domain to access resources, then access control and security are maintained, but user convenience deteriorates and privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidaccount management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a third-party authentication service as an intermediary between users and multiple web domains. This service acts as a mediator that handles user authentication centrally and issues credentials that are recognized across different domains, eliminating the need for users to create separate accounts for each domain while maintaining security controls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The authentication service provides universal access by issuing credentials that work across multiple web domains. A single authentication event and credential set enable users to access resources on different domains without needing domain-specific accounts, making the authentication system multi-functional and domain-agnostic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If users reveal their identity when accessing resources across web domains, then authentication security is maintained, but user privacy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoiduser privacy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the user's real identity information from the authentication process and separates it into a centralized authentication service. The service uses abstract credentials or tokens that do not reveal the user's actual identity to web domains, allowing authentication to occur without exposing personal information to the resource systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The authentication service serves as an intermediary layer that protects user privacy by standing between the user and web domains. It translates the user's identity into anonymized credentials that maintain authentication security while preventing direct revelation of user identity information to resource systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11757863B2Systems and methods to provide information and services to authorized users

Publication Date: 2023.09.12 THRYV INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided to authorize users to anonymously access resources of different web sites. For example, a business listing service may authenticate users and allow the authenticated users to access the resources of the businesses listed via the business listing service, without the users having to create separate accounts with the businesses and without having to reveal the identities of the users to the businesses.