Authentication Upgrade via History Server Fallback

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Solution Overview

Problem

When the primary access control server is unavailable, conventional authentication systems issue partial authentication, which may be unacceptable to subsequent entities, leading to lost sales opportunities and potential compliance issues due to the lack of full authentication.

Innovation Solution

Enhanced authentication systems and methods that verify the unavailability of the primary access control server and retrieve previous authentication information from a history server to upgrade partial authentication to full authentication, ensuring the unique identifying information is not treated as fraudulent.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a backup ACS is used when the primary ACS is unavailable, then authentication can proceed, but only partial authentication is issued which may be rejected by subsequent entities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication availabilityVSAvoidauthentication quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification by checking the primary ACS availability status before issuing authentication. When unavailable, it proactively retrieves previous full authentication records from the history server in advance, preparing valid authentication data before it is needed for the current transaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system copies previous full authentication information from the history server when the primary ACS is unavailable. By retrieving and using historical authentication records that contain complete authentication data, the system reproduces full authentication quality without requiring the primary ACS to be operational.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Object-affected harmful factors

If full authentication is not issued when primary ACS is unavailable, then fraud prevention is maintained, but sales opportunities are lost due to transaction rejection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefraud preventionVSAvoidtransaction completion rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring primary ACS availability and responding dynamically. When the primary ACS is determined to be unavailable, the system activates an alternative authentication path using historical records, and this decision is based on feedback from availability detection mechanisms that monitor the primary ACS status.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the authentication parameter source from real-time primary ACS verification to historical authentication record retrieval. By switching the data source parameter when the primary ACS is unavailable, the system maintains full authentication quality while adapting to changed system conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If additional authentication steps are added to verify unavailability and retrieve previous authentication, then full authentication can be issued, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication validityVSAvoidauthentication system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces a history server as an intermediary component that stores previous authentication information. This mediator allows the backup ACS to retrieve full authentication data without directly contacting the primary ACS, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining authentication validity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The history server serves multiple functions: it stores authentication records, provides fallback authentication data, and enables both full and partial authentication scenarios. By making this component multi-functional, the system reduces overall complexity while maintaining reliability across different operational scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10230711B2System and methods for enhancing authentication procedures in an anti-fraud environment

Publication Date: 2019.03.12 MASTERCARD INT INC

AI summary

A system, method, and computer readable medium enhance authentication procedures in an anti-fraud environment when an access control server (ACS) is unavailable to generate a full authentication for unique identifying information received in a current communication from a website. An availability detector verifies that the access control server remains unavailable. A successful authentication identifier requests previous authentication information for a previous communication occurring during a predefined authentication period and corresponding to the unique identifying information. A full authentication generator upgrades the unique identifying information to the full authentication based upon the previous authentication information when the access control server is verified as remaining unavailable. The upgrade to full authentication prevents the current communication from being flagged as fraudulent.