Credential Management Beacon Authentication Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access control systems face challenges in securely exchanging information between nodes and user devices while conserving power, especially for battery-powered devices, and addressing potential hacking attempts.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a security system with access control nodes broadcasting beacons containing the current time and user devices generating replies based on credential information, using a Time-based One-Time Password algorithm to authenticate users and determine access rights, with Bluetooth low energy transmissions and queue processing to manage replies within a short time frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional access control systems use wireless technology for transparent user identification and tracking, then user convenience and access control functionality are improved, but power consumption increases for battery-powered devices
Solution Approach 1:
The access control node broadcasts authentication beacons periodically rather than continuously, and the mobile device responds only when needed. This periodic interaction pattern reduces power consumption compared to continuous wireless communication while maintaining access control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device autonomously generates cryptographic replies and manages its own authentication credentials without requiring continuous power from external sources. The device uses its existing battery power efficiently by only activating communication circuits when beacons are received.
2Reliability
If the system implements robust security measures to protect against hacking attempts, then security reliability is improved, but system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Cryptographic credentials and security tokens are pre-generated and stored in the mobile device before authentication is needed. The access control node pre-computes expected authentication responses based on beacon timestamps. This preliminary preparation enables fast, secure authentication without complex real-time computations.
Solution Approach 2:
Cryptographic protocols act as intermediaries between the mobile device and access control node, providing robust security without requiring direct trust or complex verification logic. The cryptographic layer mediates the authentication exchange, handling security complexity separately from the access control logic.
3Productivity
If the access control node processes replies from multiple user devices simultaneously, then system throughput is improved, but processing time and potential collisions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication process is segmented into distinct phases: beacon broadcast, reply generation, and verification. Multiple devices are processed in sequential batches rather than true parallelism, with each device receiving a time-synchronized opportunity to respond. This segmentation prevents collisions while maintaining efficient throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts processing based on the number of active devices and beacon timing. The access control node manages reply queues and verification timing adaptively, optimizing throughput for varying loads while preventing processing bottlenecks.
Data Source
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AI summary
A security system comprises an access control node broadcasting a beacon including a time stamp and user devices generating replies to the beacon that are based on credential information for the user of the user device and the time stamp. The system relies on the users' wireless-capable mobile computing devices such as smartphones, tablets, or wireless fobs. A credential management system proves a system for the authentication of users and then issues security tokens as credential information to the users' mobile computing devices. These tokens are presented wirelessly by the devices to the security system's access control nodes, for example, where the access control nodes then decide whether to grant or deny access.