Location-Based Document Access Control Using Beacon Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current document management systems cannot control document viewing based on exact indoor locations, failing to restrict access to specific areas within a building or ensure secure viewing when untrusted individuals are present.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using localization signals, such as those from beacons or GPS, to determine the user's location with room-level accuracy and enforce content access rules, ensuring documents are only accessible from authorized locations and when trusted individuals are present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional document access control methods are used, then document security is maintained at a basic level, but exact indoor location-based access control cannot be implemented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple existing technologies (mobile devices with localization receivers, beacon networks, and document management systems) into an integrated location-based access control system. This merging approach enables precise indoor location tracking without requiring completely new hardware infrastructure, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces beacons as intermediary devices that facilitate location determination. These beacons act as mediators between the mobile device's localization receiver and the document management system, enabling precise location-based access control while keeping the overall system architecture manageable and modular.
2Reliability
If location-based access control is implemented, then document security is enhanced, but additional infrastructure (beacons, localization signals) is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the beacon infrastructure to serve multiple functions: providing location information for access control, enabling room identification, and supporting various document security policies. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized systems, enhancing document security while managing infrastructure complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts document access permissions based on real-time location data from beacons. Access control rules can be modified on-the-fly depending on the user's current location, the sensitivity of the document, and organizational policies. This dynamic approach enhances security adaptability without requiring rigid, overly complex infrastructure.
3Measurement precision
If room-level location accuracy is achieved, then precise document access control is possible, but multiple localization signals and processing are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple beacon signals and employs triangulation or trilateration methods to determine location. By using more signals than the minimum required (excessive action), the system achieves room-level accuracy even when individual signal measurements have some noise or error, resolving the contradiction between precision and processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual map or digital representation of the physical space with beacon locations and room boundaries. This copied spatial model allows the system to determine room-level location by comparing signal strengths against the pre-established map, simplifying the processing complexity while maintaining high measurement precision.
4Reliability
If co-located person verification is implemented, then document security is improved, but additional devices and coordination are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the location tracking functionality with the document access control system. By combining these functions, the system can automatically verify co-location of multiple users without requiring separate verification devices or protocols, improving document security while managing device coordination complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects and verifies co-location of users based on their mobile device locations relative to beacons. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual verification processes or additional coordination devices, enhancing security through automated multi-user verification while keeping the system simple to operate.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method, the method being performed in a computerized system incorporating a central processing unit, a localization signal receiver, a display and a memory, the computer-implemented method involving: receiving a request from a user for a content; receiving at least one localization signal using the localization signal receiver; determining a location based on the received localization signal; using a plurality of content access rules to determine whether the requested content is authorized to be accessed from the determined location; and providing content to the user only if the content is authorized to be accessed from the determined location.