Camouflaged Browser Sub-Applications for Hidden Sensitive Features

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing applications on devices often leave visible icons, raising the risk of inadvertent access by secondary users to sensitive content, and password protection can arouse suspicion.

Innovation Solution

Implement a first sub-application with a camouflaged second sub-application that activates upon satisfying predetermined human-machine interaction conditions, providing sensitive features only when the conditions are met.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a visible icon is displayed for an application, then the application is easily accessible and identifiable, but the risk of inadvertent access by secondary users to sensitive content increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication accessibilityVSAvoidinadvertent access to sensitive content

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The application is divided into multiple sub-applications: a first sub-application with a visible icon that provides non-sensitive functionality, and a second camouflaged sub-application without a visible icon that provides sensitive functionality. This segmentation allows the application to be easily accessible while preventing inadvertent access to sensitive features.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the application have different visibility properties. The first sub-application has a visible icon and is accessible to all users, while the second sub-application has no visible icon and is only accessible through specific interaction patterns known to the primary user. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between accessibility and security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a password prompt is used to protect sensitive application features, then access control is improved, but suspicion is aroused by the secondary user

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess controlVSAvoidsuspicion arousal

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The password protection mechanism is extracted from the visible interface and embedded within the camouflaged second sub-application. The activation condition serves as an invisible authentication mechanism that does not appear as a traditional password prompt, thus maintaining access control while avoiding suspicion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

An activation condition acts as an intermediary between the user and the sensitive features. Instead of directly prompting for a password, the system uses an indirect authentication mechanism where the primary user demonstrates knowledge of specific interaction patterns, providing reliable access control without arousing suspicion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a misleading icon or application name is used to hide the application purpose, then the application is concealed from secondary users, but the possibility remains that the application is run and its purpose revealed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication concealmentVSAvoidapplication purpose disclosure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The application functionality is segmented into a visible first sub-application with benign appearance and a hidden second sub-application with sensitive functionality. The camouflaged sub-application is only activated through specific interaction patterns, ensuring that even if the first sub-application is run, the sensitive purpose remains concealed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The camouflaged second sub-application is nested within the overall application structure, only becoming active when specific conditions are met. This nesting ensures that the sensitive functionality remains hidden within the larger application container, preventing purpose disclosure while maintaining concealment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS12411991B2Camouflaged app within interactive web-browser and method for concealing and revealing the same

Publication Date: 2025.09.09 HYTTO PTE LTD

AI summary

A method for revealing camouflaged components from an application running on a user device includes running the application on the user device, the application including a first sub-application and a second sub-application with the first sub-application being active and the second sub-application being camouflaged. The first sub-application detects a human-machine interaction. It is determined whether the detected human-machine interaction satisfies a predetermined condition. The second sub-application is activated when it is determined that the detected human-machine interaction satisfies the predetermined condition. The detected human-machine interaction is treated as a valid input for the operation of the first sub-application when it is determined that the human-machine interaction does not satisfy the predetermined condition. The second sub-application provides a first feature of a sensitive nature that is not provided by the first sub-application.