Cellular Authentication Token Issuance for Passwordless App Login
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authentication processes for third-party applications are not user-friendly while maintaining security, particularly when utilizing authentication servers from trusted providers.
Innovation Solution
An authentication server in a cellular network generates an authentication token for a user device by validating the device's association with the network, using identifiers such as IP addresses or session identifiers, and cryptographically applying a key to create the token, ensuring secure and seamless authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional username and password authentication is used, then security can be maintained, but user experience deteriorates due to multiple accounts and login complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication server as an intermediary between the user device and the third-party application. This server handles the authentication process using cellular network credentials, eliminating the need for users to create and manage separate accounts for each application while maintaining security through a trusted intermediary that verifies identity before issuing authentication tokens.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication server provides universal authentication across multiple third-party applications using a single set of cellular network credentials. The system is designed to work with any application that supports the authentication protocol, allowing one authentication mechanism to serve multiple functions and eliminate the need for multiple separate login systems.
2Reliability
If authentication is outsourced to a third-party provider, then security is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional authentication components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication functionality from the third-party application and places it in a separate authentication server. This extraction removes the complexity of managing multiple authentication systems from individual devices and applications, centralizing the authentication logic in a dedicated server that handles verification and token issuance.
3Measurement precision
If manual login details are required, then authentication precision is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to manual input requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service authentication by automatically using the user's existing cellular network credentials to authenticate with third-party applications. The authentication process occurs automatically in the background without requiring manual input from the user, while the authentication server maintains precise verification of identity through cryptographic validation of cellular network credentials.
Data Source
AI summary
It is provided a method for providing an authentication token for authentication of a user device (2) for a third-party application. The method is performed by an authentication server (1) of a cellular network (8). The method comprises: receiving (40) a request for an authentication token from a user device (2) over a channel in the cellular network (8), the request comprising an identifier at least temporarily associated with the user device (2); validating (42) that the identifier is associated with the cellular network (8); generating (46) an authentication token, comprising cryptographically applying a key of the authentication server (1), resulting in an authentication token being a data item; and providing (48) the authentication token to the user device (2).