Common Data Format for Knowledge-Based Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional knowledge-based authentication (KBA) service providers face challenges due to data format incompatibility across different information sources, leading to limited and contradictory questions, complex post-processing requirements, and difficulty in integrating new sources, which hinders the generation of robust and accurate authentication questions.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a system that converts facts from multiple fact sources into a common data format using adaptors, allowing for the storage of facts in a database and enabling the generation of questions based on these unified formats, simplifying the question-building process and facilitating the integration of new sources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If questions are formed from each information source independently, then each source can be processed separately, but the questions become limited in scope and may have contradictory answers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescope of questionsVSAvoidconsistency of answers

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple information sources (email systems, expense report systems, calendar systems) into a unified question generation process. The system retrieves data from multiple sources, merges them into a common data structure, and generates questions that consider information from all sources, thereby expanding question scope while ensuring answer consistency through cross-source validation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal data structure that can accommodate information from different types of sources (emails, expense reports, calendar events). This multi-functional structure allows the system to process diverse data types uniformly, enabling broader question scope while maintaining reliability through consistent data handling across all source types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If post-processing operations are applied to find contradictory information, then contradictory answers can be identified, but the program logic becomes excessively complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection of contradictory informationVSAvoidcomplexity of post-processing logic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs data normalization and merging into a common structure before question generation, rather than requiring complex post-processing after question formation. By preliminarily organizing data from multiple sources into a unified structure with consistent fields and formats, the system enables straightforward contradiction detection during question generation without requiring excessively complicated post-processing logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If new information sources are integrated into conventional KBA systems, then more data can be utilized, but the integration process consumes excessive time and effort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of information sourcesVSAvoidintegration time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs a universal data structure and adapter pattern that can accommodate multiple information source types (email systems, expense report systems, calendar systems). This universal approach allows new sources to be integrated by implementing adapters that conform to the standard structure, significantly reducing integration time and effort compared to custom integration for each source type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the integration process into independent adapter modules, each handling a specific information source type. This segmentation allows new sources to be added as separate, self-contained adapters without modifying existing integration logic, enabling rapid integration of new information sources while maintaining system stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Adaptability or versatility

If data from multiple sources are used in different formats, then each source maintains its native structure, but question generation becomes difficult and robust questions cannot be formed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to use multiple sourcesVSAvoidease of question generation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a common data structure as an intermediary between multiple information sources and the question generation process. This intermediary structure standardizes data from diverse sources (emails, expense reports, calendar events) into uniform fields and formats, making it easy to generate robust questions while preserving the ability to utilize data from multiple native sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8776195B1Common data format in knowledge-based authentication

Publication Date: 2014.07.08 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

An improved technique involves converting facts from multiple fact sources to a common data format. Along these lines, for each fact source having a source-specific format, a KBA system provides an adaptor that converts incoming facts in the source-specific format to the common data format prior to generating questions. The KBA system stores the facts in the common format in a database for subsequent access. In response to an authorization request, the KBA system then builds questions based on the facts from multiple sources in the common data format stored in the database.