Cookie-Based Mobile Authentication for Wi-Fi Premium Services
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Solution Overview
Problem
Short-range wireless networks like Wi-Fi cannot support certificate-based authentications for premium services, hindering revenue generation for network service providers.
Innovation Solution
A method that processes application-authentication requests from mobile devices without certificates by encrypting user information, decrypting it at an authentication server, validating it against a subscriber profile server, and generating an authentication cookie for subsequent requests, allowing access to premium services over Wi-Fi networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If certificate-based authentication is used for premium services, then authentication security is improved, but compatibility with short-range wireless networks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the authentication parameter from certificate-based to cookie-based authentication. The authentication server issues cookies to mobile devices after validating their identity, and these cookies are then used for subsequent authentication requests. This parameter change enables authentication on short-range wireless networks that cannot support certificates while maintaining security through encrypted user information validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an authentication server as an intermediary between the mobile device and the application gateway. This intermediary handles the authentication process by receiving encrypted user information, validating it against subscriber profiles, and issuing authentication cookies. The intermediary enables certificate-free authentication on Wi-Fi networks while maintaining secure access to premium services.
2Reliability
If certificate-based authentication is implemented, then access control for premium services is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the certificate-based authentication mechanism from the mobile device and replaces it with a cookie-based system. The authentication server handles the complex validation logic, and mobile devices only need to store and transmit simple authentication cookies. This extraction reduces device complexity while maintaining robust access control through server-side validation of user information against subscriber profiles.
3Ease of operation
If authentication cookies are generated and validated, then authentication process is simplified, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary validation of user information against subscriber profiles at the authentication server before issuing authentication cookies. This preliminary action ensures that only valid users receive cookies, simplifying subsequent authentication processes. The validation is performed once during cookie issuance, and the resulting cookies can be reused for multiple requests, reducing overall processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for a processing an application-authentication request originating from a mobile device. In particular, an application-authentication request comprises user information that is analyzed by an authentication server. The authentication server generates a call to a subscription profile server to validate the user information as belonging to a user profile that is in good standing. In response to determining that the application-authentication request is valid, the authentication server generates an authentication cookie that is provided to the mobile device. Accordingly, the authentication cookie is used by the mobile device to access applications, such as premium services.