Cross-Referencing Computer and Mobile Locations for Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for authenticating internet users are inadequate in preventing fraud, as they rely solely on IP addresses, which can be traced but do not provide sufficient verification of user identity, especially in transactions involving personal and confidential data.
Innovation Solution
A method that cross-references and compares the geographical location of a user's computer signature with their communication voice device's location, using technologies like GPS, Galileo, WiMax, and cellular base stations, to assign a proximity score for authentication, allowing or limiting access based on this score, and requiring additional authentication if necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If IP address tracking is used for user identification, then the system can identify user location, but the authentication reliability is insufficient because IP addresses can be traced but do not provide sufficient verification of user identity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple identification methods by merging IP address tracking with computer signature analysis and communication device location verification. This integration creates a multi-factor authentication system where each component reinforces the others, thereby improving both reliability and measurement precision simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a communication voice device (such as a mobile phone or VoIP device) as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between the user and the authentication system. By verifying the location of this communication device and comparing it with the computer signature location, the system achieves more precise and reliable user identification without directly exposing sensitive information.
2Measurement precision
If multiple authentication factors are implemented, then user identification accuracy improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication process into distinct, manageable components: IP address identification, computer signature extraction, and communication device location verification. Each segment operates independently with well-defined functions, making the overall complex system more manageable and easier to implement while maintaining high identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal authentication framework that can handle multiple user identification scenarios through a single integrated system. The same authentication mechanism works for various communication devices (mobile phones, VoIP devices, landlines) and can be applied across different online services, reducing the need for separate authentication systems for each use case.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for authenticating a user prior to allowing a transaction or access to a website, in which the user's computer is identified via a recognized computer signature that is associated with a geographical location. The location of the user's cell phone is compared to the associated location, and the transaction or access is permitted if the difference in locations is within a predetermined acceptable distance.