Data Access Token Management for User Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users have limited control over their digital data, including who can access it, how long it is used, and its value, due to the lack of mechanisms for encrypting and managing digital data originating from digital devices.
Innovation Solution
A data management scheme that includes an encrypted data payload with metadata for source and capture date, and a token for owner identification and access rights, allowing users to control access and value through a client-server system with APIs for secure data exchange and inheritance plans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is collected and stored in data warehouses for service providers to use, then service providers can target users and present personalized offers, but users have limited control over their data including who can access it, how long it is used, and its value
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data control into multiple independent components: encrypted data payloads, metadata describing the data, and tokens representing access rights. These segments can be independently managed, allowing users to control different aspects of their data separately. The token system further segments access control by allowing different tokens to grant different levels of access to different entities for specific time periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tokens as intermediary objects that mediate between data owners and data users. Instead of direct access, users must obtain tokens that encode access rights, time limits, and data identifiers. These tokens act as intermediaries that enforce user-defined constraints while enabling data sharing, thus maintaining user control while allowing data accessibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If data is made accessible to multiple service providers, then data utility increases, but security and access control become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates token copies that can be distributed to multiple service providers without exposing the underlying data. Each token is a lightweight copy containing access instructions rather than the actual data payload. This allows unlimited sharing of access rights while maintaining security, as the tokens themselves can be replicated without compromising data protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of data access by encoding multiple constraints within tokens: time expiration, specific data identifiers, authorized entities, and access conditions. Instead of managing complex access control lists, the system transforms access management into token parameter configuration, simplifying the complexity through parameterized access rights.
3Reliability
If users can control data access rights and time periods, then privacy protection improves, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by requiring users to pre-configure their data access preferences, time periods, and authorized entities before data sharing occurs. Users set up token templates and access rules in advance, which are then automatically applied when data is shared. This preliminary configuration reduces the need for ongoing manual management while maintaining strong privacy controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables self-service through automatic token validation and expiration mechanisms. Tokens contain embedded instructions that automatically enforce access rights, time limits, and data identifiers without requiring continuous user intervention. The system self-manages access control by validating tokens against stored preferences, reducing management complexity while maintaining reliable privacy protection.
Data Source
AI summary
A method may include, receiving, at a server device and from a requesting computing device associated with a requesting user, a request for a data item. The data item configured may be configured as a data structure and include an encrypted data payload; metadata identifying a source of the payload and when the data payload was captured; and a token identifying an owner of the data item and access rights to the data item. The method may include parsing the token to identify the owner of the data item; transmitting the request for the data item to a computing device associated with the owner; receiving a response from the computing device. The response may indicate the requesting user may access the data item, and in response, transmit a decryption key to the requesting computing device for the encrypted data payload. The method may include updating the token.