Decentralized Cloud Authentication for Autonomous Vehicles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles face challenges in rider authentication due to the susceptibility of personally identifiable information and biometric data to hacking, and traditional transaction methods are cumbersome, inhibiting customer usage of mobility services.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized cloud-based authentication system using multiple discrete servers to separate the storage of biometric and personal information, allowing for secure rider authentication without the need for local enrollment on each device, and enabling seamless transactions by segregating data sets to minimize exposure in case of a breach.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If personally identifiable information and biometric data are stored on a single cloud-based server for authentication, then authentication convenience is improved, but security risk increases due to potential hacking and data theft

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication convenienceVSAvoidsecurity risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the authentication system into multiple discrete servers: a first server that stores and processes biometric data, and a second server that stores and processes personally identifiable information. This segmentation ensures that no single server contains all sensitive data, reducing the impact of potential security breaches while maintaining authentication functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary authentication process where the first server verifies biometric data and the second server verifies personally identifiable information separately. These two verification processes act as intermediaries that work together to authenticate users without exposing all data on a single server, thus maintaining security while enabling convenient authentication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If traditional transaction methods requiring credit card information and forms are used, then transaction security is maintained, but customer usability deteriorates due to cumbersome processes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransaction securityVSAvoidcustomer usability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables self-service transactions by storing payment information in the decentralized authentication system. Users authenticate once through biometric and personal information verification, and the system automatically processes transactions without requiring users to manually enter credit card information or fill out forms for each transaction, thus improving usability while maintaining security through the decentralized architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If all personal information is stored on a single cloud-based platform for seamless transactions, then transaction efficiency is improved, but data exposure risk increases in case of unauthorized access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransaction efficiencyVSAvoiddata exposure risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments personal information storage across multiple servers, with the first server holding biometric data and the second server holding personally identifiable information and payment details. This segmentation allows the system to process transactions efficiently by querying only the necessary server for each transaction type, while minimizing data exposure risk since no single server contains all personal information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11403638B2Decentralized cloud-based authentication for vehicles and associated transactions
Publication Date: 2022.08.02 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC
  • US11403638B2 patent drawing
  • US11403638B2 patent drawing
  • US11403638B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for decentralized authentication for autonomous vehicles and associated transactions. Example system includes a secure distributed network of servers including a biometrics server configured to authenticate a user using biometric data and generate a biometrics server authentication token when the user is authenticated, a transactional server configured to perform the transaction for the user upon receiving the biometrics server authentication token, the transactional server being further configured to generate a transactional server authentication token when the transaction is approved, and a mobility service server configured to receive both the biometrics server authentication token and the transactional server authentication token and provide access to the mobility service.