Device Fingerprinting for Account Data Association

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing network-based software applications require users to provide log-in credentials for data upload, which is vulnerable to security risks and time-consuming, especially on portable devices with smaller interfaces, degrading the user experience.

Innovation Solution

A computer system that associates data with a user account by determining unique identifiers based on device characteristics, allowing data upload without initial log-in credentials, and later matching these identifiers to authenticate and associate the data with the account.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If log-in credentials are required for data upload, then account security is improved, but user convenience and upload speed deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccount securityVSAvoiduser convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication by capturing device characteristics (browser type, plugins, timezone, screen resolution, font information) before the user actually uploads data. This creates a preliminary device fingerprint that enables subsequent uploads from the same device to be recognized without requiring full log-in credentials each time, thus improving convenience while maintaining security through device-level recognition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy or representation of the user's device identity through characteristic analysis. Instead of requiring the user to repeatedly provide their username and password, the system captures and stores a fingerprint copy of the device's identifying characteristics, which then serves as a proxy for authentication on subsequent uploads from the same device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If log-in credentials are required for each upload, then authentication reliability is improved, but upload time and user frustration increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication reliabilityVSAvoidupload time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication by capturing device characteristics (browser type, plugins, timezone, screen resolution, font information) before the user actually uploads data. This creates a preliminary device fingerprint that enables subsequent uploads from the same device to be recognized without requiring full log-in credentials each time, thus improving convenience while maintaining security through device-level recognition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes continuous recognition of the user's device across multiple upload sessions. Once the device fingerprint is captured and stored, subsequent uploads from the same device continue without interruption or additional authentication steps, eliminating the repetitive time loss associated with repeated log-in credential entry while maintaining authentication reliability through consistent device identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Ease of operation

If device characteristics are analyzed to create identifiers, then user convenience is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses a universal set of device characteristics that can be captured across different browsers and devices without requiring device-specific implementations. By focusing on common attributes like browser type, plugins, timezone, screen resolution, and font information, the system creates a multi-functional identification approach that works universally across platforms, reducing the complexity that would arise from implementing multiple device-specific identification mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS9027094B1Associating data initially with devices and subsequently with accounts

Publication Date: 2015.05.05 INTUIT INC

AI summary

A technique for associating data with an account is described. During this technique, a user uploads data to a computer system from an electronic device one or more times without providing log-in credentials for the account. Instead, the data is stored along with an identifier determined from characteristics or attributes of the electronic device. If the user subsequently logs into the account from the electronic device, the computer system determines that the identifier for the electronic device matches the previously determined identifier. At this point, the computer system associates data with the account.