Dynamic Session URL Access Control via QR Code Redirect
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Solution Overview
Problem
Websites face challenges in controlling access to users based on location without violating user privacy, as users often decline to provide location information due to privacy concerns, leading to unintended access when the user is not at the intended location.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a backend network service that generates a unique session ID through a QR code, which redirects users to a website with dynamic addresses, allowing the website owner to monitor and control access based on the session ID's validity, preventing access once it expires, thus restricting access to specific locations without requiring location data from the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the website owner requests location information from users to control access, then access control based on location is improved, but user privacy is compromised and users may decline to provide location information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a backend redirect service as an intermediary between the QR code and the website. This service generates unique session identifiers and manages access control without requiring the website to directly handle location data. The intermediary absorbs the complexity of access control while preserving user privacy by not exposing location requirements to the end user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanism of directly requesting location data from users with a session-based access control system. Instead of mechanically collecting location information, the system uses QR code scanning to initiate sessions, with the backend service validating access based on session identifiers rather than explicit location data collection.
2Ease of operation
If the website owner allows users to bookmark and access the website later, then ease of operation is improved, but access control is compromised as users can access the website outside the intended location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic access control through session identifiers that are generated when users scan QR codes. These session identifiers have validity periods and can be configured to expire or be revoked. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain ease of operation through bookmarking while ensuring access control reliability by validating session status before granting access.
Solution Approach 2:
The backend redirect service performs preliminary validation of session identifiers before allowing access to the website. This preliminary check ensures that even if users have bookmarked the website, they can only access it if their session is still valid, thereby maintaining access control requirements while preserving user convenience.
3Ease of operation
If the website uses a static access link, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to control access based on location and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms static access links into dynamic session-based URLs. When users scan QR codes, the backend service generates unique session identifiers that are embedded in the access URLs. These dynamic URLs maintain ease of operation while enabling flexible access control through session validation, expiration configurations, and the ability to revoke access as needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein are system, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof for controlling access to a website. In some embodiments, a user scans a machine-readable indicia with their mobile device to access a backend redirect page. The backend redirect page receives the access request, generates a unique session identifier, and configures a dynamic address based on the unique session identifier. The backend redirect page redirects the mobile device to an intake page of a website using the dynamic address for that page. Whenever the user attempts to load a page in the website using the corresponding dynamic address, an intake backend for frontend verifies the validity of the unique session identifier associated with the dynamic address. A session monitor tracks the amount of time since the unique session identifier was generated and invalidates the unique session identifier after a predetermined amount of time has passed.