Focus-Based Challenge-Response Authentication for Bot Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional authentication methods are ineffective in distinguishing between human users and autonomous programs, as they often confuse humans while attempting to prevent bot access to websites and network services.
Innovation Solution
A focus-based challenge-response authentication system that displays an image with varying focus points, requiring users to identify in-focus objects, making it difficult for bots while being manageable for humans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional authentication methods (distorted text, warped characters) are used to prevent bot access, then security against autonomous programs is improved, but usability for human users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of focus (sharpness) of image objects instead of distorting text. By controlling which objects are in focus or out of focus, the system creates a challenge that is easy for humans to perceive and respond to, while being difficult for bots to process automatically. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining security through focus-based challenges that do not degrade human usability.
2Reliability
If image objects are made out of focus to challenge bots, then authentication security is improved, but image quality and clarity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different focus qualities to different objects within the same image. Some objects are in focus while others are out of focus, creating local variations in image quality. This allows the system to maintain overall image clarity while creating specific regions that challenge bot detection capabilities, resolving the contradiction between security and image quality.
3Reliability
If multiple image objects are presented with varying focus to enhance security, then authentication reliability is improved, but challenge-response complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image into multiple distinct objects with different focus states. Each object can be independently focused or blurred, allowing the challenge to be divided into manageable components. This segmentation maintains security through multiple focus variations while keeping the challenge structure simple and intuitive for human users.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for authenticating an access attempt includes detecting an access attempt by a user device over a network. A challenge-response authentication is provided over the network to the user device. The challenge-response authentication includes an image having a plurality of image objects. The challenge-response authentication is operable to display the image such that at least one of the plurality of image objects is in focus and at least one of the plurality of image objects is not in focus. In response to providing the challenge-response authentication, an authentication response is received from the user device over the network, and it is determined whether the authentication response includes an indication of the at least one of the plurality of image objects that is in focus to determine whether to authenticate or deny the access attempt.