Hardware Key for Secure Employee Data Collection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for data collection and analysis from multiple devices lack secure, automatic data transfer to cloud databases, efficient processing of large data volumes, and direct identification of repetitive actions for optimizing business decisions.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing an Individual Hardware Key for secure data collection across multiple devices, automatic transfer to a NoSQL database, and an algorithmic model to capture repetitive actions, enabling data analysis and robotic process automation opportunities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If data is collected from multiple devices using traditional methods, then data collection capability is improved, but data security and automatic transfer to cloud database deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata collection capabilityVSAvoiddata security
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an Individual Hardware Key (IHK) as an intermediary device that securely stores cryptographic keys and enables automatic authentication between multiple devices and the cloud database. The IHK acts as a trusted mediator that eliminates the need for manual password entry while ensuring data security through hardware-based cryptographic protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual password entry (mechanical/human operation) with automated cryptographic authentication based on the IHK. This substitution eliminates security vulnerabilities associated with password management while enabling seamless data collection from multiple devices through automated authentication protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Quantity of substance

If large amounts of data are processed and stored, then analysis capability is improved, but processing speed and storage efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata volumeVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates only the relevant repetitive actions from the large volume of collected data using pattern recognition algorithms. By filtering out irrelevant data and focusing only on repetitive patterns that indicate automation opportunities, the system maintains high processing speed while analyzing comprehensive datasets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by not processing all collected data equally, but rather focusing computational resources on identifying repetitive patterns. The system performs selective analysis on data subsets that show repetitive behavior, thereby maintaining processing efficiency while still leveraging the full dataset for comprehensive automation opportunity identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If machine learning is used to create clusters and find relationships between events, then analysis accuracy is improved, but system complexity and processing time deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanalysis accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary filtering and preprocessing of data to identify potential repetitive patterns before applying machine learning algorithms. By pre-processing the data to highlight relevant patterns and reduce noise, the system reduces the complexity and computational burden of subsequent machine learning operations while maintaining high analysis accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Ease of operation

If user passwords are used for accessing input devices, then authentication capability is improved, but security and access speed deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication capabilityVSAvoidsecurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The IHK serves as a hardware intermediary that stores cryptographic keys securely and performs authentication operations without exposing the actual keys. This intermediary approach provides both ease of operation (automatic authentication) and high security (hardware-based cryptographic protection), resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4242848B1Method and computer system for capture and analysis of repetitive actions generated by the employee-computer interaction
Publication Date: 2024.06.26 UNIVEA LUCIAN BLAGA
  • EP4242848B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4242848B1 patent drawingFigure 3A)~4
  • EP4242848B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Technical solution according to the invention relates to a method and the computer system intended for capturing and analyzing the repetitive actions generated by the employee-computer interaction, in order to extract the business analysis elements necessary to support the management decisions. The hardware infrastructure on which the software infrastructure for implementing the steps of the method is operational, comprises the computer network (Computer HW 1... n) of the employees, connected to the Internet and to the physical server (HW Server), on which the Work Analytics Platform (WAP) and the ArangoDB NoSQL database. The Individual Hardware Key (IHK) connects to the USB port of each employee computer and communicates with the Data Collection Tool (DCT) application to authenticate the user and start the recording process, the data being collected from the computers, automatically imported in the Cloud and saved in collections in the database. The method according to the invention identifies all activities performed during a working day, for the purpose of optimization and Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and, for this purpose, an algorithm is applied to identify the relevant repetitive actions, directly from the data recorded during computer interaction. The proposed architecture is capable of processing large amounts of data, collected over long periods of time, for a large number of employees.