Image Region Authentication Using Position Verification

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing authentication systems fail to effectively prevent unauthorized access by reusing image regions used in past authentications, as they do not adequately manage and verify the position and similarity of image regions on a surface of a target object.

Innovation Solution

An authenticating apparatus and system that reads an image region from a target object, determines a corresponding position based on similarity with previously stored reference image regions, and prevents unauthorized access by ensuring that unused image regions are used for authentication, with mechanisms to register identification information and manage reading positions to avoid repeated use of authenticated regions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If image region authentication is performed without position verification, then authentication process is simple, but security is compromised due to potential reuse of authenticated image regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidauthentication process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by storing position information and authentication results of image regions before actual authentication occurs. When an authentication request is received, the system checks whether the requested image region has been previously authenticated by comparing its position against stored records. This preliminary verification prevents reuse of authenticated regions without adding significant complexity to the authentication flow.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and stores copies of position information and authentication status for each image region. Instead of complex real-time verification, the system simply compares the position of the requested image region against stored position copies from previous authentications. This copying approach enables efficient security verification with minimal processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Adaptability or versatility

If all image regions on a target object are made available for authentication, then authentication flexibility is high, but unauthorized access risk increases due to potential reuse of regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication flexibilityVSAvoidunauthorized access risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring and recording which image regions have been authenticated and their positions. After each successful authentication, the position information is stored and fed back into the system. Before subsequent authentication attempts, the system queries this feedback information to determine if the requested region has already been authenticated, thereby preventing unauthorized reuse while maintaining flexibility in region selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the target object surface into distinct image regions with identifiable position information. By dividing the surface into manageable segments and tracking each segment's authentication status independently, the system enables flexible selection of different regions for authentication while preventing reuse through position-based verification. Each segment can be authenticated once, then marked as used.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If position-based verification is implemented to prevent region reuse, then security against unauthorized access improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against unauthorized accessVSAvoidauthentication processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system stores simplified copies of position information (coordinates or position identifiers) rather than complete image region data. When verification is needed, the system performs a quick comparison of position copies rather than analyzing entire image regions. This copying strategy enables fast position-based verification that prevents reuse while minimizing processing time overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts only the essential position information from image regions for storage and verification purposes, separating this critical verification data from the full image content. By taking out just the position coordinates or identifiers needed for verification, the system enables rapid comparison and reuse detection without the computational burden of processing complete image data during authentication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3118766B1Authentication device, authentication system, program, storage medium and authentication method
Publication Date: 2020.10.28 FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP
  • EP3118766B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3118766B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3118766B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In authentication based on an image region read from a surface of a target object, authentication based on a position corresponding to the image region is executed. An authenticating server 2 receives an image region as an authentication target read from a surface of a target object possessed by a user together with an authentication request from the user, identifies a position corresponding to the image region as the authentication target and one reference image region corresponding to the image region as the authentication target in a plurality of previously stored reference image regions read from respective surfaces of a plurality of target objects, and executes authentication in response to the authentication request based on the identified position.