Implicit Access Control via User Intent Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access strategies for application modules on user devices either grant overly broad access, leading to security risks or restrict access too much, reducing utility, as they either treat all resources as global or isolate them completely, without effectively discerning user intent.
Innovation Solution
An access system that detects user interactions indicative of intent to access specific resources, granting selective access based on those interactions, treating user-directed actions as implicit permission while isolating application modules from each other and resources by default.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If all user-owned resources are treated as global resources accessible to any application module, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to malicious entities accessing resources undesirably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments access rights by treating each application module as an isolated principal with no default access to user-owned resources. Instead of a unified global access model, the system divides access control into discrete, module-specific permissions that must be explicitly granted, preventing malicious entities from accessing resources without authorization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary access control mechanism between application modules and user-owned resources. This intermediary layer mediates access requests by evaluating user permissions and application module entitlements before allowing resource access, thereby preventing direct unauthorized access while maintaining operational ease for authorized entities.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If each application module is treated as an isolated principal with no access to user-owned resources, then security is improved, but utility is worsened as legitimate access needs are blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic access control where permissions are not fixed but can be granted or revoked based on user actions and application module needs. The system dynamically adjusts access rights in response to user permission requests, allowing legitimate utility while maintaining security through conditional access rather than static isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by granting access rights specifically to particular application modules for particular resources based on user permissions, rather than applying uniform access rules. This allows differentiated access control where each application module receives appropriate utility access only when authorized, maintaining security through selective rather than blanket access.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If prompts are displayed to users for each access request, then security is improved through user permission, but ease of operation is worsened as users perceive prompts as bothersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing user permissions and application module entitlements in advance before access is needed. Users grant permissions when they understand the context, and the system remembers these decisions, eliminating the need for repetitive prompts during actual resource access operations and improving user experience while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system learns from user actions and adjusts access control behavior accordingly. When users interact with application modules in specific ways, the system infers permission intent and grants access without additional prompts, creating a responsive feedback loop that balances security with ease of operation based on actual user behavior patterns.
4Ease of operation
If manifests with broad access rights are provided upon installation, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to overly broad access rights and undue security risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by granting only the specific access rights needed for each application module to access specific user-owned resources, rather than providing excessive broad access rights. The system implements minimum necessary permissions based on actual access requirements, reducing security risks while maintaining operational ease through precise rather than blanket access control.
Data Source
AI summary
An access system is described herein which allows an application module to access a user-owned resource based on an indication of a user's intent to interact with the user-owned resource. For example, the application module can provide an application user interface which embeds a gadget associated with a particular user-owned resource. The access system can interpret the user's interaction with the gadget as conferring implicit permission to the application module to access the user-owned resource associated with the gadget. In addition, or alternatively, the user may make a telltale gesture in the course of interacting with the application module. The access system can interpret this gesture as conferring implicit permission to the application module to access a user-owned resource that is associated with the gesture.