Location Authentication via Connection Identifier Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining a user's location in a fixed wireless network are inadequate for enforcing content restrictions, as they often rely on location-based services that drain battery life, raise privacy concerns, or fail to provide sufficient granularity, especially in remote areas without cellular or Wi-Fi access.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that store connection identifiers associated with user accounts in a database, allowing a server to authenticate the location of a viewing device by matching a second connection identifier obtained from the device with pre-stored identifiers, enabling accurate in-home or out-of-home detection without requiring cellular bearer access or location knowledge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If location-based services such as GPS are used to determine user location, then location information can be obtained, but battery life is significantly drained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the location determination function from the user's mobile device (which would require GPS and battery power) and relocates it to the network infrastructure. The network elements (access nodes, servers) perform the location authentication by comparing connection identifiers against stored data, eliminating the need for the user device to actively determine its own location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces network infrastructure elements (access nodes, servers, databases) as intermediaries between the user device and the content delivery system. These intermediaries handle the location verification process by comparing connection identifiers, thereby eliminating the need for the user device to directly engage in location determination activities that consume battery power.
2Measurement precision
If location-based services are used to determine user location, then location information can be obtained, but privacy concerns are raised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the personally identifiable location information from the user device and replaces it with anonymous connection identifiers (such as MAC addresses or other network layer identifiers). These identifiers can be traced to location by the network infrastructure without exposing sensitive user data, thereby maintaining privacy while enabling location-based authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses transient connection identifiers that are specific to each network connection session rather than persistent identifiers tied to the user's identity. These identifiers can be discarded after the authentication process, minimizing the retention of personal information and reducing privacy risks.
3Measurement precision
If geo-fencing processes are used to determine user location, then location information can be obtained, but sufficient granularity is not provided to determine when the user is at their home
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements location-specific authentication by storing connection identifiers that are unique to each user's home network environment. The system compares the current connection identifier against the stored home-specific identifier, providing fine-grained location recognition that can distinguish between home and non-home locations without requiring complex geo-fencing configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
Authenticating the location of a viewing device for receiving content includes storing a plurality of connection identifiers in a database, the connection identifiers being associated with a plurality of networking devices and a plurality of user accounts. A viewing device sends a request to access content which is received by a server. The request is associated with a user account. One or more first connection identifiers is selected from the database based on the user account to which the request is associated. A second connection identifier is obtained based on a connection between the viewing device and the server. It is determined if the second connection identifier matches one of the one or more first connection identifiers. Content is provided to the viewing device if the second connection identifier matches one of the one or more of the first connection identifiers.