Location-Based User Authentication Using Mobile Network Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional user authentication systems are vulnerable to malicious attacks and fail to accurately verify a user's location, leading to potential impersonation and compromised security, especially when users deviate from their habitual patterns.

Innovation Solution

A system that utilizes multiple sources of location data, including GPS, WLAN, and cellular network information, to determine a user's location and authenticate them by comparing it against a user profile and a machine learning model, enhancing the accuracy of authentication by evaluating the likelihood of the user's presence based on historical travel habits and current location data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional authentication systems use only user credentials (username/password), then the authentication process is simple and fast, but the system becomes vulnerable to malicious attacks and impersonation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidauthentication system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple authentication factors including user credentials, device identifiers, location data (GPS, WLAN, cellular), and behavioral patterns into a unified authentication system. This multi-factor approach merges different data sources to create a more reliable authentication mechanism that resists impersonation attacks while maintaining manageable system complexity through integrated processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary authentication server that mediates between the user device and the secure system. This intermediary collects and verifies multiple authentication factors, processes location data through machine learning models, and makes authorization decisions, thereby distributing complexity away from both the user device and the secure system while enhancing overall reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the system requires reauthentication when user location deviates from habitual patterns, then security is maintained, but user accessibility and convenience deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication accuracyVSAvoiduser accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication system dynamically adjusts its requirements based on real-time location analysis. The machine learning model continuously learns user travel patterns and adapts authentication thresholds accordingly. When location deviations are detected, the system dynamically determines whether reauthentication is necessary, balancing security needs with user convenience based on the specific context of the deviation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes authentication parameters (such as requiring additional verification steps) based on location probability scores generated by the machine learning model. When the model predicts high confidence in user identity despite location deviation, the system maintains easy access. When confidence is low, it adjusts parameters to require reauthentication, thereby adapting authentication strictness to the specific situation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If the system uses rule-based location verification, then implementation is straightforward, but the system fails to detect unhabitual user behavior such as vacations or emergencies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem implementation easeVSAvoidbehavioral pattern recognition

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces rigid rule-based location verification with a machine learning-based system that processes location data from multiple sources (GPS, WLAN, cellular networks). This substitution enables the system to automatically learn and adapt to user behavioral patterns including vacations and emergencies, providing versatile pattern recognition while maintaining reasonable implementation complexity through established machine learning frameworks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12581296B2Systems and methods for user authentication using mobile network data

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for authenticating users based on user location data from various sources are disclosed herein. In some aspects, the system may transmit a first request for network and location information. The system may receive wireless network configuration metadata and location data. The system may transmit a second request for cellular network information. The system may receive cellular network metadata. The system may determine a user location. The system may retrieve a user profile. The system may provide the user location and the user profile to a machine learning model. The system may generate an authentication probability. The system may transmit an authentication message based on the authentication probability.