Mobile Device Identification via App List Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile device identification methods based on device attributes are insufficient for meeting security and protection demands in complex internet environments, particularly in e-commerce, as they can lead to misidentification of devices with altered attributes, posing security risks.
Innovation Solution
A method that collects and matches the APP list of a target device with those in a device library, determining the number of identical APPs to set a device identifier when the number reaches a statistically optimized threshold, utilizing differences in installed APPs to uniquely identify devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If device identification is based on device attributes, then identification can be performed, but misidentification occurs when attributes are altered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the identification parameter from device attributes (which can be altered) to APP list information (which is more stable and harder to modify). By comparing APP lists between target devices and library devices, the system achieves more reliable identification that resists attribute alteration attacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of device information in the form of an APP list, which serves as a fingerprint for identification. This APP list copy can be stored in a library and compared against target devices, providing a reliable identification mechanism that doesn't depend on mutable device attributes.
2Measurement precision
If APP list matching is performed to identify devices, then identification accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses APP lists that devices naturally maintain for their own operation. Instead of requiring additional specialized components or complex external verification systems, the identification leverages the existing APP installation data that devices already have, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The APP list serves multiple functions: it is both the operational software environment of the device and the identification fingerprint. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate identification hardware or complex protocols, reducing system complexity while maintaining high identification accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for setting a device identifier comprises: obtaining a first APP (Application) list of a target device; performing matching between the first APP list and a second APP list to determine a number of identical APPs in both the first APP list and the second APP list; determining whether the determined number of identical APPs reaches a pre-set threshold; and when the determined number of identical APPs reaches the pre-set threshold, setting a device identifier corresponding to the second APP list as the target device's device identifier.