Mobile Device Intermediary Authentication for Compartment Installations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current compartment installation systems face challenges in securely authenticating users while minimizing costs and maintaining high protection against attacks, with existing methods being inconvenient for trustworthy users and requiring costly infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A method that authenticates users by verifying proximity to the compartment installation and occupancy of assigned shipments using a mobile device, which communicates with the backend system via close-range data connections, reducing the need for direct communication between the backend system and the compartment installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the backend system directly communicates with the compartment installation for authentication, then authentication reliability is maintained, but operational costs and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device serves as an intermediary between the compartment installation and the backend system. It stores authentication data locally and performs verification without requiring direct communication between the compartment installation and backend system, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining authentication reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication data is copied to the mobile device, creating a local replica that can be verified offline. This eliminates the need for continuous backend system communication, reducing operational costs and system complexity while preserving authentication functionality
2Object-affected harmful factors
If strict authentication blocking is implemented after failed attempts, then security against attacks is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking mechanism is applied locally on the mobile device rather than globally on the backend system. The mobile device can distinguish between legitimate users who may make occasional errors and actual attackers, allowing selective blocking that maintains security while preserving user convenience
Solution Approach 2:
Authentication data is preliminarily verified on the mobile device before attempting backend system authentication. This preliminary check prevents unnecessary blocking of legitimate users by identifying invalid credentials early in the process
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprising performing a process for authenticating a user of a compartment installation vis-à-vis a backend system managing the compartment installation. A necessary condition for performing the process for authenticating the user is that a proximity check has revealed that a mobile device of the user is situated at the location of the compartment installation, and/or that an occupancy check has revealed that the compartment installation contains at least one shipment assigned to the user. A corresponding apparatus, a corresponding system and a corresponding computer program are furthermore disclosed.