Mobile e-Signature Reuse With QR Session Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic signature methods are inconvenient and insecure, requiring manual entry of signatures and lacking robust security measures, especially when using devices without touchscreens and exposing signatures to potential unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
A method where a user signature is stored in a first device and selectively released for incorporation into documents after validation, involving scanning a machine-readable code displayed by a second device to confirm session information and ensuring secure transmission through an online system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users manually enter signatures for every document, then each signature can be uniquely authenticated, but the process becomes burdensome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing user signatures in advance in a secure local repository on the user's device. When a signing operation is needed, the pre-stored signature is automatically retrieved and applied without requiring the user to manually recreate it, thus resolving the contradiction between authentication uniqueness and operational convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the user's signature and stores it locally on their device. This copy can be automatically applied to multiple documents without requiring the user to manually enter the signature each time, while still maintaining the authenticity and legal validity of the original signature through cryptographic verification.
2Ease of operation
If signatures are stored on remote systems for reuse, then signature entry becomes convenient, but security risks increase due to potential disclosure
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the signature storage function from remote servers and places it locally on the user's own device. This extraction eliminates the security risk associated with remote storage while maintaining the convenience of signature reusability, as the signature remains under the user's direct control and cannot be accessed by external systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a local secure repository on the user's device as an intermediary between the user and any remote systems. The signature never leaves the user's device in plaintext form; instead, only encrypted or hashed representations are transmitted for verification purposes, thus mediating the security risk while enabling convenient signature reuse.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If validation is performed before releasing stored signatures, then security is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service validation by automatically verifying the user's identity and authorization status using existing authentication mechanisms already present in the document management system. The validation process leverages the user's existing login credentials and device identifiers without requiring additional manual verification steps, thus improving security while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the validation result directly controls the release of the stored signature. If validation succeeds, the signature is automatically released for use; if it fails, the signature remains locked. This automated feedback loop ensures security without requiring complex manual intervention, as the system self-regulates based on validation outcomes.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If machine-readable code scanning is required for each document, then fraud prevention is enhanced, but the signing process becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the machine-readable code scanning as a preliminary action during the initial authentication phase, before the user requests signature retrieval. The validation results are cached and reused for subsequent signing operations within the same session, eliminating the need to scan codes for each individual document and thus preventing fraud while maintaining signing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous validation state throughout the user's signing session. Once the user's identity is verified through machine-readable code scanning, the validated session state is maintained continuously, allowing multiple signatures to be applied without repeating the scanning process. This continuous valid state ensures fraud prevention while enabling rapid sequential signing of multiple documents.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for applying signatures to documents stores a user signature in a first device and selectively releases the user signature for incorporation into documents only after performing validation. The validation includes the first device scanning a machine-readable code displayed by a second device. The first device and the second device participate in respective sessions with an online system, which stores a document to be signed. The first device extracts information from the machine-readable code and attempts to validate that information with the online system. If the validation is successful, the first device may release the user signature, e.g., by sending the user signature to the online system for incorporation into the document.