Optical Code Session Activation for Secure In-Person Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authentication methods for in-person interactions, such as those used in customer service scenarios, are ineffective in preventing fraud and degrade the user experience due to reliance on customer unawareness and repetitive authentication processes.
Innovation Solution
A user device generates an optical code that is scanned by an agent device to verify an in-person interaction, enabling an application session only after successful authentication, ensuring that services are requested by the user and performed via a secure application session.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used for in-person interactions, then security is compromised due to fraud risks, but implementing stronger authentication increases complexity and degrades user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication actions by generating an optical code at the user's device before the actual service transaction. This code is scanned by the agent device to establish authentication in advance, eliminating the need for repeated authentication steps during the interaction and reducing overall process complexity while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an optical code (a digital copy/representation) to convey authentication information instead of requiring direct verification of physical presence or complex biometric scans. This optical code serves as a portable, easily transmissible copy of the user's authentication state, simplifying the authentication mechanism while preserving security
2Reliability
If repetitive authentication processes are implemented, then security is improved, but user experience deteriorates due to multiple authentication steps
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication is performed once in advance when the user generates and shares the optical code with the agent device. This preliminary authentication action establishes trust for the entire interaction session, eliminating the need for repetitive authentication steps and improving ease of operation while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication state established through the optical code scan continues throughout the entire service interaction without requiring re-authentication. This continuous valid authentication state allows the useful action (service delivery) to proceed uninterrupted, improving user experience while maintaining security oversight
Data Source
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AI summary
In some implementations, a system may receive, from a user device, a user-side request associated with establishing an application session, wherein the user-side request includes an optical code. The system may receive, from an agent device, an agent-side request associated with the agent device joining the application session, wherein the agent-side request includes authentication information that indicates that the agent device scanned the optical code from an output component of the user device. The system may send, to the user device, a notification to permit the user device to join the application session. The system may activate the application session to permit the user device and the agent device to communicate via the application session.