Persona-Based Authentication System for Mobile Web Services

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional authentication and authorization systems for web services are cumbersome for users, requiring multiple accounts and passwords due to the inability to seamlessly manage different user personas, especially on mobile devices with smaller screens, leading to user frustration and poor engagement.

Innovation Solution

The system allows users to create and manage personas on a device, linking unique attributes and symbols for easy activation and authorization across web services, enabling seamless sign-in and interaction using gestures or voice commands, eliminating the need for multiple accounts and passwords.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users create multiple accounts with different user IDs and passwords to access web services in different capacities, then the web services can provide different personalized services to users, but the user experience deteriorates due to the cumbersome process of managing multiple accounts and passwords

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepersonalized servicesVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the user identity into multiple personas, each representing a different user capacity or role. Instead of requiring multiple accounts, the system divides a single account into multiple persona profiles that can be selectively activated, thereby maintaining personalized service capabilities while simplifying account management for users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a universal authentication mechanism where a single user account can assume multiple personas to access different services or functionalities. This multi-functional approach allows one account to serve multiple purposes, eliminating the need for separate accounts for different user capacities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If users register with web services to create individual accounts with user identifications and passwords, then the web services can authenticate users, but the process becomes onerous for users accessing web services on mobile devices with smaller screens

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveauthenticationVSAvoidregistration process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs visual icons or symbols as copies or representations of user personas. Instead of requiring users to type or select from text-based login forms on mobile devices, users can interact with simplified visual icons that represent different personas, making the authentication process more accessible and less onerous on small screens.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes visual elements such as color changes or icon variations to represent different personas. This visual differentiation allows users to easily distinguish and select between different user capacities through intuitive visual cues rather than text-based interfaces, improving ease of operation on mobile devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the web services require users to manually compare URLs with persona URLs to identify matching personas, then the system can determine which persona to load, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepersona identificationVSAvoidauthentication time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service authentication where the system automatically determines which persona to load based on the current context, device state, or user preferences without requiring manual URL comparison. The system serves itself by autonomously selecting the appropriate persona, thereby reducing user effort and authentication time while maintaining versatile persona identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3843328B1User authentication and authorization using personas
Publication Date: 2023.05.03 EBAY INC
  • EP3843328B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3843328B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3843328B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and methods are disclosed to authenticate and authorize a user for web services using personas. In various embodiments, a selection of a persona symbol of the user from a plurality of stored persona symbols may be received via a user device corresponding to the user. Each persona symbol may comprise at least one symbol and correspond to a respective persona of a plurality of personas. Each persona may indicate a unique identity of the user for one or more web services and comprise one or more attributes populated with at least one portion of user attribute information. The persona corresponding to the persona symbol being selected may be activated. At least one attribute of the one or more attributes of the persona being activated may be transmitted to the one or more web services over a network.