Proxy Authentication Unit for Seamless Web App Login

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Communication terminals face inconvenience in authentication tasks due to separate management of native and Web application authentication information, requiring users to re-enter credentials for Web applications when using external services.

Innovation Solution

A communication terminal configuration that includes a native region unit and a browser region unit, with a proxy authentication unit managing authentication for Web applications by sharing authentication information between the two regions, eliminating the need for users to re-enter credentials by storing authentication information in both regions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If authentication information is separately managed in native and Web application execution environments, then security and environment-specific optimization are improved, but user convenience deteriorates due to repeated authentication requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoiduser convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a cookie management unit as an intermediary component that bridges the native application execution environment and the Web application execution environment. This unit stores cookies received from external servers and makes them available to Web applications, enabling authentication information to be shared across environments without compromising the separation architecture. The cookie management unit acts as a mediator that allows authenticated sessions to persist across different application types while maintaining security boundaries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If authentication information is shared between native and Web application regions, then user convenience is improved by eliminating re-authentication, but system complexity increases due to information management overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication convenienceVSAvoidauthentication management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cookie management functionality into the existing execution environment architecture by introducing a cookie management unit that operates within the native application execution environment but serves both native and Web applications. Instead of creating completely separate authentication systems, the patent combines cookie storage and management capabilities into a unified component that both application types can access, thereby reducing overall system complexity while enabling authentication sharing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If separate execution environments are maintained for native and Web applications, then environment-specific optimization is improved, but authentication information sharing becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironment optimizationVSAvoidauthentication information accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the authentication information management into distinct components: a cookie management unit for storing and managing authentication cookies, and controlled access mechanisms for different application types. The execution environments remain segmented and optimized for their specific purposes, while the cookie management unit provides a segmented but accessible storage layer that allows authentication information to be retrieved by Web applications without compromising the environmental boundaries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2860938B1Communication terminal, communication processing method, and communication processing program
Publication Date: 2020.04.08 FUJITSU LTD
  • EP2860938B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2860938B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C
  • EP2860938B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A communication terminal includes first storage unit configured to store authentication information managed by a native environment of the communication terminal, second storage unit configured to store authentication information of applications to be executed on a Web application execution environment of the communication terminal, and a controlling unit configured in a manner such that, when a piece of authentication information used by an application is not stored in the second storage unit and is stored in the first storage unit, the controlling unit performs a control to write the piece of authentication information stored in the first storage unit to the second storage unit.