Server Credential Sharing with Location Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack an efficient method to manage and share credential information across different users while ensuring accuracy and privacy, particularly in associating this information with user locations.
Innovation Solution
A server system maintains credential data for multiple users, allowing users to selectively share their credentials with others based on location, permissions, and conditions, using mobile devices to provide information about credentials held by users in association with their location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If credential information is made widely accessible to improve user connectivity, then ease of operation improves, but privacy and security control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different access permissions to different credentials and different users. Each credential can have customized visibility settings that specify which users or groups can access it, allowing selective sharing rather than universal access. This resolves the contradiction by enabling easy sharing within authorized groups while maintaining security control through localized permission settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments credential access permissions into different levels and categories. Users can control which specific credentials are shared and with whom, breaking down the monolithic access control into granular permission settings. This allows broad credential sharing capability while maintaining individual credential security through segmented permission management.
2Measurement precision
If location information is associated with credential data to improve verification accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity and data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges credential data with location information into a unified data structure managed by the server. Instead of treating location as a separate complex addition, it integrates location metadata with existing credential records, allowing the server to handle both types of data through existing data management infrastructure. This reduces the perceived complexity while maintaining verification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary that manages the association between credentials and location information. Rather than requiring client devices to directly manage complex location-credential relationships, the server mediates this data association, simplifying the client-side implementation while enabling precise credential verification with location context.
3Reliability
If selective credential sharing based on permissions is implemented to improve privacy control, then reliability improves, but device complexity and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Users configure their own credential sharing permissions through self-service interfaces. The system provides tools that allow users to independently control which credentials are shared and with whom, without requiring complex administrative intervention. This shifts the complexity burden to user-friendly configuration interfaces while maintaining strong privacy control through user-defined permission settings.
Solution Approach 2:
Permission settings and credential sharing configurations are established in advance before actual credential access occurs. Users pre-configure which credentials are shareable and under what conditions, eliminating the need for complex real-time permission negotiations. This preliminary configuration approach simplifies the system operation while maintaining reliable privacy control through pre-established rules.
Data Source
AI summary
A server system maintains data indicative of credentials held by multiple different users. Each of the credentials has been issued by a credential granting authority that is separate from an entity that operates the server system. The server system receives selection data that indicates how credential data of a first user is to be made available to other users. Based on the selection data, the server system stores availability data that indicates how credential data of the first user is to be made available to the other users. The server system also maintains a location of a mobile computing device associated with the first user and, based on the availability data and the location, provides, to at least a second user, information about at least one credential held by the first user in association with an indication of the location.