Server Token Management for Seamless External Service Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image processing devices face difficulties in seamlessly accessing external services due to the need for frequent re-authentication and re-entry of credentials, which delays user access and is cumbersome, especially across multiple devices.
Innovation Solution
An access management system that combines user-specific and device-specific information to store access tokens, allowing subsequent access to external services without requiring users to re-enter credentials, while ensuring security by associating access information with user-specific data rather than device-specific data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users access external services from multiple image processing devices, then service accessibility is improved, but authentication complexity increases due to frequent re-authentication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the image processing device and the external service. The server stores access tokens and manages authentication, acting as a mediator that eliminates the need for repeated authentication on each device. The server receives authentication information from the image processing device, obtains access tokens from external services, and manages the association between user information and tokens, thereby simplifying the authentication process across multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary authentication by obtaining access tokens in advance through the server. Instead of authenticating at each access point, the authentication is performed once beforehand, and the resulting access tokens are stored and managed by the server for subsequent use, eliminating the need for repeated authentication actions.
2Speed
If access tokens are stored locally on each device, then access speed is improved, but security is worsened due to credential exposure risks
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as a secure intermediary that stores access tokens centrally rather than locally on each device. This eliminates security risks associated with local credential storage while maintaining fast access through the server's token management system. The server securely associates tokens with user information and device identifiers, providing both security and efficient access.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing actual credentials locally on each device, the system uses access tokens as secure copies that grant access without exposing the original authentication information. The tokens are managed by the server, which can verify and revoke them without compromising the underlying user credentials.
3Ease of operation
If the system stores detailed authentication information, then subsequent access convenience is improved, but information security risks are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores access tokens as secure copies of authentication credentials rather than the actual sensitive information. These tokens enable convenient subsequent access while minimizing security risks because they do not contain the original user credentials. The server manages these token copies securely, associating them with user information and device identifiers without exposing sensitive authentication data.
Solution Approach 2:
The server serves as a secure intermediary that manages authentication information centrally. It stores and manages access tokens and their associations with user information, providing a secure layer between the image processing devices and the external services. This intermediary approach enables convenient access while protecting against information security risks through centralized, controlled token management.
Data Source
AI summary
An access management system including a server is provided. The server receives, from a client device, a request to log into the server with first information specifying identifying a user that has logged into the client device and second information specifying the client device. The server authenticates the client device using the second information and accesses a service provided by an external apparatus and receive a token for accessing the service. The server associates, in memory, the first information with the received token to enable subsequent access to the service, by the server.