Role-Based Session Authentication Using Smart Card One-Time Codes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Call centers face significant security risks due to fraudulent callers attempting to access sensitive customer information, with up to 80% of calls being from unauthorized individuals, necessitating improved authentication methods to protect customer data.

Innovation Solution

A computer-based system utilizing smart transaction cards that generate one-time data items for authentication, where users interact with their devices to transmit these items for verification, generating a verification token based on the authentication level, and transmitting it to both devices involved in the communication session.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional authentication methods are used during communication sessions, then ease of operation is maintained, but security and reliability deteriorate due to fraudulent callers accessing sensitive information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidauthentication complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication process is segmented into multiple discrete steps: generating session identification information, detecting triggering conditions, assessing risk metrics, determining authentication levels, and transmitting verification tokens. This segmentation allows the system to apply different authentication intensities to different scenarios, improving security while maintaining ease of operation for low-risk cases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The authentication system dynamically adjusts the level of authentication required based on assessed risk metrics. The system transitions from static authentication to dynamic authentication where the verification requirements change in real-time based on the detected triggering conditions and risk assessment, thereby improving security without unnecessarily complicating routine operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If multiple authentication steps are implemented, then security improves, but device complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs a universal authentication framework that handles multiple authentication scenarios through a single integrated process. The same core components (session identification generation, triggering condition detection, risk assessment, and verification token transmission) serve multiple authentication levels and scenarios, reducing overall system complexity despite implementing multiple authentication steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The verification token acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the authentication process and the communication session. This single token consolidates multiple authentication verification steps into one transmitable object, simplifying the system architecture while maintaining multi-step authentication security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If risk-based authentication levels are assessed, then authentication precision improves, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication accuracyVSAvoidauthentication processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial authentication actions based on risk levels. For low-risk scenarios, only essential verification steps are performed, while high-risk scenarios trigger more comprehensive authentication sequences. This partial action approach maintains high authentication accuracy for critical cases while minimizing processing time for routine interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes authentication parameters dynamically based on risk assessment results. The authentication level parameter is adjusted according to the detected triggering conditions, allowing the system to optimize between precision and processing time by modifying verification requirements in real-time rather than using fixed authentication protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20260012457A1Computer-based systems and/or computing devices programmed for role-based authentication during customer service sessions; and methods of use thereof

Publication Date: 2026.01.08 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES LLC

AI summary

A computer-implemented method includes detecting a communication session established between a first computing device of a first user and a second computing device of a second user; generating session identification information for the communication session; detecting a triggering condition during the communication session to verify an identity of the first user; causing the second computing device to instruct the first user to interact a smart transaction card with the first computing device such that a one-time data item is transmitted from the smart transaction card to an application executing on the first computing device, the one-time data item dynamically generated by the smart transaction card, where the first user is authenticated via the application based at least in part on the level of authentication and the one-time data item; generating a verification token for the communication session, the authentication result stored in association with the session information.