Session Maintainer for Mobile SSO Across Native and Web Apps
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile devices, users face inefficiencies when logging into multiple applications, as existing single sign-on (SSO) mechanisms are not adaptable for both native and web applications, leading to tedious separate login processes due to the isolation of web browsers from other applications.
Innovation Solution
A session maintainer application on the mobile device checks for a session token and prompts the user for credentials if needed, generating and managing tokens for both native and web applications, allowing seamless access across multiple applications by sharing the session token securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate login processes are used for each application, then each application can maintain independent security control, but user convenience deteriorates and login efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a session maintainer application as an intermediary component that manages session tokens and coordinates authentication between native applications and web applications. This mediator enables SSO by handling token generation, storage, and sharing across different application types without requiring direct integration between them, thus resolving the contradiction between security independence and user convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The session maintainer application provides universal functionality by serving both native applications and web applications through a common authentication mechanism. It generates and manages session tokens that can be shared across different application types, allowing a single login to grant access to multiple applications without requiring separate login processes for each.
2Adaptability or versatility
If web browser is isolated from other applications, then web application security is maintained, but cross-application sign-on capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The session maintainer application acts as a secure intermediary that bridges the isolation between the web browser and other applications. It manages session tokens centrally and provides a controlled interface for sharing authentication information, enabling cross-application SSO while maintaining the security boundaries of the web browser environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the authentication system into distinct components: the web application layer, the native application layer, and the session maintainer layer. This segmentation allows each component to maintain its security characteristics while enabling controlled information sharing through the session maintainer, thus achieving both isolation and connectivity.
3Productivity
If SSO mechanism is implemented for desktop applications, then login efficiency improves, but adaptability to mobile device architecture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The session maintainer application implements a universal authentication architecture that adapts SSO mechanisms to the mobile device environment. It provides multi-functional capabilities by supporting both native applications and web applications through a common token-based system, making the SSO mechanism adaptable to the diverse architecture of mobile devices while maintaining login efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device includes a session maintainer application, a native application and a shell application and a link to a web application. If a user is seeking to access a native application, and an active session has not been established, user login credential is obtained, a session token is obtained upon verification of the user login credential, and the obtained session token is provided to the native application. If the user is seeking to access a web application, and an active session has not been established, a session token is obtained upon verification of the user login credential and the obtained session token is provided to the shell application. If an active session has been established then the obtained session token is automatically provided to the native or shell application when the user subsequently seeks access to the respective application.