Shared Terminal Image Restoration Security via Proximity Authentication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic whiteboards shared among multiple users face security issues when accidentally powered off, leading to unintended image data exposure during subsequent meetings or lectures, as previous image data is restored and displayed to all users.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a login authentication process using privately-owned terminals like IC cards or smartphones, which allows configuration settings for image data restoration only when the rightful user logs in, ensuring secure display control and preventing unauthorized access to previous drawing images.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the shared terminal restores image data after power-off, then the user experience is improved by redisplaying previous work, but security deteriorates as other users can see the restored image

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage restoration convenienceVSAvoidunauthorized image exposure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication by detecting proximity of a privately-owned terminal before allowing image restoration. The authentication result is obtained in advance, and based on this result, the system decides whether to restore the image, preventing unauthorized access before it can occur

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A proximity detection system acts as an intermediary between the power-off state and image restoration. The system detects the presence of authorized terminals and uses this information to control whether image data is restored, serving as a security gatekeeper

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If login authentication is implemented, then security is improved by preventing unauthorized access, but device complexity increases due to additional authentication requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveunauthorized image exposureVSAvoidauthentication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the privately-owned terminal's own proximity detection capability to authenticate the user. The terminal itself provides the authentication mechanism through proximity sensing, eliminating the need for separate complex authentication hardware or procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the authentication parameter from complex multi-factor authentication to simple proximity detection. By using the presence or absence of a privately-owned terminal within detection range as the authentication criterion, the system maintains security while reducing complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3301599B1Shared terminal and display control method
Publication Date: 2019.04.03 RICOH CO LTD
  • EP3301599B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3301599B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3301599B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A shared terminal (2) includes accepting means (22, 201, 214, 216) for accepting a turning-on operation to a power switch (222) of the shared terminal; obtaining means (28, 201, 219) for obtaining specific terminal identification information for identifying the specific privately-owned terminal (3, 4); transmitting means (21, 205) for transmitting, to a terminal management server (5), a request for login authentication; receiving means (21, 205) for receiving, from the terminal management server (5), an authentication result; and display control means (24, 213). The display control means controls the display to redisplay the image that was displayed immediately before last turn-off of the power, in a case in which the last turn-off of the power was caused by the turning-off operation to the power switch, and previous user identification information that is stored before the last turn-off matches the specific user identification information received by the receiving means.