Smart Home Token Refresh Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In smart home services, the expiration of refresh tokens leads to unauthorized system updates and illicit use, as existing methods do not effectively manage access information, resulting in disabled connections to connectivity services when access information is not recognized.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that involve checking the validity period of refresh tokens and requesting re-registration of controlled devices when the period until expiration is less than a predetermined threshold, enabling the service server and controller device to manage access information and update tokens accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If refresh tokens are used to update access tokens without user confirmation, then token update convenience is improved, but system security deteriorates due to unauthorized updates when tokens are leaked
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation by checking whether the requesting device matches the device information stored in the access management service before allowing token updates. This preliminary check prevents unauthorized devices from updating tokens while maintaining convenient automatic updates for legitimate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by having the access management service verify device information and provide confirmation responses to the controller device. This feedback loop ensures that only properly authenticated devices can update tokens, balancing security with operational convenience.
2Reliability
If device re-registration is performed frequently to maintain access information, then connection reliability is improved, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring full re-registration, the system performs partial updates by only re-registering devices whose refresh tokens are expiring soon (within a threshold period). This selective approach maintains connection reliability while minimizing unnecessary re-registration operations and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system checks the validity period of refresh tokens in advance and proactively initiates re-registration before tokens expire. This preliminary action prevents connection disruptions while avoiding excessive re-registration by only acting when necessary based on token expiration timelines.
3Reliability
If access information is stored centrally in access management service, then access control security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access management service acts as an intermediary between controller devices and controlled devices, centralizing access information storage and management. This intermediary approach improves access control security by providing a single point of verification while managing complexity through a dedicated service component rather than distributed complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and apparatuses are provided for managing access information for registration of a device in a smart home service. A validity period of a refresh token for updating an access token of a first device, from a device list for the smart home service, registered in a connectivity server, is checked, when the device list is received from a server. The server is requested to re-register the first device, when a period to the validity period is less than a predetermined threshold period.