Time-Limited QR Code Authentication for Electronic Tickets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic tickets displayed as QR codes on portable devices can be vulnerable to unauthorized use since they can be photographed and used for authentication, lacking security against unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
An authentication method and system that generates and displays a bar code on a portable device, which includes shared information and electronic ticket data, allowing the authentication apparatus to read and compare the shared information to secure legitimate ticket verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electronic ticket is displayed as a QR code on the portable information device for user confirmation, then user convenience is improved, but security against unauthorized use deteriorates because the QR code can be photographed and used for authentication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the bar code temporarily displayable only for a predetermined time period after authentication. The bar code is generated and displayed dynamically, then automatically deleted after the time limit expires. This temporal dynamic property allows users to confirm their tickets conveniently while preventing unauthorized photographing and reuse, as the code becomes invalid after the display period ends.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temporal parameter of the bar code by setting a predetermined time limit for its validity. The bar code includes time information and is configured to be readable only within a specific time window after authentication. This parameter change from static to time-limited dynamic display resolves the contradiction by maintaining user convenience during the valid period while preventing unauthorized use after expiration.
2Reliability
If the bar code is made readable only within a specific time window after authentication, then security against unauthorized use is improved, but user convenience deteriorates because users cannot confirm the ticket in advance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by providing users with a confirmation notification before the bar code becomes active. The system sends a notification to the user's portable information device in advance, informing them that the bar code will be displayed and is ready for use. This preliminary notification allows users to prepare for ticket confirmation without compromising security, as the actual bar code remains time-limited and cannot be used before its activation.
3Reliability
If the bar code is deleted after a predetermined time period, then security is improved by preventing reuse of photographed codes, but the complexity of the authentication system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing automatic deletion of the bar code after the predetermined time period expires. The portable information device automatically deletes the bar code without requiring manual intervention from the user or additional complex server-side validation. This self-service approach maintains high security by ensuring the bar code cannot be reused after expiration while minimizing system complexity by relying on local automatic deletion rather than continuous server monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
An authentication method for authenticating an electronic ticket stored in a portable information device by an authentication apparatus, including a step of acquiring, by the portable information device, shared information that is sharable with the authentication apparatus when authentication of the electronic ticket is performed, a step of generating, by the portable information device, a bar code based on the acquired shared information and the electronic ticket, a step of displaying the bar code by the portable information device, a step of reading, by the authentication apparatus, the electronic ticket and the shared information from the bar code displayed on the portable information device, and a step of performing, by the authentication apparatus, the authentication of the electronic ticket by making a comparison between contents of the shared information read from the bar code together with the electronic ticket and shared information in the authentication apparatus.