Token-Based Single Sign-On Authentication for Wireless Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless networks often require multiple authentications, which can be cumbersome and inefficient, particularly when using third-party services, as devices need to authenticate twice, once for the network and again for the service, leading to increased complexity and potential access control issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a single sign-on (SSO) system where a client device is authenticated once for a network, and a token is generated using user credentials, allowing modified service requests to include this token for seamless access to services without the need for repeated authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple authentications are required for network and third-party service access, then security and access control are maintained, but user operation complexity increases and access efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines network authentication and third-party service authentication into a single unified authentication process. The authentication server performs both authentication steps sequentially, merging two separate authentication flows into one continuous process that results in a single token valid for both network access and service access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal authentication token that serves multiple functions simultaneously. The single token generated after unified authentication provides both network access authorization and third-party service access authorization, making the authentication system multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate authentication mechanisms.
2Reliability
If multiple authentications are required for network and third-party service access, then access control security is maintained, but authentication time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs network authentication as a preliminary action before service authentication. By completing network authentication first and using its result to facilitate service authentication, the system avoids redundant verification steps and reduces total authentication time while maintaining security layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges network authentication and service authentication into a single unified process executed by the authentication server. This combination eliminates the sequential overhead of separate authentication processes while maintaining both security requirements, reducing total authentication time.
3Reliability
If separate authentication systems are used for network and services, then access control precision is maintained, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal authentication server that handles both network authentication and service authentication with a single system. This multi-functional server maintains access control precision for both functions while eliminating the complexity of multiple separate authentication systems through centralized management.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication server acts as an intermediary between the network and third-party services, managing both authentication processes centrally. This intermediary role simplifies the overall system architecture by providing a single point of control for authentication while maintaining the security and precision requirements of both network and service access control.
Data Source
AI summary
Authenticating a client device coupled to an authenticator network device for a network. A service request is received from the client device at the authenticator network device. User credentials, including a user ID, a user key, and a nonce for a user are received at the authenticator network device. A token is generated using the received user credentials. The service request is modified to include the token and a user ID parameter that is the user ID to generate a modified service request. The modified service request is used to provide single sign-on access to a service that is the subject of the service request.