URL-Based Authentication System with Timestamp Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face difficulties in remembering authentication information for multiple secure resources, leading to burdensome password management and potential interception risks.

Innovation Solution

A method that transmits a URL to users via email, logs timestamps for URL transmission and request, and verifies the timestamp difference within a predetermined period, along with IP address matching, to authenticate access to secure resources without requiring users to remember passwords.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users are required to enter authentication information such as username and password for each secure resource, then access security is maintained, but user convenience deteriorates due to the burden of remembering multiple authorization information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidaccess security

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism where a URL is transmitted to the user's email address as a mediator between the user and the secure resource. This URL serves as a temporary authentication token that eliminates the need for users to remember passwords while maintaining security through time-limited validation and IP address verification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by transmitting the authentication URL to the user's email address before the user actually needs to access the secure resource. This advance preparation allows the user to receive and validate the authentication link at their convenience, eliminating the immediate burden of remembering credentials while ensuring security through subsequent time-based verification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If traditional password authentication is used, then access control is maintained, but the system becomes vulnerable to malicious interception and password management burdens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess controlVSAvoidinterception risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a disposable authentication URL that is valid only for a limited time period. This short-living authentication mechanism eliminates the risk of long-term password exposure and interception, as the URL expires after a predetermined time period and cannot be reused or intercepted for future access

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary validation by verifying the timestamp difference between URL transmission and request within a predetermined time period before granting access. This preliminary time-based validation ensures that even if the URL were intercepted, it could only be used within a very narrow time window, significantly reducing interception risk

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9923906B2System, method and computer program product for access authentication

Publication Date: 2018.03.20 APPLICATIONS SYSTEMS CORP

AI summary

A method and technique for access authentication includes: responsive to receiving an access request from a user for a secure resource, transmitting a uniform resource locator (URL) to the user; responsive to transmitting the URL to the user, logging a timestamp for the URL transmission; responsive to receiving a request for the URL, logging a timestamp for the URL request; and responsive to verifying that a difference between the timestamp for the URL transmission and the timestamp for the URL request is within a predetermined time period, providing access to the secure resource.