Wireless Authentication Using MAC Address and Computer Name
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information processing systems face challenges in securely authorizing wireless terminal devices to access functions of an information processing apparatus without requiring a login operation, while preventing potential spoofing by third parties and ensuring secure use authorization management.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a first wireless communication unit to acquire Wi-Fi MAC addresses and computer names from wireless terminal devices, using a table to manage use authorization based on these identifiers, allowing Peer-to-Peer wireless communication and reducing the need for login operations while preventing unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If use authorization is given based on Wi-Fi MAC address acquired through wireless communication, then user operation complexity is reduced and login operations are minimized, but security risks increase due to potential spoofing by third parties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces computer name as an intermediary authentication mechanism between the Wi-Fi MAC address (which is easy to obtain but insecure) and the use authorization. The computer name serves as a additional verification layer that is harder to spoof than MAC address alone, while still maintaining automatic authentication without user intervention. This resolves the contradiction by adding a security intermediary that preserves ease of operation.
2Productivity
If automatic authentication without login operation is implemented, then productivity is improved by reducing authentication time, but security control is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary registration of computer names and associates them with use authorization in advance. During authentication, the pre-registered computer name is simply verified against the authorization table without requiring user login or intervention. This preliminary setup enables both fast automatic authentication (improving productivity) and secure control through pre-validatated credentials (maintaining reliability).
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system operates autonomously by automatically acquiring the computer name, querying the authorization table, and granting access without user login or intervention. The system serves itself by performing all authentication steps automatically, which improves productivity while maintaining security through the pre-configured authorization checks.
3Device complexity
If Wi-Fi MAC address is used for identification, then device complexity is reduced by using built-in hardware identifier, but vulnerability to spoofing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two identification mechanisms - the Wi-Fi MAC address (hardware identifier) and the computer name (software identifier) - into a combined authentication system. The MAC address provides simple hardware-level identification while the computer name adds a software-layer verification. This merging maintains low device complexity (using built-in MAC address) while mitigating spoofing risk through the additional computer name verification layer.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus includes: a first wireless, communication unit; a first acquisition unit that acquires first identification information which identifies a second wireless communication unit that is included in an external wireless terminal device, through the first wireless communication unit; and a use authorization unit that gives use authorization associated with the first identification information which is acquired by the first acquisition unit to a user of the wireless terminal device based on a table for managing the use authorization of a function of a host information processing apparatus in association with the first identification information.