Method, device, and system of accessing online accounts

• US 10,033,725 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Vidal, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Korsak, Oleg
• Assistant Examiner(s): GAO, SHU CHUN
• Application Number:
  US14/933,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20160164859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords

Abstract

Device, system, and method of accessing electronic mail. For example, a computerized method includes: receiving an identifier of an email account, and a password; if the password matches a first reference password previously stored in association with said email account, then authorizing a substantially full access to said email account; if the password matches a second reference password previously stored in association with said email account, then authorizing a restricted access to said email account.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving from a user logged-in to an online account using a first user-selected password a designation of a second user-selected password for the online account;

receiving (a) an identifier of the online account and (b) a password, during a subsequent login to the online account;

determining that the password matches the second user-selected password associated with said online account;

authorizing a restricted access to the online account;

modifying a user interface for full-access to the online account comprising a set of components to generate a user interface for restricted access to the online account comprising a second set of components for engaging with the online account in a restricted manner by dynamically excluding one or more components from the set of components of the user interface for full-access to the online account, wherein the dynamically excluded components correspond to features of the online account that are restricted during restricted access to the online account, and wherein the dynamically excluded components are included in the set of components for the user interface for full access to the online account generated when the first user-selected password is used to log-in to the online account;

counting a number of operations performed by a user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account;

determining the number of operations performed by the user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account has reached a pre-defined number of operations; and

in response to determining that the number of operations performed by the user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account has reached the pre-defined number of operations, blocking the user from performing additional operations with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online account selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic mail (email) account,

an online Instant Messaging (IM) account,

an online chat account,

a social network account,

an online gaming account,

a user account at an online merchant,

an online banking account,

an online securities account,

an online trading account,

an online brokerage account.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises:

authorizing a read-only access to the online account, which (A) authorizes reading of one or more content items in said online account and (B) un-authorizes composing of one or more new items in said online account.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises

an online securities account;

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises;

authorizing only to view information at said online securities account, and unauthorizing to perform any transactions in said online securities account.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online securities account;

and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises;

authorizing only to sell previously-purchased securities, and un-authorizing to purchase any securities.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online securities account;

and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises;

authorizing to liquidate one or more financial positions, and un-authorizing to create any new financial positions.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online Instant Messaging (IM) account;

and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said Instant Messaging (IM) account.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online social network account;

and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said online social network account.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online gaming account;

and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said online gaming account.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online banking account;

and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said online banking account.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online trading account for trading at least one of:

stocks, shares, bonds, options, securities, commodities, financial instruments; and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said online trading account.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises an online banking account;

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said online banking account; and

wherein said restricted access (A) authorizes to make one or more bill payments, and (B) un-authorizes to performed wire transfers.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises

a user account at an online merchant;

and

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said user account at said online merchant;

wherein said restricted access (A) authorizes to review previous purchases, and (B) un-authorizes to place new purchases.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises a user account at an online merchant;

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said user account at said online merchant; and

wherein said restricted access (A) authorizes to cancel one or more previous purchases, and (B) un-authorizes to place new purchases.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises a user account at an online merchant;

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said user account at said online merchant; and

wherein said restricted access (A) authorizes to check status of one or more previous purchases, and (B) un-authorizes to place new purchases.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises a user account at an online merchant;

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said user account at said online merchant; and

wherein said restricted access (A) authorizes to re-purchase one or more items that were previously purchased by said user from said online merchant, and (B) un-authorizes to place other purchases.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises a user account at an online merchant;

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said user account at said online merchant; and

wherein said restricted access (A) authorizes to place a purchase order for one or more items that cost below a pre-defined threshold, and (B) un-authorizes to place other new purchase orders.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the online account comprises a user account at an online merchant;

wherein authorizing the restricted access to the online account comprises authorizing a restricted access to said user account at said online merchant; and

wherein said restricted access (A) authorizes to place one or more purchase orders for one or more items of a first type, and (B) un-authorizes to place purchase orders for items of a second type.

19. A server device comprising:

a hardware processor configured to receive from a user logged-in to an online account using a first user-selected password a designation of a second user-selected password for the online account;

receive (a) an identifier of the online account and (b) a password, during a subsequent login to the online account;

determine that the password matches the second user-selected password associated with said online account;

authorize a restricted access to the online account;

modify a user interface for full-access to the online account comprising a set of components to generate a user interface for restricted access to the online account comprising a second set of components for engaging with the online account in a restricted manner by dynamically excluding one or more components from the set of components of the user interface for full-access to the online account, wherein the dynamically excluded components correspond to features of the online account that are restricted during restricted access to the online account, and wherein the dynamically excluded components are included in the set of components for the user interface for full access to the online account generated when the first user-selected password is used to log-in to the online account;

count a number of operations performed by a user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account;

determine the number of operations performed by the user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account has reached a pre-defined number of operations; and

in response to determining that the number of operations performed by the user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account has reached the pre-defined number of operations, block the user from performing additional operations with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account.

20. The server device of claim 19, wherein the online account comprises an online account selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic mail (email) account,

an online Instant Messaging (IM) account,

an online chat account,

a social network account,

an online gaming account,

a user account at an online merchant,

an online banking account,

an online securities account,

an online trading account,

an online brokerage account.

21. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method which comprises:

receiving from a user logged-in to an online account using a first user-selected password a designation of a second user-selected password for the online account;

receiving (a) an identifier of the online account and (b) a password, during a subsequent login to the online account;

determining that the password matches the second user-selected password associated with said online account;

authorizing a restricted access to the online account;

modifying a user interface for full-access to the online account comprising a set of components to generate a user interface for restricted access to the online account comprising a second set of components for engaging with the online account in a restricted manner by dynamically excluding one or more components from the set of components of the user interface for full-access to the online account, wherein the dynamically excluded components correspond to features of the online account that are restricted during restricted access to the online account, and wherein the dynamically excluded components are included in the set of components for the user interface for full access to the online account generated when the first user-selected password is used to log-in to the online account;

counting a number of operations performed by a user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account;

determining the number of operations performed by the user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account has reached a pre-defined number of operations; and

in response to determining that the number of operations performed by the user with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account has reached the pre-defined number of operations, blocking the user from performing additional operations with the user interface for restricted access to the online account during the restricted access to the online account.

22. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 21, wherein the online account comprises an online account selected from the group consisting of:

an electronic mail (email) account,

an online Instant Messaging (IM) account,

an online chat account,

a social network account,

an online gaming account,

a user account at an online merchant,

an online banking account,

an online securities account,

an online trading account,

an online brokerage account.