Managing access to user information by applications operating in an online system environment
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- maintaining a plurality of online system user identifiers, each online system user identifier associated with a user of an online system;
receiving an indication that an application was installed on a client device associated with the user at the online system from the client device, the indication including an application identifier of the application;
generating an application-specific user identifier associated with the user at the online system, the application-specific user identifier identifying the user to the application;
storing, at the online system, an association between the application and an application identifier;
storing, at the online system, an association between the application identifier and the generated application-specific user identifier;
storing an association between an online system user identifier identifying the user to the online system, the application-specific user identifier, and the application identifier;
receiving a request for information associated with the user from an entity associated with the application, the request for information including the application identifier of the application and the application-specific user identifier identifying the user to the application;
retrieving the online system user identifier identifying the user to the online system using the application identifier of the application and the application-specific user identifier identifying the user to the application from the received request and the stored association between the online system user identifier identifying the user to the online system, the application-specific user identifier, and the application identifier;
retrieving information maintained by the online system in association with the online system user identifier; and
communicating the retrieved information maintained by the online system in association with the online system user identifier that is associated with the determined application-specific user identifier and the application-specific user identifier to the entity without exposing the online system user identifier to the entity.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An online system regulates access to information about a user by associating an online system user identifier with a unique application-specific user identifier used by an application to identify the user. Each application communicating with the online system and installed by the user is associated with a unique application-specific user identifier that is associated with the user'"'"'s online system user identifier. For example, information identifying an installed application and an application-specific user identifier are associated with the user'"'"'s online system user identifier when the user installs the application. When communicating about a user with an installed application associated with the user, the online system identifies the user via the application-specific identifier associated with the installed application and may provide limited information associated with the online system user identifier associated with the application-specific identifier.
98 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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maintaining a plurality of online system user identifiers, each online system user identifier associated with a user of an online system; receiving an indication that an application was installed on a client device associated with the user at the online system from the client device, the indication including an application identifier of the application; generating an application-specific user identifier associated with the user at the online system, the application-specific user identifier identifying the user to the application; storing, at the online system, an association between the application and an application identifier; storing, at the online system, an association between the application identifier and the generated application-specific user identifier; storing an association between an online system user identifier identifying the user to the online system, the application-specific user identifier, and the application identifier; receiving a request for information associated with the user from an entity associated with the application, the request for information including the application identifier of the application and the application-specific user identifier identifying the user to the application; retrieving the online system user identifier identifying the user to the online system using the application identifier of the application and the application-specific user identifier identifying the user to the application from the received request and the stored association between the online system user identifier identifying the user to the online system, the application-specific user identifier, and the application identifier; retrieving information maintained by the online system in association with the online system user identifier; and communicating the retrieved information maintained by the online system in association with the online system user identifier that is associated with the determined application-specific user identifier and the application-specific user identifier to the entity without exposing the online system user identifier to the entity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method comprising:
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maintaining an online system user identifier associated with a user of an online system; maintaining information associated with the user in association with the online system user identifier; receiving an indication that one or more applications were installed on a client device associated with the user; storing information identifying each of the installed applications in association with an application-specific user identifier associated with each of the installed applications; storing associations between the online system user identifier with the information identifying each of the installed applications in association with a corresponding application-specific user identifier associated with each of the installed applications; receiving a request from an entity associated with a specified application installed on the client device associated with the user for information about the user, the request including an application-specific user identifier associated with the specified application and an application identifier of the specified application; retrieving the online system user identifier associated with the application-specific user identifier associated with the specified application and with the application identifier of the specified application from the stored associations; and communicating a subset of information associated with the online system user identifier by the online system and the application-specific user identifier associated with the specified application to the entity associated with the specified application without exposing the online system user identifier to the entity. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
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maintain an online system user identifier associated with a user of an online system; maintain information associated with the user in association with the online system user identifier; receive an indication that one or more applications were installed on a client device associated with the user; store information identifying each of the installed applications in association with an application-specific user identifier associated with each of the installed applications; store associations between the online system user identifier with the information identifying each of the installed applications in association with a corresponding application-specific user identifier associated with each of the installed applications; receive a request from an entity associated with a specified application installed on the client device associated with the user for information about the user, the request including an application-specific user identifier associated with the specified application and an application identifier of the specified application; retrieve the online system user identifier associated with the application-specific user identifier associated with the specified application and with the application identifier of the specified application from the stored associations; and communicate a subset of information associated with the online system user identifier by the online system and the application-specific user identifier associated with the specified application to the entity associated with the specified application without exposing the online system user identifier to the entity. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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Specification