Smart card for accessing a target internet site

• US 20010039583A1
• Filed: 04/06/2001
• Published: 11/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViaCLIX Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaCLIX Incorporated
• Inventors: Nobakht, Lida, Clymer, James R.W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,111,051 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A server is established for a plurality of authorized users. Each authorized user accesses the Internet through a user terminal, with support from the server. The server maintains a database identifying the authorized users. A target Internet site provides payment and a target URL to the server. In return, the server has smart cards created, each storing information identifying an authorized user and the target URL. These smart cards are sent to the corresponding authorized users. Upon insertion of a smart card, a user terminal retrieves the authorized user information and transmits this information to the server. The server compares this information with authorized user information in the server database. If a match exists, the server transmits an authorization code to the user terminal. In response, the user terminal retrieves the target URL from the smart card, and uses this URL to retrieve information from the target Internet site.

Claims

1. A method of accessing a target Internet site comprising:

reading authorized user information from a smart card inserted into a user terminal;

transmitting the authorized user information from the user terminal to a server on the Internet;

receiving an authorization code with the user terminal, the authorization code being transmitted by the server in response to the authorized user information;

using the authorization code to retrieve a target Internet address from the smart card, wherein the target Internet address corresponds with the target Internet site; and

using the target Internet address retrieved from the smart card to access the target Internet site.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the authorized user information on the smart card is provided by an owner of the server, and the target Internet address is provided by an owner of the target Internet site.

3. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising maintaining a database of authorized users in the server.

4. The method of

claim 3

, further comprising:

comparing the authorized user information with the database of authorized users in the server; and

issuing the authorization code with the server if the authorized user information corresponds with a valid entry in the database of authorized users in the server.

5. The method of

claim 4

, further comprising transmitting a code identifying the user terminal from the user terminal to the server on the Internet.

6. The method of

claim 5

, issuing the authorization code further comprises:

issuing a resident authorization code if the valid entry in the database corresponds with the code identifying the user terminal;

issuing a guest authorization code if the valid entry in the database does not correspond with the code identifying the user terminal.

7. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising transmitting a code identifying the user terminal from the user terminal to the server on the Internet.

8. A method of providing access to a target Internet site comprising:

establishing a server for a plurality of authorized users, wherein each of the authorized users accesses the Internet with support from the server using a user terminal;

maintaining a server database that stores authorized user information that identifies the authorized users; and

providing a set of the authorized users with smart cards for insertion into the user terminals, the smart cards storing authorized user information and a target Internet address corresponding with the target Internet site.

9. The method of

claim 8

, wherein the server supports a channel-based network.

10. The method of

claim 8

, further comprising:

storing a mailing address associated with each of the authorized users; and

sending smart cards to the mailing addresses associated with each of the authorized users in the set of authorized users.

11. The method of

claim 8

, wherein an owner of the server receives compensation from an owner of the target Internet site in return for providing the target Internet address on the smart cards.

12. The method of

claim 8

, further comprising providing access to the target Internet site when one of the authorized users inserts one of the smart cards into one of the user terminals.

13. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising authorizing access to the target Internet site with the server.

14. The method of

claim 13

, further comprising:

retrieving the authorized user information from the smart card with the user terminal;

transmitting the retrieved authorized user information from the user terminal to the server;

comparing the authorized user information transmitted from the user terminal to the server with the authorized user information stored in the server database; and

authorizing access to the target Internet site if the authorized user information transmitted from the user terminal to the server matches authorized user information stored in the server database.

15. The method of

claim 8

, wherein the set of authorized users is selected in response to selected criteria.

16. The method of

claim 15

, wherein the criteria comprises gender, age, income, hobbies, or geographic location of the authorized users.

17. A user terminal for an Internet access network including a server and a target Internet site, the user terminal comprising:

means for reading authorized user information from a smart card;

means for transmitting the authorized user information to the server;

means for receiving an authorization code from the system server; and

means for retrieving a target Internet address corresponding with the target Internet site from the smart card in response to the authorization code; and

means for accessing the target Internet site in response to the retrieved target Internet address.

18. An Internet access network comprising:

a server having a server database that stores authorized user information that identifies authorized users of the Internet access network;

user terminals for enabling the authorized users to access the Internet with support from the server; and

a smart card for insertion into the user terminals, the smart card being programmed to store authorized user information for one of the authorized users and a target Internet address associated with a target Internet site.

19. The Internet access network of

claim 18

, wherein the target Internet site is independent of the server.

20. The Internet access network of

claim 18

, wherein an owner of the server controls the programming of the smart card.

21. The Internet access network of

claim 18

, wherein the server further comprises means for authorizing access to the target Internet site when the authorized user inserts the smart card into one of the user terminals.

22. The Internet access network of

claim 18

, further comprising:

means for retrieving the authorized user information from the smart card within the user terminal;

means for transmitting the retrieved authorized user information from the user terminal to the server;

means for comparing the authorized user information transmitted from the user terminal to the server with the authorized user information stored in the server database; and

means for authorizing access to the target Internet site if the authorized user information transmitted from the user terminal to the server matches authorized user information stored in the server database.