Systems and methods for identifying users and providing access to information in a network environment

• US 20040059941A1
• Filed: 09/19/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Generations Network, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Myfamily.Com Inc.
• Inventors: Redd, Brant, Parkinson, Greg, Thayne, Daren, Wolfgramm, Mark, Wolfgramm, Michael, Mansfield, Michael, Hardman, Todd, Ivie, James
• Application Number:
  US10/247,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059941A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing functions from a central facility on a computer network. One function facilitated includes authentication and authorization of users requesting access to a web server accessible via the communication network. Such authorization and authentication includes transferring a request for access from a content server to the central facility and authorizing the request from the central facility. Results of the authorization are communicated to the content server which displays the results of the request to the user by either allowing access or displaying a message describing a denied request.

Claims

1. A method for providing functions from a central facility associated with a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving a request at a content server;

referring at least a portion of the request to the central facility, wherein the portion of the request is provided to the central facility as an http request, and wherein the central facility executes the request and indicates a request status to the content server; and

wherein a message indicating the request status is generated by the content server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is executed by one of a plurality of a functions provided by the central facility.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request comprises a datum upon which the function operates.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request to access the content server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the request to access the content server comprises a request to authenticate and a request to authorize.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the request to access the content server comprises a request to authenticate a requestor, and wherein execution of the request by the central facility comprises comparing an identification of the requestor with a known identification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherien the identification of the requestor is provided by a user'"'"'s browser to the central facility, and wherein the content server is blind to at least a portion of the identification of the requestor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherien any communication between the content server and an authentication function of the central facility is accomplished through the user'"'"'s browser.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the message indicating the request status indicates that the request failed.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the message indicating the request status comprises a request for additional information.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the message indicating the request status indicates that the request succeeded.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the message indicating the request status queries the requestor for additional information.

13. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving the request status indicated by the central facility across a computer network.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the content server is a first content server associated with a first domain name, the method further comprising:

providing a second content server associated with a second domain name, wherein the second level of the first and the second domain names are different; and

wherein the message indicating the request status is provided to the first content server and a cookie is provided indicating authentication for access to the second content server, wherein a user or device is authenticated to access both the first and the second content servers.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cookie is provided by the central facility.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the central facility is associated with a third domain name, the second level of the third domain name being the same as the second level of the second domain name.

17. A system for providing web server related functions via a central facility, the system comprising:

a first web server and a second web server;

both the first and the second web servers connected to a central facility via a computer network; and

wherein a first status message indicating failure of a function performed by the central facility is maintained on the first web server and a second status message indicating failure of a function performed by the central facility is maintained on the second web server, and wherein the first and the second status messages are accessed by redirection associated with an http request to the central facility.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first web server is associated with a first domain name and the second web server is associated with a second domain name, and wherein a second level of the first and the second domain names are different.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first status message comprises a characteristic of the first web server.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first characteristic comprises a trademark associated with the first web server or a product offered thereon.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the second status message comprises a characteristic of the second web server, and wherein the characteristic of the first web server is different than a characteristic of the second web server.

22. A method for authenticating a user to a computer in communication with a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access a first content server;

referring the access request to a central facility, wherein the central facility executes the request, writes a second cookie to a requestor'"'"'s database allowing the requestor to access a second content server, and indicates the status of the request to the first content server; and

writing a first cookie associated with the first content server to the requestor'"'"'s database allowing the requestor to access the first content server.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first content server is associated with a first domain name and the second content server is associated with a second domain name, and wherein a second level of the first domain name is different than a second level of the second domain name.

24. The method of claim 22, the method further comprising:

maintaining a message indicating a status of the access request on the first content server; and

upon receiving a response to the access request, displaying the message indicating the status of the access request from the first content server to the requestor.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the message indicating the status comprises a characteristic of the first content server.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the requestor is prevented from knowing that the request was denied by the central facility.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the access request comprises a request to both authenticate and authorize a requestor.

28. A method for authenticating a user requesting access to a database associated with a web server in communication with the Internet, the method comprising:

receiving an access request at a first content server;

referring the access request from the first content server to a central facility;

receiving a response to the access request at the first content server; and

indicating the response to the access request in the form of a cookie associated with the first content server and a second content server.

29. The method of claim 28, the method further comprising:

authenticating with the central facility, wherein authentication information is provided to the central facility and the first content server remains blind to at least a portion of the authentication information.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the authentication information comprises a username and password.

31. A method for authorizing and authenticating a user requesting access to a web server, the method comprising:

receiving an authorization token;

receiving an authentication token; and

wherein a change in the authentication token invalidates the authorization token.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the change in the authentication token comprises an expiration of the authentication token.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the change in the authentication token comprises receiving a new authentication token.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving an authorization token comprises requesting the authorization token from an authorization facility.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the receiving an authentication token comprises requesting the authentication token from an authentication facility.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the authorization facility and the authentication facility are incorporated into a central facility.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving an authorization token comprises requesting the authorization token from an authorization facility, the method further comprising:

upon requesting the authorization token from the authorization facility, being directed to obtain an authentication token from an authentication facility; and

after receiving the authentication token, again requesting the authorization token from the authorization facility.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the authorization token is protected by a MAC, and wherein inputs for the MAC comprise at least a portion of the authorization token and the authentication token.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein all communication between the content server and the authentication facility involve a user'"'"'s browser as an intermediary.

40. A method for authorizing and authenticating a user requesting access to a database associated with a web server, the method comprising:

requesting access to the web server;

receiving a redirection from the web server to obtain an authorization from an authorization facility; and

requesting the authorization from the authorization facility, wherein the authorization facility checks to determine if an authentication token exists to permit access to the web server.

41. The method of claim 40, the method further comprising:

receiving a redirection from the authorization facility to obtain the authentication token from an authentication facility;

requesting and receiving the authentication token; and

again requesting the authorization from the authorization facility, wherein the authorization is granted based in part on the authentication token.

42. A method for authenticating a user requesting access to a web server, the method comprising:

receiving a request to authenticate a requestor at a central facility, wherein the request comprises authentication information about the requestor;

using the authentication information to authenticate the requestor;

providing an authentication token to the requestor; and

receiving communication directly from a web server accessed by the requestor using the authentication token.

43. A method for authenticating a user requesting access to a web server, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a requestor at the web server, wherein the requestor has an authentication token provided by a central facility that allows the requestor to access the web server; and

using the authentication token from the requestor to communicate directly with the central facility to access information about the requestor.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the information about the requestor comprises personal profile information about the requestor.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein communication to the central facility is only allowed where the requestor has an open session with the web server.