Methods and systems for confirmation of availability of messaging account to user
First Claim
1. In an authentication server included in an electronic messaging system, wherein a user desires to configure the electronic messaging system to associate a remote account with a local account, a method of verifying that a remote messaging address provided by the user corresponds to the remote account, the method comprising:
- generating an outgoing verification message having a marker embedded therein;
sending the outgoing verification message to a remote messaging address;
receiving the verification message forwarded from the remote account;
analyzing the forwarded verification message to identify whether the forwarded verification message contains the marker; and
if the forwarded verification message contains the marker, authenticating the marker to determine whether the marker is the same as that embedded in the outgoing verification message
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for verifying that a user owns a remote account. When a user specifies from a local account a remote account to which the user desires access, an authentication server connected to the local account sends a verification message to the remote account, addressed to the remote address specified by the user. The verification message contains a marker which is irreproducible by a third party. The verification message is returned or retrieved and the marker is analyzed to determine whether it is authentic. The receipt of the marker may also have to satisfy certain use-based requirements. If the marker is validated, the user is allowed to access the remote account.
112 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. In an authentication server included in an electronic messaging system, wherein a user desires to configure the electronic messaging system to associate a remote account with a local account, a method of verifying that a remote messaging address provided by the user corresponds to the remote account, the method comprising:
-
generating an outgoing verification message having a marker embedded therein;
sending the outgoing verification message to a remote messaging address;
receiving the verification message forwarded from the remote account;
analyzing the forwarded verification message to identify whether the forwarded verification message contains the marker; and
if the forwarded verification message contains the marker, authenticating the marker to determine whether the marker is the same as that embedded in the outgoing verification message - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. In an authentication server included in an electronic messaging system, wherein a user desires to configure the electronic messaging system to associate a remote account with a local account, a method of verifying that a remote messaging address provided by the user corresponds to the remote account, the method comprising:
-
generating an outgoing verification message having a marker embedded therein;
sending the outgoing verification message to a remote messaging address;
sending a fetch command to the remote account to retrieve the verification message;
analyzing the retrieved verification message to identify whether the retrieved verification message contains the marker; and
if the retrieved verification message contains the marker, authenticating the marker to determine whether the marker is the same as that embedded in the outgoing verification message. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. In an authentication server included in an electronic messaging system, wherein a user desires to configure the electronic messaging system to access a remote account, a method of verifying a remote address purporting to correspond to the remote account, the method comprising:
-
receiving server information about a remote account;
receiving a remote messaging address that is associated with the remote account;
generating an outgoing verification message having a marker embedded therein;
sending the outgoing verification message to the remote messaging address;
determining whether the marker is included in a return verification message received from the remote account; and
authenticating the marker to verify the remote messaging address. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. In an authentication server included in an electronic messaging system, wherein a user desires to configure the electronic messaging system to receive electronic messages forwarded from a remote account, a method of verifying a remote messaging address for a remote account that is configured to forward electronic messages, the method comprising:
-
receiving server information about a remote account;
receiving a remote messaging address that is associated with the remote account;
sending a verification message having a marker embedded therein to the remote messaging address;
determining whether a forwarded verification message is received from the remote account; and
statusing the remote messaging address as invalid if a forwarded message is not received from the remote account. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification