Distributed contact information management

• US 20060005263A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: SXIP Networks SRL
• Inventors: Hardt, Dick C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

A method and system for interaction with webservices and for performing distributed contact management use standard interfaces to communicate with other entities in an identity management network. The use of homesites as user data stores allows for homesite to homesite communication to allow for distributed contact management, and the generic interface allows for homesite to webservice interaction.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining contact information from a node in an identity management network, the method comprising:

receiving a homesite identifier and a user identifier associated with an email address;

requesting from a homesite associated with the received homesite identifier contact information for a user associated with the received user identifier; and

receiving from the homesite associated with the received homesite identifier the requested contact information.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of forwarding the received contact information to a user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a homesite identifier includes receiving the homesite identifier and user identifier from a network root.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of receiving a homesite identifier is preceded by the step of transmitting a request for a user identifier and a homesite identifier associated with an email address.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identifier is a globally unique persona identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving the requested contact information is preceded by obtaining approval for the release of the contact information from the user associated with the requested contact information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving the requested contact information includes receiving a universal resource indicator for receiving updated contact information.

8. A method of authorizing a webservice provider to release information, associated with a user, to a third party, the method comprising:

receiving from the webservice provider a request for user authentication and authorization to release information to the third party;

authenticating the user and obtaining user authorization for the release of the information; and

forwarding to the webservice provider authorization from the authenticated user to release the information to the third party.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the received request from the webservice provider is received via the third party.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the received request includes an explanation of the information to be released to the third party.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the explanation is a text explanation to be shown to the user prior to obtaining user authorization.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the explanation is a programmatic explanation.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the received request includes a nonce.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forwarding includes forwarding the nonce along with the response.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of forwarding includes signing the response.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of forwarding includes appending proof of authoritativeness for the user.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of forwarding includes forwarding the authorization to the webservice provide via the third party.