Method for requesting user access to an application

• US 20060015738A1
• Filed: 09/21/2002
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hallensleben, Sebastian
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for requesting users access to an application by a network. The application is provided by an entity that is not part of the network. The invention allows a unified access to the application independent from the network used to access it. Therefore a network receiving an access request for the application from a user determines through which network the user attempted to access the application the first time. It then requires the identifier used by the network of first access and uses the same identifier towards an entity providing said application.

Claims

1. Method for requesting access for a user to an application, wherein an entity providing said application can be accessed at least through a first network and a second network, and wherein the user attempted to access the application at least once through the first network, the method comprising the following steps:

granting the user access to the second network,

receiving a request for accessing the application from the user,

detecting that the user already contacted the application via the first network,

requesting from the first network an identifier that has been used by the first network to identify the user towards the entity that provides the application,

receiving the requested identifier, and

sending a request for accessing the application and the identifier received from the first network towards the entity providing the application.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second network are run by a different operator.

3. Method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of sending authentication information to the first network.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the entity providing the service stores a profile of the user at reception of the first attempt of the user to access the service, wherein the profile is associated to the identification sent from the first network and wherein the second network uses the same identification for the user towards the entity providing the service in order to achieve that the stored profile is used for the user.

5-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A system for granting user access to an application, wherein an entity providing said application can be accessed at least through a first network and a second network, and wherein the user attempted to access the application at least once through the first network, comprising:

means for granting said user access to the second network,

means for receiving a request for accessing the application from the user within said second network,

means for detecting that the user already attempted to access the application via the first network,

means for requesting from the first network an identifier that has been used by the first network to identify the user towards the entity that provides the application,

means for receiving the requested identifier by the second network, and

means for sending a request for accessing the application towards the entity providing the application, said request including the identifier received from the first network.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the first and the second network are run by different operators.

9. The system according to claim 7 further comprising means for sending authentication information to the first network.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the entity providing the service stores a profile of the user at reception of the first attempt of the user to access the service, wherein the profile is associated to the identification sent from the first network and wherein the second network uses the same identification for the user towards the entity providing the service in order to achieve that the stored profile is used for the user.

11. A system for handling a user request towards an external application wherein a network node providing said application is accessible from a first communication network and a second communication network, said second communication network comprising:

means for receiving an access request from said user wherein said access request is for accessing said application associated with said network node;

means for determining that the user had previously attempted to access said application using said first communication network;

means for requesting user information associated with said user from said first communication network;

means for receiving said requested user information from said first communication network; and

means for requesting access request to said network node from said second communication network using said received user information.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said user information includes user identification data used by said first communication network in communicating with said network node.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said user information includes user preference information used by said first communication network in communicating with said network node.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for sending authentication information from the second communication network to the first communication network.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein said means for determining that the user had previously attempted to access said application using said first communication network further comprises means for receiving an indicator from said user.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said means for determining that the user had previously attempted to access said application using said first communication network further comprises means for determining that the user had been ported from said first communication network to said second communication network.