Single sign-on for access to a central data repository

• US 20060200425A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CXT Systems, Inc. (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Enfo Trust Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Hawkins, Stan, Bradnan, Andrew, Steele, Nick, Maranville, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 9,928,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing access to an information account stored in a central data repository. The information account is associated with a consumer and is subject to the consumer'"'"'s control and management. Consumer authentication information is input by the consumer in connection with a first request for access to the information account via a first web-site. Responsive to authentication of the consumer, a single sign-on feature may be activated for automatically managing subsequent authentications of the consumer so that the consumer will not be required to again input the consumer authentication information upon initiating a second request for access to the information account while interacting with a subsequent web-site that is configured to provide access to the information account upon authentication of the consumer. The single sign-on function may be deactivated upon the occurrence of a terminating event, such as the expiration of a time-out interval.

Claims

1-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A computer-implemented method for providing access to an information account stored in a central data repository that is accessible via a distributed network and is coupled to a database management system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, over the distributed electronic network, a first request from a network device for access to the information account and consumer authentication information, the first request associated with a first web-site;

in response to the request authenticating a consumer with the database management system based on the consumer authentication information and providing access to the information account stored in the central data repository;

in response to authenticating the consumer, automatically managing second and subsequent authentications from the consumer with the database management system so that consumer authentication information will not be required upon initiating second or subsequent requests for access to the information account with a second web-site that is configured to provide access to the information account upon authentication of the consumer;

in response to the first, second, and subsequent requests for access to the information account stored in the central data repository retrieving one or more consumer information elements from the information account; and

auto-populating input fields of a displayed web page file of the first and second websites with the consumer information elements.

57. The method of claim 56, father comprises providing a first consumer information element of the information account comprising one or more name fields to identify the consumer, and providing a second consumer information element of the information account comprising one or more geographic address fields associated with the consumer.

58. The method of claim 56, further comprising sending the retrieved consumer information elements over the distributed electronic network.

59. The method of claim 56, further comprising parsing the retrieved consumer information elements.

60. The method of claim 56, wherein retrieving one or more consumer information elements from the information account furthers comprises filtering data from the information account with the database management system based on an identification of the second web-site.

61. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 56.

62. The method of claim 56, further comprising automatically managing subsequent authentications of the consumer by determining that a previous authentication of the consumer for access to the information account remains valid and generating a message to cause the subsequent web-site to skip a sign-on interface that would otherwise prompt input of the consumer authentication information when the a second request for access to the information account is initiated.

63. The method of claim 56, wherein an authentication of the consumer remains valid if the second request for access to the information account is initiated prior to the occurrence of a terminating event.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein said terminating event comprises expiration of a time-out interval.

65. A computer-implemented method for accessing an information account stored in a central data repository that is accessible via a distributed network and is coupled to a host server, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting to a host server, over the distributed electronic network, a first request for access to the information account and consumer authentication information in response to activity originating from a first web-site hosted by a vendor server;

automatically managing subsequent authentications of the consumer with the host server so that the consumer authentication information will not be required upon initiating a second request for access to the information account while interacting with a subsequent web-site that is configured to provide access to the information account upon authentication of the consumer;

in response to the first, second, and subsequent requests for access to the information account stored in the central data repository, retrieving one or more consumer information elements from the information account; and

sending the retrieved consumer information elements over the distributed electronic network to the subsequent web-site.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising receiving an acknowledgment indicating that the host server authenticated the consumer based on the consumer authentication information

67. The method of claim 65, further comprising providing access to the information account stored in the central data repository.

68. The method of claim 65, wherein retrieving one or more consumer information elements from the information account comprises filtering data from the information account based on identification of the subsequent web-site.

69. The method of claim 65, furthers comprising auto-populating input fields of a displayed web page file of the subsequent website with the retrieved information elements.

70. A system storing, managing and distributing consumer information via a distributed electronic network, comprising:

a central data repository accessible via the distributed electronic network for storing an information account; and

a host server for communicating with the central data repository and with a network device via the distributed electronic network and for executing computer-executable instructions for;

receiving with the host server, over the distributed electronic network, a first request from the network device for access to the information account and consumer authentication information, the request associated with a first web-site;

in response to the request, authenticating the consumer with the host server based on the consumer authentication information, thereby providing access to the information account stored in the central data repository;

in response to authenticating the consumer, automatically managing subsequent authentications of the consumer with the host server so that consumer authentication information will not be required upon a second request for access to the information account while interacting with a subsequent web-site that is configured to provide access to the information account upon authentication of the consumer;

retrieving one or more consumer information elements from the information account with the host server after the first and second requests; and

auto-populating input fields of a displayed web page file of the subsequent web-site with the consumer information elements.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the information account comprises consumer information elements that are changed by the consumer

72. The system of claim 70, wherein the host server filters data from the information account based on an identification of the subsequent web-site.

73. The system of claim 70, wherein the network device comprises a client device executing a browser.

74. The system of claim 70, wherein the host server further comprises a memory for storing one or more client-side applications configured to manage communications with the host server.

75. The system of claim 70, wherein the information account comprises a plurality of consumer information elements stored in a tagged data format.