System and method of authentication

• US 20070143831A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Quick, Mari, Sarpal, Jitender, Pearson, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, and not restrictive, and the A system and method of resetting authentication tokens is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes prompting a user of a computing device to transmit a first authentication token associated with an Internet account. The method also includes prompting the user to transmit a second authentication token associated with the Internet account. Further, the method includes receiving the second authentication token via the computing device and transmitting a temporary authentication token to a set-top box device of the user.

Claims

1. An authentication method, comprising:

prompting a user of a computing device to transmit a first authentication token associated with an Internet account;

prompting the user to transmit a second authentication token associated with the Internet account;

receiving the second authentication token via the computing device; and

transmitting a temporary authentication token to a set-top box device of the user.

2. The authentication method of claim 1, wherein the first authentication token is a password, a personal identification number (PIN), a pass key, a pass code, a biometric input or any combination thereof.

3. The authentication method of claim 2, wherein the first authentication token has been forgotten or misplaced by the user.

4. The authentication method of claim 1, wherein the second authentication token is an answer to a security question.

5. The authentication method of claim 1, wherein the temporary authentication token is a one-time access key.

6. The authentication method of claim 1, further comprising providing access to the Internet account after receiving the temporary authentication token.

7. The authentication method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user to reset the first authentication token after receiving the temporary authentication token.

8. An authentication method, comprising receiving a temporary authentication token at a set-top box device, wherein the temporary authentication token is associated with an Internet account of a user.

9. The authentication method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the temporary authentication token to a display device coupled to the set-top box device.

10. The authentication method of claim 10, further comprising prompting the user for a set-top box authentication token and receiving the set-top box authentication token before transmitting the temporary authentication token to the display device.

11. An authentication method, comprising:

prompting a user to input a first set-top box authentication token;

prompting the user to input a second set-top box authentication token;

receiving the second set-top box authentication token; and

transmitting a command to a server to provide a temporary set-top box authentication token via a second device that is not a set-top box device.

12. The authentication method of claim 11, wherein the temporary set-top box authentication token is generated at the set-top box device.

13. The authentication method of claim 11, wherein the temporary set-top box authentication token is generated at the server.

14. The authentication method of claim 11, further comprising permitting access to an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system after receiving the temporary set-top box authentication token.

15. The authentication method of claim 11, further comprising prompting the user to reset the first set-top box authentication token after receiving the temporary set-top box authentication token.

16. The authentication method of claim 11, further comprising:

issuing a command to the server, after the second set-top box authentication token is received, to associate the temporary set-top box authentication token with an Internet account of the user; and

wherein the second device is a computing device that communicates with the server via the Internet account.

17. The authentication method of claim 11, further comprising:

issuing a command to the server, after the second set-top box authentication token is received, to associate the temporary set-top box authentication token with an identifier of a telephone device; and

wherein the second device is the telephone device.

18. The authentication method of claim 17, wherein the server provides the temporary set-top box authentication token at the telephone device via an interactive voice response system.

19. An authentication method, comprising:

receiving a command from a set-top box device to associate a temporary set-top box authentication token with an Internet account; and

associating the temporary set-top box authentication token with the Internet account.

20. The authentication method of claim 19, further.comprising:

prompting the user for an Internet account authentication token via a computing device; and

transmitting the temporary set-top box authentication token to the computing device after the Internet account authentication token is received.

21. An authentication method, comprising:

receiving a command from a set-top box device to associate a temporary set-top box authentication token with an identifier of a telephone device; and

associating the temporary set-top box authentication token with the identifier of a telephone device.

22. The authentication method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a call;

obtaining the identifier of the telephone device from caller identification information received with the call; and

providing the temporary set-top box authentication token at the telephone device.

23. An authentication system, comprising:

a server having a processor and a memory device accessible to the processor; and

wherein the memory device includes an authentication module that is executable by the processor to;

prompt for a first authentication token associated with an Internet account;

prompt for a second authentication token associated with the Internet account; and

wherein the server provides a temporary authentication token to a set-top box device after the second authentication token is received.

24. The authentication system of claim 23, wherein the server communicates with the set-top box device via an access network of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system.

25. The authentication system of claim 24, wherein the first authentication token is stored at an authentication data server within the IPTV system and wherein the processor is configured to compare a first input to the first authentication token.

26. The authentication system of claim 25, wherein the second authentication token is stored at the authentication data server;

wherein the processor is configured to prompt a user to transmit the second authentication token when the first input does not match the first authentication token; and

wherein the processor is configured to compare a second input to the second authentication token.

27. The authentication system of claim 23, wherein the temporary authentication token is generated randomly.

28. The authentication system of claim 23, wherein the temporary authentication token is generated at least partially based on a variable.

29. The authentication system of claim 28, wherein the variable is a time at which the temporary authentication token is generated.

30. The authentication system of claim 28, wherein the authentication data server resets the first authentication token to the temporary authentication token

31. A set-top box device, comprising:

a processor and a memory device accessible to the processor; and

wherein the memory device includes instructions to receive a temporary authentication token associated with an Internet account of a user.

32. The set-top box device of claim 31, wherein the temporary authentication token is generated at a server after a second authentication token associated with the Internet account is received at the server via a computing device of the user.

33. A computer program embedded in a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to prompt a user of a computing device to transmit a first authentication token associated with an Internet account;

instructions to prompt the user to transmit a second authentication token; and

instructions to issue a command to transmit a temporary authentication token, for use at the computing device, to a set-top box device after the second authentication token is transmitted.