PROMOTING INTEROPERABILITY OF PRESENCE-BASED SYSTEMS THROUGH THE USE OF UBIQUITOUS ONLINE IDENTITIES

• US 20070162555A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805

Abstract

A client system submits a request to the first instant messaging system to access the first instant messaging service. The request includes an online identity that is associated with a second instant messaging system. The first instant messaging system communicates with the second instant messaging system to enable authentication of the online identity and, upon authentication, the first instant messaging system enables the client system to access the first instant messaging service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to access a first instant messaging service, the request including an online identity;

determining that the online identity is associated with a second instant messaging service;

communicating with the second instant messaging service to enable authentication of the online identity; and

upon authentication of the online identity, enabling access to the first instant messaging service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the online identity includes a username and a domain name.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service includes:

accessing the domain name included in the online identity; and

determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service based on the accessed domain name.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the accessed domain name identifies that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service based on the accessed domain name includes referencing a table to determine that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service, wherein the table associates the accessed domain name with the second instant messaging service.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service includes determining that the online identity is associated with an account at the second instant messaging service.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service includes determining that the online identity is registered with the second instant messaging service.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the request also includes credentials associated with the online identity.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

receiving the request to access the first instant messaging service includes receiving, at the client system, the request from a user;

determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service includes determining, at the client system, that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service;

communicating with the second instant messaging service to authenticate the online identity includes sending, from the client system, the online identity and credentials to the second instant messaging service and receiving, at the client system, an authentication ticket from the second instant messaging service; and

enabling access to the first instant messaging service includes sending, from the client system, the authentication ticket to the first instant messaging service.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

sending the authentication ticket from the first instant messaging service to the second instant messaging service;

requesting verification of the authentication ticket from the second instant messaging service; and

receiving a verification message from the second instant messaging service.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service includes determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service based on the online identity or the received credentials.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein:

receiving the request to access the first instant messaging service includes receiving, from the client system, the request at the first instant messaging service;

determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service includes determining, at the first instant messaging service, that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service;

communicating with the second instant messaging service includes;

sending an authentication request from the first instant messaging service to the second instant messaging service, wherein the authentication request includes the online identity and the received credentials; and

in response to sending the authentication request, receiving, at the first instant messaging service, an indication of authentication from the second instant messaging service; and

enabling access to the first instant messaging service includes enabling the client system to access the first instant messaging service.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the received credentials to enable future authentication of the online identity without sending the authentication request to the second instant messaging service.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein:

receiving the request to access the first instant messaging service includes receiving, from a client system, the request at the first instant messaging service;

determining that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service includes determining, at the first instant messaging service, that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service;

communicating with the second instant messaging service includes;

requesting, at the first instant messaging service and from the second instant messaging service, credentials associated with the online identity;

in response to the request, receiving the requested credentials associated with the online identity at the first instant messaging service from the second instant messaging service;

comparing, at the first instant messaging service, the requested credentials to the received credentials from the client system;

determining, at the first instant messaging service, whether the requested credentials matches the received credentials from the client system; and

authenticating the online identity, at the first instant messaging service, if the requested credentials match the received credentials from the client system; and

enabling access to the first instant messaging service includes enabling the client system to access the first instant messaging service.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising storing the requested credentials to enable future authentication of the online identity without requesting the credentials associated with the online identity from the second instant messaging service.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling access to the first instant messaging service includes enabling the online identity to share its presence information with at least one other online identity and send an receive instant messages from the at least one other online identity.

17. A computer-usable medium storing a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for:

receiving a request to access a first instant messaging service, the request including an online identity;

determining that the online identity is associated with a second instant messaging service;

communicating with the second instant messaging service to enable authentication of the online identity; and

upon authentication of the online identity, enabling access to the first instant messaging service.

18. The medium of claim 17 wherein the online identity includes a username and a domain name.

19. The medium of claim 17 wherein:

to receive the request to access the first instant messaging service the instructions include instructions for receiving, at a client system, the request from a user;

to determine that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service the instructions include instructions for determining, at the first instant messaging service, that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service;

to communicate with the second instant messaging service to authenticate the online identity the instructions include instructions for sending, from the client system, the online identity and credentials to the second instant messaging service and receiving, at the client system, an authentication ticket from the second instant messaging service; and

to enable access to the first instant messaging service the instructions include instructions for sending, from the client system, the authentication ticket to the first instant messaging service.

20. The medium of claim 17 wherein:

to receive the request to access the first instant messaging service the instructions include instructions for receiving the request at the first instant messaging service from a client system;

to determine that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service the instructions include instructions for determining, at a second instant messaging service, that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging service;

to communicate with the second instant messaging service the instructions include instructions for;

sending an authentication request from the first instant messaging service to the second instant messaging service, wherein the authentication request includes the online identity and the received credentials; and

in response to sending the authentication request, receiving, at the first instant messaging service, an indication of authentication from the second instant messaging service; and

for enabling access to the first instant messaging service the instructions include instructions for enabling the client system to access the first instant messaging service.

21. The medium of claim 20 further comprising instructions for storing the requested credentials to enable future authentication of the online identity without requesting the credentials associated with the online identity from the second instant messaging service.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the online identity includes a username and a domain name.

22. A system comprising:

a first instant messaging system configured to receive a request for access to a first instant messaging service associated with the first instant messaging system;

a client system configured to submit a request to the first instant messaging system to access the first instant messaging service, wherein the request includes an online identity; and

a second instant messaging system associated with the online identity and configured to communicate with the fist instant messaging system, wherein;

the first instant messaging system communicates with the second instant messaging system to enable authentication of the online identity; and

upon authentication, the first instant messaging system enables the client system to access the first instant messaging service.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the first instant messaging system is configured to determine that the online identity is associated with the second instant messaging system by accessing the domain name included in the online identity.