Methods, Apparatuses and Systems Facilitating Seamless, Virtual Integration of Online Membership Models and Services

• US 20080098122A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transunion Interactive, Inc. (TransUnion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Transunion Interactive, Inc. (TransUnion Corporation)
• Inventors: Metzger, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses and systems facilitating integration of the functionality associated with a first on-line service entity with the functionality associated with a second on-line service entity. Embodiments of the present invention allow a first on-line service entity having its own membership model to efficiently collaborate with a second on-line service entity to offer its users the services of the second on-line service entity in a seamless and consistently branded manner. One implementation obviates the need for synchronization of the membership models between the first and second on-line service entities. One implementation allows the second on-line service entity to provide services to the users associated with the first on-line service entity in a seamless manner without the first on-line service entity having to proxy the session between the second on-line service entity and the users.

Claims

1. An apparatus facilitating integration of separate online services, comprising

a session state module operative to

generate session identifiers in response to requests for a session identifier;

maintain session state information in association with the session identifiers, wherein the session state information comprises a user identifier;

a server module operative to

receive requests for session identifiers from a third-party site, wherein the third-party requests include user identifiers;

authenticate the requests for session identifiers;

access the session state module to obtain session identifiers for authenticated requests;

transmit the session identifiers to the third-party site in response to the requests for session identifiers;

receive requests from users, wherein the requests include session identifiers transmitted to the third-party sites; and

control access to resources available to the users by validating the session identifiers in the requests from users against the session state information maintained by the session state module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising

an application module operative to provide an application service to at least one user;

and wherein the server module is operative to control access to the application module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the requests for session identifiers include a digital signatures created with an encryption key associated with the third-party site;

and wherein the server module is operative to authenticate the requests for session identifiers by validating the digital signature.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the requests for a session identifier are encrypted;

and wherein the server module is further operative to decrypt the requests for a session identifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the requests for a session identifier are encrypted;

and wherein the server module is further operative to decrypt the requests for a session identifier if the digital signature of the third-party web site is valid.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the requests for a session identifier further comprise a third-party site identifier, and wherein the state information maintained by state management module further comprises the third-party site identifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the requests for a session identifier are transmitted directly by the third-party site.

8. A method facilitating integration of separate online services, comprising

creating a user account corresponding to a user, wherein the user account is associated with a user identifier and tagged with a third party site identifier;

receiving, at a server, a request for a session identifier from a third-party site, wherein the request includes a user identifier and a third-party site identifier;

validating the request for a session identifier;

if the request for a session identifier is valid, creating a session and a session identifier in a session state database; and

returning the session identifier to the third-party web site.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the session is represented in a data structure stored on a computer readable medium, and wherein the information associated with the session includes the user identifier and the session identifier.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the request for a session identifier includes a digital signature created with an encryption key associated with the third-party web site;

and wherein the validating step comprises validating the digital signature.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the request for a session identifier is encrypted;

and wherein the method further comprises decrypting the request for a session identifier.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the request for a session identifier is encrypted;

and wherein the method further comprises decrypting the request for a session identifier if the digital signature of the third-party web site is valid.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising

receiving a request from a host system corresponding to a user, the request including the session identifier returned to the third-party web site;

verifying the session identifier against the session information maintained in the session state database;

allowing the user access to functionality available through the server, if the session identifier is valid.

14. A system facilitating integration of separate on-line services over a network, comprising

a first on-line system, operatively connected to a network, and comprising at least one server operative to

initiate sessions and generate session identifiers only in response to requests transmitted by authenticated on-line service systems;

and

interact with host systems corresponding to users that transmit messages including the session identifiers provided to the authenticated on-line service systems;

at least a second on-line system comprising a server operative to interact over a network with host systems corresponding to users;

initiate, on behalf of at least one user, sessions with the first on-line system by transmitting a request to the first on-line system and receiving a session identifier in response;

transmit to the host system corresponding to the at least one user, the session identifier received from the first on-line system in a redirection message, wherein the redirection message is operative to cause the host system corresponding to the at least one user to transmit a message, including the received session identifier, to the first on-line system, wherein the redirection message is transmitted within the context of a frame of a web page, and wherein the second on-line system does not have access to data transmitted between the user and the first on-line system during the initiated session.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the redirection message comprises a HTML page including a meta refresh tag and the URL or network address corresponding to the first on-line system.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the redirection message comprises a page including a script, when executed by the host system corresponding to the user, causes the host system to transmit a message, including the received session identifier, to the first on-line system.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the web page comprises at least one additional frame including branding information associated with the second on-line system.