Network Node And Method For Providing Internet Services On Internet Markplaces

• US 20080123667A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Pogatzki, Martin, Werner, Harald, Stebens, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

An exemplary network node provides at least one Internet service that is executed in at least one provider server of a service provider for users of an Internet marketplace. The exemplary node comprises at least one outer connector for receiving a service request whose generation can be initiated in a user computer of an Internet marketplace user and for transmitting to the user computer a processing result ascertained in the provider server, the Internet service being requested on a website of the Internet marketplace that is provided by a marketplace server connected to the user computer, the outer connector being adapted to make a format change to the service request and to the processing result, as an adaptation to the Internet marketplace. The exemplary node further comprises a transformation unit connected to the outer connector, the transformation unit being adapted to ascertain at least one provider server for executing the Internet service on the basis of information contained in the service request and for addressing the service request to the ascertained provider server. The exemplary node additionally comprises an authentication and authorization unit that is adapted to verify the authorization of the marketplace user to access the Internet service, the verification of the authorization of the marketplace user to access an Internet service being carried out on the basis of a marketplace authorization profile associated with the Internet marketplace. Finally, the exemplary node comprises at least one inner connector connected to the transformation unit for transmitting the service request to the provider server and for receiving the processing result ascertained in the provider server from said provider server.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A network node for providing at least one Internet service that is executed in at least one provider server of a service provider for users of an Internet marketplace, comprising:

at least one outer connector for receiving a service request whose generation can be initiated in a user computer of an Internet marketplace user and for transmitting to the user computer a processing result ascertained in the provider server, the Internet service being requested on a website of the Internet marketplace that is provided by a marketplace server connected to the user computer, the outer connector being adapted to make a format change to the service request and to the processing result, as an adaptation to the Internet marketplace;

a transformation unit connected to the outer connector, the transformation unit being adapted to ascertain at least one provider server for executing the Internet service on the basis of information contained in the service request and for addressing the service request to the ascertained provider server;

an authentication and authorization unit that is adapted to verify the authorization of the marketplace user to access the Internet service, the verification of the authorization of the marketplace user to access an Internet service being carried out on the basis of a marketplace authorization profile associated with the Internet marketplace; and

at least one inner connector connected to the transformation unit for transmitting the service request to the provider server and for receiving the processing result ascertained in the provider server from said provider server.

31. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the outer connector is adapted to be connected to the network node via a connector slot, the outer connector being adapted to be disconnected from the network node during the ongoing operation of the network node.

32. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the outer connector is connected via a communication network to at least one user computer that is in turn connected via the communication network to a marketplace server (150, 160).

33. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the transformation unit generates a notification about the processing result as a function of the processing result ascertained in the provider server, the processing result being transmitted from the outer connector to the marketplace server.

34. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the inner connector is adapted to make a format change to the service request and to the processing result.

35. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the inner connector is adapted to be connected to the network node by a connector slot, and to be disconnected from the network node during the ongoing operation of the network node.

36. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the verification of the authorization of the marketplace user to access an Internet service is performed on the basis of the marketplace authorization profile associated with the Internet marketplace and on the basis of a user authorization profile associated with the marketplace user.

37. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the user authorization profile is contained in the service request.

38. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the user authorization profile is encrypted using a key that is unambiguously associated with the Internet marketplace or is furnished with a digital signature of the Internet marketplace.

39. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the authentication and authorization unit is adapted to change the user authorization profile as a function of the processing result ascertained in the provider server.

40. The network node according to claim 30, wherein the authentication and authorization unit is adapted to change the user authorization profile as a function of a number of processing results ascertained for a marketplace user.

41. The network node according to claim 30, comprising a verification unit that is adapted to verify the processing result ascertained in the provider server.

42. The network node according to claim 41, wherein the verification unit is adapted to verify whether the processing result is complete.

43. The network node according to claim 30, comprising a reporting unit that is adapted to acquire and evaluate the service requests and the processing result.

44. A method for providing at least one Internet service that is executed in at least one provider server of a service provider for users of an Internet marketplace, comprising:

receiving in an outer connector of a network node a service request initiated in a user computer, the Internet service being requested on a website of the Internet marketplace that is provided by a marketplace server connected to the user computer;

making format changes to the service request in the outer connector;

ascertaining a provider server on the basis of information contained in the service request;

addressing the service request to the provider server;

transmitting the service request to the provider server;

verifying an authorization of the marketplace user to access an Internet service being carried out on the basis of a marketplace authorization profile associated with the Internet marketplace;

ascertaining a processing result in the provider server and transmitting the processing result to the network node;

receiving the processing result in the network node; and

transmitting the processing result to the user computer.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the outer connector is connected via a communication network to at least one user computer that is in turn connected via the communication network to a marketplace server.

46. The method according to claim 44, comprising

generating a notification about the processing result as a function of the processing result ascertained in the provider server;

and

transmitting the notification about the processing result to the marketplace server.

47. The method according to claim 44, wherein the network node is connected to the provider server via an inner connector that is adapted to make a format change to the service request and to the processing result.

48. The method according to claim 44, wherein the authorization of the marketplace user to access an Internet service is carried out on the basis of a marketplace authorization profile associated with the Internet marketplace and/or on the basis of a user authorization profile associated with the marketplace user.

49. The method according to claim 44, wherein the service request contains encrypted information that is decrypted using a key that is unambiguously associated with the Internet marketplace.

50. The method according to claim 44, wherein the user authorization profile is contained in the service request.

51. The method according to claim 44, wherein the user authorization profile is encrypted using a key that is unambiguously associated with the Internet marketplace or is furnished with a digital signature of the Internet marketplace.

52. The method according to claim 44, wherein the user authorization profile is changed as a function of the processing result ascertained in the provider server (100₁, . . . , 100_m).

53. The method according to claim 44, comprising changing the user authorization profile as a function of a number of processing results ascertained for a marketplace user.

54. The method according to claim 44, comprising verifying whether the processing result is complete.