SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRUSTED COMMUNICATION

• US 20080235781A1
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: King, Paul, O'Neill, Rosie, Buse, Carrie, Sucher, Steve, Burns, Joy, Goff, Christopher L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0243 for decorative purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00

Abstract

A trusted communication system and methods of ensuring trusted communications are provided. A portable memory device is configured to resemble a character, and a client is configurable to operate specifically with that portable memory device. The client may allow a user to access network resources related to other clients belonging to other users having portable memory devices. Each portable memory device may have stored therein a unique token. A token from one portable memory device may be associated with a token of another portable memory device, e.g., by operating the first portable memory device with a client configured to operate with the second portable memory device. When two tokens are associated, the client configured to operate with a portable memory device having one of those tokens may access network resources related to another of those tokens.

Claims

1. A method of ensuring trusted communication between a plurality of clients on a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a first client over the computer network a first token identifying a first portable memory device with which the first client is configured to operate;

receiving from the first client over the computer network a second token identifying a second portable memory device with which a second client is configured to operate; and

associating the first token with the second token in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing to the first client access to a network resource related to the second client.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing to the second client access to a network resource related to the first client.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the network resource is an instant messaging application through which the first and second clients exchange instant messages.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the network resource is a first portion of a webpage created by a user of the second client.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first portion of the webpage includes personal information about the user of the second client.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a flag on the second portable memory device indicating that the second token is associated with the first token in the database.

8. A storage medium, readable by a first processor of a first computer system configured to operate with a first portable memory device identified by a first token, the medium having embodied therein a program of commands executable by the first processor, the program being adapted to be executed to:

receive a second token from a second portable memory device with which a second processor of a second computer system is configured to operate;

determine whether the second token matches the first token; and

upon determining that the second token does not match the first token, store the second token in association with the first token;

store the first token in the second portable memory device;

provide access to a network resource related to the second processor.

9. A method of ensuring trusted communications between a plurality of clients over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving from a first client configured to operate with a first portable memory device a request to access a network resource related to a second client configured to operate with a second portable memory device;

receiving from the first client a first token identifying the first portable memory device;

querying a database to determine whether the first token is associated with a second token identifying the second portable memory device, the database containing a plurality of tokens and associations therebetween; and

upon determining that the first token is associated with the second token, permitting the first client access to the network resource related to the second client.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the network resource is an instant messaging application through which the first and second clients exchange instant messages.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the network resource is a first portion of a personal webpage created by a user of the second client.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first portion of the personal webpage includes personal information about the user of the second client.

13. A trusted communication system residing on a computer network and comprising:

a first portable memory device identified by a first token;

a first client configured to operate with the first portable memory device;

a first network resource related to the first client;

a second portable memory device identified by a second token;

a second client configured to operate with the second portable memory device;

a database configured to store tokens and associations therebetween; and

a trusted communication server configured to receive a request from the second client to access the first network resource, the request including the second token, and query the database to determine whether there is an association between the second token and the first token;

wherein upon a determination that the database server contains an association between second token and the first token, the trusted communication server permits the second client access to the first network resource.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first client is configured to temporarily operate with the second portable memory device to communicate the first and second tokens to the database, and the database is configured to store an association between the first token and the second token.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the first client is a computer program executing on a first computer connected to a docking station to which portable memory devices are configured to connect, and the first client is configured to temporarily operate with the second portable memory device when the second portable memory device is connected to the docking station to communicate the first and second tokens to the database, and the database is configured to store an association between the first token and the second token.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the first client is configured to store a flag on the second portable memory device, the flag indicating that there is an association between the first token and the second token.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the second client is configured to, upon operating with the second portable memory device and detecting the flag stored therein, prompt a user of the second client to access the first network resource related to the first client.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the second client is configured to temporarily operate with the first portable memory device to communicate the first and second tokens to the database, and the database is configured to store an association between the first token and the second token.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the first network resource is an instant messaging application through which the first and second clients exchange instant messages.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the first network resource is a first portion of a personal webpage created by a user of the first client, wherein the first portion of the personal webpage includes personal information about the user of the first client.