METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURELY COMMUNICATING BETWEEN A PRIMARY SERVICE PROVIDER AND A PARTNER SERVICE PROVIDER

• US 20090164777A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Kapil
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• 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 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating a partner service provider and a primary service provider includes a network and, a partner service provider generating a request for a first encrypted token from a partner service provider and communicating the request to the network. An authentication web service receives the request for the first encrypted token from the network and generates the first encrypted token. The partner service provider generates a request for data with the first encrypted token and communicates the request for data to the network. A data web service receives the request for data and communicates the request for data from the data web service to the authentication web service. The authentication web service validates the request for data and communicates a validation result to the data web service. The data web service communicates data to the partner service provider from the data web service after validating.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a request for a first encrypted token at a partner service provider;

communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service;

generating the first encrypted token at the authentication web service;

generating a request for data with the first encrypted token;

communicating the request for data to a data web service;

communicating the request for data from the data web service to the authentication web service;

validating the request for data at the authentication web service;

communicating a validation result to the data web service;

communicating data to the partner service provider from the data web service after validating.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token having an expiration time

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating a second encrypted token at the authentication web service.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein generating a first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token having a first expiration time and wherein generating a second encrypted token comprises generating a second encrypted token in response to a second expiration time, later than the first expiration time.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising communicating the second encrypted token from the authentication web service to the partner service provider.

6. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising communicating the second encrypted token from the partner service provider to the data web service with a second request for data.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising after communicating the second encrypted token, communicating the second encrypted token to the authentication server and authenticating the second encrypted token.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a partner site identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token using the partner site identifier.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a partner site identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the partner site identifier.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a partner site identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the partner site identifier and an expiration time for the first encrypted token.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a partner site identifier and dummy variables and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the partner site identifier and dummy variables.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating data from the partner service provider to the user network device after communicating data to the partner service provider.

13. A system comprising:

a network;

a partner service provider generating a request for a first encrypted token from a partner service provider and communicating the request to the network;

an authentication web service receiving the request for the first encrypted token from the network and generating the first encrypted token;

said partner service provider generating a request for data with the first encrypted token and communicating the request for data to the network;

a data web service receiving the request for data and communicating the request for data from the data web service to the authentication web service;

said authentication web service validating the request for data and communicating a validation result to the data web service;

said data web service communicating data to the partner service provider from the data web service after validating.

14. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the network comprises the Internet.

15. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the authentication web service is within a primary service provider.

16. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the authentication web service and the data web service are within a primary service provider.

17. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first encrypted token comprises an expiration time

18. A system as recited in claim 17 wherein the authentication web service generates a second encrypted token.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the authentication web service generates a second encrypted token having a second expiration time, later than the first expiration time.

20. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the authentication web service communicates the second encrypted token from the authentication web service to the partner service provider.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the wherein the partner web service communicates the second encrypted token to the data web service with a second request for data.

22. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the data web service communicates the second encrypted token to the authentication server and authenticates the second encrypted token.

23. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first encrypted token comprises a partner site identifier.

24. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first encrypted token comprises a partner site identifier and an expiration time for the first encrypted token.

25. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first encrypted token comprises a partner site identifier and a dummy variable.

26. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the partner service provider communicates data to the user network device after the data web service communicates data to the partner service provider.

27. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the data comprises program guide data.