PRIVATELY SHARING RELYING PARTY REPUTATION WITH INFORMATION CARD SELECTORS

• US 20090204542A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Sanders, Daniel S., Sermersheim, James G., Doman, Thomas E., Hodgkinson, Andrew A., Buss, Duane F.
• Application Number:
  US12/042,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204542A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A computer system accesses reputation information about a relying party. The reputation information can be stored locally or remotely (for example, at an identity provider or reputation service). A reputation information engine can be used to provide the reputation information to the user. The user can then use the reputation information in performing a transaction with the relying party.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver (210) at a card selector (205) to receive a request for an information card (220) to be used in a transaction with a relying party (130);

an identifier (235) to identify reputation information (230) applicable to said relying party (130); and

a reputation information engine (240) to use said reputation information (230) in support of a response from said card selector (205) to said request for said information card (220).

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiver (210) is operative to receive (510) said reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310).

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said reputation service (310) is part of an identity provider (135).

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a transmitter (215) to transmit a request (505) for said reputation information (230) to said reputation service (310) from said card selector (205).

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter (215) is operative to transmit said request (505) for said reputation information (230) to said reputation service (310) in a manner that preserves a user'"'"'s privacy.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transmitter (215) is further operative to transmit said request (505) for said reputation information (230) applicable to said relying party (130) to said reputation service (310) as part of a plurality of requests (605, 610, 615, 620, 625) for reputation information (230) applicable to a plurality of replying parties.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

said reputation information (230) is part of an identity provider (135); and

the transmitter (215) is operative to transmit said request (505) for said reputation information (230) in a request (155) for a security token (160) from said identity provider (135).

8. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

said reputation information (230) is part of an identity provider (135); and

the transmitter (215) is operative to transmit said request (505) for said reputation information (230) from said identity provider (135) in a request (505) that is out-of-band from a second request (155) for a security token (160) from said identity provider (135).

9. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is operative to verify that said reputation information (230) is not altered.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the receiver (210) is operative to receive encrypted reputation information (705) from said reputation service (310); and

the apparatus further comprises a decrypter (710) to decrypt said encrypted reputation information (705).

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the receiver (210) is operative to receive a digital signature (715) associated with said reputation information (230) from said reputation service (310); and

the apparatus further comprises a digital signature verifier (720) to verify that said digital signature (715) corresponds to said reputation information (230).

12. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the receiver (210) is operative to receive (510) said reputation information (230) in an unsolicited communication (815) from said reputation service (310).

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a transmitter (215) to transmit a message (805) to said reputation service (310) that said card selector (205) is available to receive (510) said reputation information (230) from said reputation service (310).

14. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a reputation information store (225, 320) to store said reputation information (230) locally to said card selector (205).

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reputation information engine (240) is operative to provide said reputation information (230) to a user.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the reputation information engine (240) is further operative to provide said user visual and/or non-visual cues (930, 935) regarding said reputation information (230) applicable to said relying party (130).

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the reputation information engine (240) is further operative to provide metadata (315) about said reputation information (230) to said user.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the reputation information engine (240) is further operative to provide said reputation information (230) to said user before said user selects said information card (220) to be used in said transaction with said relying party (130).

19. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the reputation information engine (240) is further operative to delay transmission of a security token (160) received from an identity provider (135) to said relying party (130) until a release of said security token (160) is confirmed by said user after presentation of said reputation information (230).

20. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the apparatus further comprises a reputation information store (225) to store said reputation information (230); and

the reputation information engine (240) is operative to access said reputation information (230) from the reputation information store (225).

21. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reputation information store (225) updater to update a reputation information store (225, 320) local to said card selector (205) that stores said reputation information (230) applicable to said relying party (130).

22. A method for using reputation information (230), comprising:

receiving (1005) at a card selector (205) a request for an information card (220) to be used in a transaction with a relying party (130);

identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130); and

using (1015) the reputation information (230) to support a response from the card selector (205) to the request for the information card (220).

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) includes receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310).

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from an identity provider (135).

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from an identity provider (135) includes requesting (1120) the reputation information (230) from the identity provider (135) in a request (155) for a security token (160) from the identity provider (135).

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from an identity provider (135) includes requesting (1125) the reputation information (230) from the identity provider (135) in a request (505) that is out-of-band from a second request (155) for a security token (160) from the identity provider (135).

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) includes requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) by the card selector (205).

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) includes requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) by the card selector (205) in a manner that preserves a user'"'"'s privacy.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) includes requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) as part of a plurality of requests (605, 610, 615, 620, 625) for reputation information (230) applicable to a plurality of replying parties.

30. A method according to claim 23, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes verifying (1145) that the reputation information (230) is not altered.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein:

receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes receiving (1130, 1140) an encrypted reputation information (705) from the reputation service (310); and

verifying (1145) that the reputation information (230) is not altered includes decrypting (1145) the encrypted reputation information (705).

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein:

receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes receiving (1130, 1140) a digital signature (715) from the reputation service (310); and

verifying (1145) that the reputation information (230) is not altered includes verifying (1145) that the digital signature (715) corresponds to the reputation information (230).

33. A method according to claim 23, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) includes receiving (1140) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) in an unsolicited communication (815) from the reputation service (310).

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein receiving (1140) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) in an unsolicited communication (815) includes informing (1135) the reputation service (310) that the card selector (205) is available to receive reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310).

35. A method according to claim 23, wherein identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) further includes storing (1110) the reputation information (230) locally to the card selector (205).

36. A method according to claim 22, wherein using (1015) the reputation information (230) includes providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to a user.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes providing (1210) the user visual and/or non-visual cues (930, 935) regarding the reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130).

38. A method according to claim 36, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes providing (1215) metadata (315) about the reputation information (230) to the user.

39. A method according to claim 36, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user before the user selects the information card (220) to be used in the transaction with the relying party (130).

40. A method according to claim 36, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes delaying (1020) transmission of a security token (160) received from an identity provider (135) to the relying party (130) until a release of the security token (160) is confirmed by the user after presentation of the reputation information (230).

41. A method according to claim 22, wherein identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) includes accessing (1105) a reputation information store (225, 320) local to the card selector (205).

42. A method according to claim 22, further comprising updating (1110) a local reputation information store (225, 320) containing the reputation information (230) based on the request for the information card (220).

43. An article, comprising a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a machine, result in:

receiving (1005) at a card selector (205) a request for an information card (220) to be used in a transaction with a relying party (130);

identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130); and

using (1015) the reputation information (230) to support a response from the card selector (205) to the request for the information card (220).

44. An article according to claim 43, wherein identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) includes receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310).

45. An article according to claim 44, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from an identity provider (135).

46. An article according to claim 45, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from an identity provider (135) includes requesting (1120) the reputation information (230) from the identity provider (135) in a request (155) for a security token (160) from the identity provider (135).

47. An article according to claim 45, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from an identity provider (135) includes requesting (1125) the reputation information (230) from the identity provider (135) in a request (505) that is out-of-band from a second request (155) for a security token (160) from the identity provider (135).

48. An article according to claim 44, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) includes requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) by the card selector (205).

49. An article according to claim 48, wherein requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) includes requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) by the card selector (205) in a manner that preserves a user'"'"'s privacy.

50. An article according to claim 49, wherein requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) includes requesting (1120, 1125, 1135) the reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) as part of a plurality of requests (605, 610, 615, 620, 625) for reputation information (230) applicable to a plurality of replying parties.

51. An article according to claim 44, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes verifying (1145) that the reputation information (230) is not altered.

52. An article according to claim 51, wherein:

receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes receiving (1130, 1140) an encrypted reputation information (705) from the reputation service (310); and

verifying (1145) that the reputation information (230) is not altered includes decrypting (1145) the encrypted reputation information (705).

53. An article according to claim 51, wherein:

receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) from a reputation service (310) includes receiving (1130, 1140) a digital signature (715) from the reputation service (310); and

verifying (1145) that the reputation information (230) is not altered includes verifying (1145) that the digital signature (715) corresponds to the reputation information (230).

54. An article according to claim 44, wherein receiving (1130, 1140) the reputation information (230) includes receiving (1140) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) in an unsolicited communication (815) from the reputation service (310).

55. An article according to claim 54, wherein receiving (1140) the reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310) in an unsolicited communication (815) includes informing (1135) the reputation service (310) that the card selector (205) is available to receive reputation information (230) from the reputation service (310).

56. An article according to claim 44, wherein identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) further includes storing (1110) the reputation information (230) locally to the card selector (205).

57. An article according to claim 43, wherein using (1015) the reputation information (230) includes providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to a user.

58. An article according to claim 57, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes providing (1210) the user visual and/or non-visual cues (930, 935) regarding the reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130).

59. An article according to claim 57, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes providing (1215) metadata (315) about the reputation information (230) to the user.

60. An article according to claim 57, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user before the user selects the information card (220) to be used in the transaction with the relying party (130).

61. An article according to claim 57, wherein providing (1205) the reputation information (230) to the user includes delaying (1020) transmission of a security token (160) received from an identity provider (135) to the relying party (130) until a release of the security token (160) is confirmed by the user after presentation of the reputation information (230).

62. An article according to claim 43, wherein identifying (1010) reputation information (230) applicable to the relying party (130) includes accessing (105) a reputation information store (225, 320) local to the card selector (205).

63. An article according to claim 43, said storage medium having stored thereon further instructions that, when executed by the machine, result in updating (1110) a local reputation information store (225, 320) containing the reputation information (230) based on the request for the information card (220).