Web Content Access Using a Client Device Identifier

• US 20100229224A1
• Filed: 02/10/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Uniloc USA, Inc. (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Inventors: Etchegoyen, Craig S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for controlling access to online services. For example, the system may include an application running on a user computer (130) that collects platform data (e.g. physical device parameters) and generates a machine fingerprint (stage 602). The computer (130) may send the machine fingerprint to the authentication server (110). The server (110) may associate the received machine fingerprint with the appropriate online account information received from a host server (120) or the like (stage 604). The authentication server (110) may send the appropriate registration status signal to the host server (120), which in turn may update the online profile information to include the user'"'"'s registration status (stage 606).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for authenticating a user of an online service, comprising:

retrieving, by a network device, data regarding an online profile of the user for the online service, the network device being used by the user to access the online service;

collecting, by the network device, machine information regarding the network device, the collected machine information comprising at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter;

generating a device identifier based at least in part on the collected machine information;

storing the generated device identifier in a hidden file directory of the network device; and

transmitting the generated device identifier and the retrieved online profile data to an authentication server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the generated device identifier matching a known identifier, receiving a registered user signal from the authentication server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the registered user signal comprises instructions for an online service server to include a registered status indicator in the user'"'"'s online profile information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the registered status indicator is based at least in part on past behavior or reputation associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises at least one physical device parameter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one physical device parameter comprises a carbon and/or silicone degradation characteristic of a network device component.

7. An applet comprising executable code for a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) to:

retrieve data regarding an online profile of the user for the online service;

collect machine information regarding a network device being used by the user to access the online service, the collected machine information comprising at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter;

generate a device identifier based at least in part on the collected machine information;

store the generated device identifier in a hidden file directory of the network device; and

transmit the generated device identifier and the retrieved online profile data to an authentication server.

8. The applet of claim 7, further comprising executable code for the JVM to, in response to the generated device identifier matching a known identifier, receive a registered user signal from the authentication server.

9. The applet of claim 8, wherein the registered user signal comprises instructions for an online service server to include a registered status indicator in the user'"'"'s online profile information.

10. The applet of claim 9, wherein the registered status indicator is based at least in part on past behavior or reputation associated with the user.

11. The applet of claim 7, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises at least one physical device parameter.

12. The applet of claim 11, wherein the at least one physical device parameter comprises a carbon and/or silicone degradation characteristic of a network device component.

13. A computer-implemented method for authenticating a user of an online service, comprising:

receiving, by an authentication server, a first device identifier from a network device being used by the user, the first device identifier being generated from at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the network device;

receiving, by the authentication server, online profile information of the user for the online service;

associating the first device identifier with the received online profile information;

receiving an authentication request signal from the user, the request signal comprising a second device identifier; and

in response to the second device identifier matching the first device identifier, transmitting a registered user signal to a server hosting the online service, the registered user signal comprising instructions for the server to include a registered status indicator in the user'"'"'s online profile information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the registered status indicator is based at least in part on past behavior or reputation associated with the user.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises at least one physical device parameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one physical device parameter comprises a carbon and/or silicone degradation characteristic of a network device component.

17. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

receiving a first device identifier from a network device being used by the user, the first device identifier being generated from at least one user-configurable parameter and at least one non-user-configurable parameter of the network device;

receiving online profile information of the user for the online service;

associating the first device identifier with the received online profile information;

receiving an authentication request signal from the user, the request signal comprising a second device identifier; and

in response to the second device identifier matching the first device identifier, transmitting a registered user signal to a server hosting the online service, the registered user signal comprising instructions for the server to include a registered status indicator in the user'"'"'s online profile information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the registered status indicator is based at least in part on past behavior or reputation associated with the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the at least one non-user-configurable parameter comprises at least one physical device parameter.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one physical device parameter comprises a carbon and/or silicone degradation characteristic of a network device component.