METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION, AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING COMMUNICATION

• US 20110010542A1
• Filed: 08/14/2008
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yu, Jeong-Rok, Choi, Hyok-Sung, Lee, Sang-Kwon
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/76 Proxy, i.e. using intermediary entity to perform cryptographic operations network architectures or network communication protocols using hop-by-hop encryption H04L63/0464
• 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 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807

Abstract

Method and apparatus for communication between client and service provider using external server, and a method and apparatus for controlling communication between a client and a service provider are provided. The method includes: receiving from the service provider a first authentication token indicating that the service provider has authenticated communication with the client by logging on the service provider; storing, in the external server, authentication information containing the first authentication token and additional information relating to communication with the service provider; receiving, when there is a request to access the service provider, authentication information corresponding to the request from the external server; and communicating with the service provider using the received authentication information. It is possible to alleviate the burden on a user to enter his or her ID and password, and to remove necessity for a user to enter the ID and password after registration has been performed once.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between a client and a service provider using an external server, the method comprising:

receiving from the service provider a first authentication token indicating that the service provider has authenticated communication with the client, by logging on the service provider;

storing in the external server authentication information containing the first authentication token and additional information relating to communication with the service provider;

receiving, when there is a request to access the service provider, authentication information corresponding to the request from the external server; and

communicating with the service provider using the received authentication information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional information contains at least one of a user'"'"'s ID and password used to log on the service provider.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authentication information is encrypted before being stored.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communicating with the service provider comprises:

determining whether or not the first authentication token contained in the authentication information is valid; and

if it is determined that the first authentication token is invalid, receiving a valid second authentication token from the service provider using additional information contained in the authentication information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the received authentication information is encrypted by the client, and

wherein the communicating with the service provider further comprises decrypting the received authentication information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising externally receiving a user'"'"'s ID or password used to log on the service provider.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the service provider is incorporated into a single-sign-on (SSO) system which allows the client to communicate with a plurality of service providers using a single piece of authentication information.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

registering the client on the external server before communicating with the external server; and

authenticating communication with the external server.

9. A method of controlling communication between a client and a service provider, the method comprising:

receiving from the client a request to provide first authentication information relating to authentication between the client and the service provider; and

transmitting to the client the first authentication information obtained from a database storing authentication information between the client and the service provider,

wherein the first authentication information is encrypted by the client.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first authentication information contains an authentication token indicating that the service provider has authenticated communication with the client.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first authentication information further contains at least one of information on validity of the authentication token, ID used to log on the service provider and password used to log on the service provider.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

receiving from the client second authentication information based on a result of communication between the client and the service provider; and

updating the first authentication information stored in the database based on the received second authentication information.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the client is a first client and the first authentication information is shared with a second client associated with the first client.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether or not the client has been registered; and

if it is determined that the client has not been registered, requesting the client to register.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the client is a software module released by the service provider.

16. An apparatus for communicating with a service provider using an external server, the apparatus comprising:

an authentication token receiver unit which receives, from the service provider, a first authentication token indicating that the service provider has authenticated communication with the client, by logging on the service provider;

a control unit which is adapted to store in the external server authentication information containing the first authentication token and additional information relating to communication with the service provider;

an authentication information receiver unit which, when there is a request to access the service provider, receives authentication information corresponding to the request from the external server; and

a communication unit which communicates with the service provider using the received authentication information.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the additional information contains a user'"'"'s ID and a password used to log on the service provider.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control unit comprises:

an encryption unit which encrypts the authentication information; and

a transmission unit which transmits the encrypted authentication information to the external server.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the communication unit further comprises a determination unit which determines whether or not the first authentication token contained in the authentication information is valid, and

if it is determined that the first authentication token is invalid, the authentication token receiver unit receives a valid second authentication token from the service provider using the additional information contained in the authentication information.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the received authentication information is encrypted by the client, and

the communication unit further comprises a decryption unit for decrypting the authentication information.

21. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an input request unit which requests a user to enter an ID and password used to log on the service provider.

22. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the service provider is incorporated into a single-sign-on (SSO) system which allows the apparatus to communicate with a plurality of service providers using a single piece of authentication information.

23. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a registration unit which registers the apparatus on the external server before communication with the external server; and

a communication authentication unit which authenticates communication with the external server.

24. An apparatus for controlling communication between a client and a service provider, the apparatus comprising:

an authentication information request receiver unit which receives, from the client, a request to provide first authentication information relating to authentication between the client and the service provider;

a database which stores authentication information between the client and the service provider; and

a transmission unit which transmits to the client the first authentication information obtained from the database,

wherein the first authentication information is encrypted by the client.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the first authentication information contains an authentication token indicating that the service provider has authenticated communication with the client.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the first authentication information further contains at least one of information on validity of the authentication token, ID used for the client to log on the service provider and password used for the client to log on the service provider.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

an authentication information receiver unit which receives, from the client, second authentication information based on a result of communication between the client and the service provider; and

an update unit which updates the first authentication information stored in the database based on the received second authentication information.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the client is a first client and the first authentication information is shared with a second client associated with the first client.

29. The apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines whether or not the client has been registered; and

a registration request unit which, if it is determined that the client has not been registered, requests the client to register.

30. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the client is a software module released by the service provider.

31. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for the method of communicating between a client and a service provider using an external server, method comprising:

receiving from the service provider a first authentication token indicating that the service provider has authenticated communication with the client, by logging on the service provider;

storing in the external server authentication information containing the first authentication token and additional information relating to communication with the service provider;

receiving, when there is a request to access the service provider, authentication information corresponding to the request from the external server; and

communicating with the service provider using the received authentication information.

32. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for the method of controlling communication between a client and a service provider, the method comprising:

receiving from the client a request to provide first authentication information relating to authentication between the client and the service provider; and

transmitting to the client the first authentication information obtained from a database storing authentication information between the client and the service provider,

wherein the first authentication information is encrypted by the client.