SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND SERVICES TO AUTHORIZED USERS

• US 20150172214A1
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thryv, Inc. (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: YellowPages.com LLC (Mudrick Capital Management LP)
• Inventors: Samatov, Jakhongir
• Granted Patent: US 11,757,863 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 Anonymizing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to authorize users to anonymously access resources of different web sites. For example, a business listing service may authenticate users and allow the authenticated users to access the resources of the businesses listed via the business listing service, without the users having to create separate accounts with the businesses and without having to reveal the identities of the users to the businesses.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method comprising:

storing, by a server system, in a data storage facility of the server system account information for user accounts for end users registered with the server system and listing data relating to entities associated with web domains not hosted by the server system;

processing, by the server system, a first transmission from an end-user device and, based at least in part on the transmission and the account information stored in the data storage facility, authenticating a first user as a registered user of a service provided by the server system;

retrieving, by the server system, from the listing data stored in the data storage facility first information relating to a first entity associated with a first web domain not hosted by the server system;

assigning, by the server system, a first credential to the first user; and

transmitting, by the server system, a second transmission to the end-user device, the second transmission comprising code to cause presentation of the first information with an application on the end-user device prior to the first user having been registered with the first web domain, the code to further cause presentation of a user-selectable option to initiate transition to a first web page of the first web domain consequent to a selection of the user-selectable option by forwarding or redirecting, including identifying the first user as being an authenticated user of the service with the first credential without revealing an identity of the first user;

wherein the first credential is recognizable by the first web domain as associated with the service and allows access to the first web domain based at least in part on the first credential.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing, by the server system, in the data storage facility of the server system a set of credentials;

processing, by the server system, a third transmission from a server of the first web domain consequent to the first credential being transmitted to the first web domain; and

responsive the third transmission, identifying, by the server system, a second credential from the set of credentials and transmitting, by the server system, the second credential to the server of the first domain;

wherein the access to the first web domain is allowed based at least in part on the first credential and the second credential.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first credential corresponds to an identity assigned by the server system to the first user;

the identifying the second credential comprises determining whether the identity was previously assigned to the first user; and

the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining, by the server system, whether identity was previously assigned to the first user within a threshold period of time, wherein the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user within the threshold period of time.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first credential corresponds to a first code assigned by the server system to the first user;

the identifying the second credential comprises determining whether the first code was previously assigned to the first user; and

the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

processing, by the server system, a third transmission from a server of the first web domain consequent to the first credential being transmitted to the first web domain; and

responsive the third transmission transmitting, by the server system, a confirmation message to the server of the first domain;

wherein the access to the first web domain is allowed based at least in part on the first credential and the confirmation message.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the service provided by the serve system corresponds to a web domain hosted by the server system.

9. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a server system, cause the server system to:

store in a data storage facility of the server system account information for user accounts for end users registered with the server system and listing data relating to entities associated with web domains not hosted by the server system;

process a first transmission from an end-user device and, based at least in part on the transmission and the account information stored in the data storage facility, authenticate a first user as a registered user of a service provided by the server system;

retrieve from the listing data stored in the data storage facility first information relating to a first entity associated with a first web domain not hosted by the server system;

assign a first credential to the first user; and

transmit a second transmission to the end-user device, the second transmission comprising code to cause presentation of the first information with an application on the end-user device prior to the first user having been registered with the first web domain, the code to further cause presentation of a user-selectable option to initiate transition to a first web page of the first web domain consequent to a selection of the user-selectable option by forwarding or redirecting, including identifying the first user as being an authenticated user of the service with the first credential without revealing an identity of the first user;

wherein the first credential is recognizable by the first web domain as associated with the service and allows access to the first web domain based at least in part on the first credential.

10. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable media of claim 9, the instructions further causing the server system to:

store in the data storage facility of the server system a set of credentials;

process a third transmission from a server of the first web domain consequent to the first credential being transmitted to the first web domain; and

responsive the third transmission, identify a second credential from the set of credentials and transmit the second credential to the server of the first domain;

wherein the access to the first web domain is allowed based at least in part on the first credential and the second credential.

11. The one or more non--transitory, machine-readable media of claim 10, wherein:

the first credential corresponds to an identity assigned by the server system to the first user;

the identifying the second credential comprises determining whether the identity was previously assigned to the first user; and

the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user.

12. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 11, the instructions further causing the server system to:

determine whether identity was previously assigned to the first user within a threshold period of time, wherein the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user within the threshold period of time.

13. The one or more non--transitory, machine-readable media of claim 10, wherein:

the first credential corresponds to a first code assigned by the server system to the first user;

the identifying the second credential comprises determining whether the first code was previously assigned to the first user; and

the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user.

14. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 9, the instructions further causing the server system to:

process a third transmission from a server of the first web domain consequent to the first credential being transmitted to the first web domain; and

responsive the third transmission, transmit a confirmation message to the server of the first domain;

wherein the access to the first web domain is allowed based at least in part on the first credential and the confirmation message.

15. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 9, wherein the service provided by the server system corresponds to a web domain hosted by the server system.

21. The system of claim 15, the server system further to:

process a third transmission from a server of the first web domain consequent to the first credential being transmitted to the first web domain; and

responsive the third transmission, transmit a confirmation message to the server of the first domain;

wherein the access to the first web domain is allowed based at least in part on the first credential and the confirmation message.

16. A system comprising:

a server system comprising one or more servers, a data storage facility storing account information for user accounts for end users registered with the server system and listing data relating to entities associated with web domains not hosted by the server system, and memory storing instructions, the server system configured to execute the instructions to;

process a first transmission from an end-user device and, based at least in part on the transmission and the account information stored in the data storage facility, authenticate a first user as a registered user of a service provided by the server system;

retrieve from the listing data stored in the data storage facility first information relating to a first entity associated with a first web domain not hosted by the server system;

assign a first credential to the first user; and

transmit a second transmission to the end-user device, the second transmission comprising code to cause presentation of the first information with an application on the end-user device prior to the first user having been registered with the first web domain, the code to further cause presentation of a user-selectable option to initiate transition to a first web page of the first web domain consequent to a selection of the user-selectable option by forwarding or redirecting, including identifying the first user as being an authenticated user of the service with the first credential without revealing an identity of the first user;

wherein the first credential is recognizable by the first web domain as associated with the service and allows access to the first web domain based at least in part on the first credential.

17. The system of claim 16, the server system further to:

store in the data storage facility of the server system a set of credentials;

process a third transmission from a server of the first web domain consequent to the first credential being transmitted to the first web domain; and

responsive the third transmission, identify a second credential from the set of credentials and transmitting, by the server system, the second credential to the server of the first domain;

wherein the access to the first web domain is allowed based at least in part on the first credential and the second credential.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the first credential corresponds to an identity assigned by the server system to the first user;

the identifying the second credential comprises determining whether the identity was previously assigned to the first user; and

the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user.

19. The system of claim 18, the server system further to:

determine whether identity was previously assigned to the first user within a threshold period of time, wherein the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user within the threshold period of time.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the first credential corresponds to a first code assigned by the server system to the first user;

the identifying the second credential comprises determining whether the first code was previously assigned to the first user; and

the transmitting the second credential is contingent on the determining that the identity was previously assigned to the first user.