LINKING IDENTITIES IN A NETWORK ENTITY

• US 20160366145A1
• Filed: 06/15/2015
• Published: 12/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Raghavendra, Chetan Pentam
• Granted Patent: US 9,961,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A network entity that allows collaboration among end users of a collaborative application by using different identifiers. The network entity receives an authentication request from a collaborative application to authenticate an end user. The network entity uses a first identifier of the end user that is associated with the network entity to verify that end user is permitted to use the collaborative application and informs the collaborative application that the end user is permitted to use the collaborative application. The network entity receives from the collaborative application a second identifier of the end user that is not associated with the network entity. The second identifier is linked to the first identifier. The network entity allows the second identifier to be used to authenticate the user with the collaborative application without the need to use the first identifier when a collaborative session is begun.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a system memory;

a receive module configured to receive an authentication request from one or more collaborative applications;

an authentication module configured to use a first identifier for one or more end users that use the one or more collaborative applications, the first identifier being within a recognition domain and being used to verify that at least one of the one or more end users is permitted to use at least one of the one or more collaborative applications, the authentication module further configured to send second data to the one of the one or more collaborative applications, the second data being structured to be interpretable by the one of the one or more collaborative applications as meaning that the one of the one or more users is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications; and

a linking module configured to receive a second identifier for the one of the one or more end users that is not at least initially in the recognition domain and to link the second identifier with the first identifier so that the second identifier can be used to authenticate the one of the one or more end users with the one of the one or more collaborative applications without the need to use the first identifier when the one of the one or more end users begins a collaborative session using the one of the one or more collaborative applications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first identifier is an account identifier the one of the one or more end users has with the system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second identifier wherein the second identifier is chosen by the one of the one or more end users and is not associated with first identifier.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is a social network that is configured to be associated with a plurality of collaborative applications and a plurality of end users

5. A computer-implemented method for allowing collaboration among end users of a collaborative application by using an identifier of the end users that is different from a first identifier, the method comprising:

an act of receiving at a network entity an authentication request from one or more collaborative applications that use the network entity to authenticate one or more end users that use the one or more collaborative applications,

an act of the network entity using a first identifier of a first end user of the one or more end users that is associated with the network entity, the first identifier being within a recognition domain of the network entity and being used by the network entity to verify that at least the first end user is permitted to use at least one of the one or more collaborative applications;

in response, an act of the network entity sending first data to the one of the one or more collaborative applications, the first data being structured to be interpretable by the one of the one or more applications as meaning that the first end user is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications;

an act of receiving, at the network entity, from the one of the one or more collaborative applications a second identifier for the first end user, the second identifier not at least initially being within the recognition domain of the network entity;

an act of linking the second identifier with the first identifier; and

an act of the network entity allowing the second identifier to be used to authenticate the first end user with the one of the one or more collaborative applications without the need to use the first identifier when the first end user begins a collaborative session using the one of the one or more collaborative applications.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the act of the network entity allowing the second identifier to be used to authenticate the first end user with the one of the one or more collaborative applications without the need to use the first identifier comprises:

an act of the network entity sending second data to the first end user, the second data being associated with the second identifier; and

an act of the network entity receiving third data from the first end user that verifies that the first end user is associated with second identifier.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the act of the network entity allowing the second identifier to be used to authenticate the first end user with the one of the one or more collaborative applications without the need to use the first identifier comprises:

an act of the network entity sending fourth data to the one of the one or more collaborative applications, the fourth data being structured to be interpretable by the one of the one or more applications as meaning that the second identifier is able to be entered into the one of the one or more collaborative applications by the first user to begin the collaborative session using the one of the one or more collaborative applications.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, further comprising:

an act of receiving at the network entity a second authentication request from a second one of the one or more collaborative applications that use the network entity to authenticate the first end user that uses the one or more collaborative applications,

an act of the network entity using the first identifier of the first end user to verify that the first end user is permitted to use the second collaborative application;

in response, an act of the network entity sending fifth data to the second collaborative application, the fifth data being structured to be interpretable by the second collaborative application as meaning that the first end user is permitted to use the one of the second application;

an act of receiving, at the network entity, from the second collaborative application a third identifier for the first end user, the third identifier not at least initially being within the recognition domain of the network entity;

an act of linking the third identifier with the first identifier; and

an act of the network entity allowing the third identifier to be used to authenticate the first end user with the second collaborative application without the need to use the first identifier when the first end user begins a second collaborative session using the second collaborative application.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the networking entity is a social networking entity that is configured to be associated with a plurality of collaborative applications and a plurality of end users.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the first identifier is an account identifier that the one of the one or more users has with the network entity.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the second identifier is chosen by the first end user and is not associated with first identifier or with the network entity.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, further comprising:

an act of receiving at a network entity a third authentication request from the one of the one or more collaborative applications that use the network entity to authenticate a second end user that uses the one of the one or more collaborative applications,

an act of the network entity using a first identifier of the second end user that is associated with the network entity, the first identifier of the second end user being used by the network entity to verify that the second end user is permitted to use the at least one of the one or more collaborative applications;

in response, an act of the network entity sending sixth data to the one of the one or more collaborative applications, the sixth data being structured to be interpretable by the one of the one or more applications as meaning that the second end user is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications;

an act of receiving, at the network entity, from the one of the one or more collaborative applications a second identifier for the second end user, the second identifier of the second end user not at least initially being within the recognition domain of the network entity;

an act of linking the second identifier of the second end user with the first identifier of the second user; and

an act of the network entity allowing the second identifier of the second end user to be used to authenticate the second end user with the one of the one or more collaborative applications without the need to use the first identifier of the second user when the second end user enters the collaborative session begun by the first end user.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the second identifier of the second end user and the second identifier of the first end user are identifiers for different entities.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, further comprising:

an act of receiving at the network entity seventh data from a second network entity, the seventh data being associated with a second recognition domain of the network entity, the seventh data being structured to verify that a second end user of the one or more end users who has an identifier associated with the second network entity is trusted to use the identifier associated with the second network entity to authenticate with the one of the one or more collaborative entities; and

sending eighth data to the second network entity, the eighth data being structured to allow the second network entity to link a second identifier of the second user with the identifier associated with the second network entity so that the second end user is able to join the collaborative session with the one of the one or more end users.

15. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, configure the computing system to perform a method for allowing a network entity to facilitate the creation of a collaborative session between one or more end users and one or more collaborative applications that are associated with the network entity, the method comprising:

receiving at the network entity from one of the one or more collaborative applications an identifier for one of the one or more end users that is not at least initially associated with the network entity;

verifying at the network entity that the identifier is linked with an authentication identifier, the authentication identifier being within a recognition domain of the network entity such that the authentication identifier is able to be used by the network entity to verify that the one of the one or more users is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications; and

in response to verifying that the one or more users is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications, the network entity sending data to the one of the one or more end users, the data being associated with the identifier, the data allowing the one of the one or more end users to access the one of the one or more collaborative applications to thereby begin a collaborative session in the one of the one or more collaborative applications.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving at the network entity from the one of the one or more collaborative applications a second identifier for a second one of the one or more end users that is not at least initially associated with the recognition domain of the network entity;

verifying that the second identifier is associated with a second authentication identifier, the second authentication identifier being within the recognition domain of the network entity such that the second authentication identifier is able to be used by the network entity to verify that the second one of the one or more end users is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications; and

in response to verifying that the second one or more end users is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications, sending data to the second one of the one or more end users, the data being associated with the second identifier, the data allowing the second one of the one or more end users to access the collaborative session begun by the one of one or more end users.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the second identifier is received from the second one the of the one or more end users in response to an invitation that is provided to the second one of the one or more end users from the one of the one or more end users.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the data that allows the one of the one or more end users to access the one of the one or more collaborative applications is useable by the one of the one or more end users for a predetermined amount of time.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, at a second network entity that is different from the first network entity, from the one of the one or more collaborative applications a second identifier for a second one of the one or more end users that is not at least initially associated with the recognition domain of the network entity;

verifying at the second network entity that the second identifier is associated with a second authentication identifier, the second authentication identifier being within a recognition domain of the second network entity such that the second authentication identifier is able to be used by the second network entity to verify that the second one of the one or more end users is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications; and

in response to verifying that the second one of the one or more end users is permitted to use the one of the one or more collaborative applications, sending from the second network entity data to the second one of the one or more end users, the data being associated with the second identifier, the data allowing the second one of the one or more end users to access the collaborative session begun by the one of one or more end users.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the network entity is a first social networking entity that is configured to be associated with a plurality of collaborative applications and a plurality of end users and the second network entity is a second social networking entity that is configured to be associated with the plurality of collaborative applications and the plurality of end users.