Internet service provider preliminary user registration mechanism provided by centralized authority

• US 6,385,651 B2
• Filed: 05/05/1998
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Liberate Technologies
• Inventors: Zmuda, James E., Dancs, Frank B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/073,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/203, 709/220, 709/221, 709/229, 707/10, 713/155, 713/156
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

User and network computer client device (NC) registration with an internet service provider (ISP) occurs in two phases: the first phase with the relationship server and the second phase with the ISP. In the first phase, the NC sends the relationship server a unique identifier of the NC manufacturer, such as the manufacturer identification number. In the preferred embodiment, the NC also transmits an enterprise identification number from a smart card uniquely specifying the ISP to which the user wishes to connect. The relationship server queries a relationship database using the manufacturer and enterprise identification numbers. In the preferred embodiment, the relationship server determines whether the specified manufacturer has authorized connection to the specified ISP; if no authorization exists in the relationship server database, then the relationship server disconnects from the NC. Otherwise, the relationship server transmits NC connection information and initial registration contents for the ISP to the NC. The NC preferably writes the initial registration contents to the user'"'"'s smart card. In the preferred embodiment, the initial registration contents is identical for all users of the same ISP and is digitally signed by the ISP. The second phase of the user registration is entirely governed by the ISP. Upon authentication of the ISP using the authorized usage certificate for the ISP within the NC, the ISP is free to overwrite the user'"'"'s initial registration contents user specific ISP account information that the ISP digitally signs. In the preferred embodiment, although the initial registration contents for the ISP on the user'"'"'s smart card is overwritten during the second phase of user registration, the NC connection information remains the same after registration with the ISP. Although the ISP is allowed to overwrite this data (either the smart card contents or the NVRAM contents) at anytime.

Claims

1. A method for a relationship server to provide connection information to a network computer client device (NC) for an internet service provider (ISP), the method comprising the steps of:

(a) answering a modem call from the NC;

(b) receiving from the NC an NC manufacturer identification number;

(c) querying a relationship database with the NC manufacturer identification number to locate the NC connection information for the ISP corresponding to the NC manufacturer identification number;

(d) transmitting to the NC connection information for the ISP, the ISP being a separate entity from the relationship server; and

(e) disconnecting the modem call from the NC.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

after step (a) and before step (c),

(f) receiving from the NC an enterprise identification number stored on a smart card inserted into the NC which corresponds to the ISP.

3. A method as in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

after step (f) and before step (d),

(g) querying the relationship database with the enterprise identification number to locate the NC connection information for the ISP corresponding to the enterprise identification number.

4. A method as in claim 3, further comprising the step of:

after step (f) and before step (c),

(h) querying the relationship database with the manufacturer identification number and the enterprise identification number to determine if the NC is authorized to connect to the ISP designated by the enterprise identification number, and disconnecting the modem call if the NC is not authorized to connect to the ISP designated by the enterprise identification number.

5. A method as in claim 4, further comprising the step of:

after step (f) and before step (e),

(i) transmitting a root ISP certificate to the NC.

6. A method as in claim 5, further comprising the step of:

after step (c) and before step (e),

(j) transmitting initial registration contents for the ISP.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein step (j) includes the step of transmitting an initial ISP registration universal resource locator (URL).

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein step (d) includes the step of:

(k) transmitting an internet access provider (IAP) matrix corresponding to the ISP.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein step (k) includes the step of transmitting a username/password pair for the ISP.

10. A computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer readable program code embodied on said computer readable storage medium, said computer readable program code for programming a computer to perform a method for providing connection information to a network computer client device (NC) for an internet service provider (ISP), the method comprising the steps of;

(a) answering a modem call from the NC;

(b) receiving from the NC an NC manufacturer identification number;

(b) receiving from the NC an NC manufacturer identification number;

(c) querying a relationship database with the NC manufacturer identification number to locate the NC connection information for the ISP corresponding to the NC manufacturer identification number;

(d) transmitting to the NC connection information for the ISP, the ISP being a separate entity from the relationship server; and

(e) disconnecting the modem call from the NC.

11. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 10, further comprising the step of:

after step (a) and before step (c),

(f) receiving from the NC an enterprise identification number stored on a smart card inserted into the NC which corresponds to the ISP.

12. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

after step (f) and before step (d),

(g) querying the relationship database with the enterprise identification number to locate the NC connection information for the ISP corresponding to the enterprise identification number.

13. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 12, further comprising the step of:

after step (f) and before step (c),

(h) querying the relationship database with the manufacturer identification number and the enterprise identification number to determine if the NC is authorized to connect to the ISP designated by the enterprise identification number, and disconnecting the modem call if the NC is not authorized to connect to the ISP designated by the enterprise identification number.

14. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 13, further comprising the step of:

after step (f) and before step (e),

(i) transmitting a root ISP certificate to the NC.

15. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 14, further comprising the step of:

after step (c) and before step (e),

(j) transmitting initial registration contents for the ISP.

16. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 15, wherein step (j) includes the step of transmitting an initial ISP registration universal resource locator (URL).

17. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 10, wherein step (d) includes the step of:

(k) transmitting an internet access provider (IAP) matrix corresponding to the ISP.

18. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code as in claim 17, wherein step (k) includes the step of transmitting a username/password pair for the ISP.

19. An apparatus for providing connection information to a network computer client device (NC) for an internet service provider (ISP), the apparatus comprising:

(a) means for answering a modem call from the NC;

(b) means for receiving from the NC an NC manufacturer identification number;

(c) means for querying a relationship database with the NC manufacturer identification number to locate the NC connection information for the ISP corresponding to the NC manufacturer identification number;

(d) means for transmitting to the NC connection information for the ISP, the ISP being a separate entity from the relationship server; and

(e) means for disconnecting the modem call from the NC.

20. An apparatus as in claim 19, further comprising:

(f) means for receiving from the NC an enterprise identification number stored on a smart card inserted into the NC which corresponds to the ISP.

21. An apparatus as in claim 20, further comprising:

(g) means for querying the relationship database with the enterprise identification number to locate the NC connection information for the ISP corresponding to the enterprise identification number.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising:

(h) means for querying the relationship database with the manufacturer identification number and the enterprise identification number to determine if the NC is authorized to connect to the ISP designated by the enterprise identification number, and disconnecting the modem call if the NC is not authorized to connect to the ISP designated by the enterprise identification number.

23. An apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising:

(i) means for transmitting a root ISP certificate to the NC.

24. An apparatus as in claim 23, further comprising:

(j) means for transmitting initial registration contents for the ISP.

25. An apparatus as in claim 24, wherein means (j) includes:

means for transmitting an initial ISP registration universal resource locator (URL).

26. An apparatus as in claim 19, wherein means (c) includes:

(k) means for transmitting an internet access provider (IAP) matrix corresponding to the ISP.

27. An apparatus as in claim 26, wherein means (k) includes:

means for transmitting a username/password pair for the ISP.