Method of authenticating membership for providing access to a secure environment by authenticating membership to an associated secure environment

• US 6,611,916 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 08/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Pierce, Jeffrey, Carvell, Rebecca E., Obrea, Andrei, Gardner, David P., Cacace-Bailey, Melissa
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Norman M.
• Application Number:
  US09/213,547
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 380/3, 380/5
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

The present invention provides a way to access a secure environment by virtue of a right to access another secure environment. The present invention is directed to, in a general aspect, a method of authenticating membership for providing access to a secure environment. The environment for which access is requested can be a network environment, such as, for example, an Internet, containing a first secure domain and a second secure domain. Network connections can be made using TCP/IP protocols. Claimants inside and outside of the first secure environment are afforded access to the second secure environment. The first secure environment uses its own authentication information, such as a database of user names and passwords, for authenticating claimants. In order for an outside claimant to gain access to the second secure environment, the outside claimant must have previously been an inside claimant. When the inside claimant accesses the second secure environment, the server of the second secure environment stores location information on the claimant'"'"'s computer. The method allows for authentication of claimants for providing access to several secure environments based on access to a first secure environment.

Claims

1. A method of allowing access of a user to secure computer environments comprising the steps of:

a. authenticating the user'"'"'s right to access a first secure environment; and

b. using the user'"'"'s right to enter the first secure environment to permit the user to enter a second secure environment.

2. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the first secure environment is a network.

3. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the second secure environment is a network.

4. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the first secure environment is a secure domain and the second secure environment is another secure domain.

5. The method claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second secure environments are interconnected by an Internet.

6. A method of authenticating membership of a claimant outside a first secure environment for providing the claimant access to a second secure environment comprising the steps of:

a. providing location information to a claimant, the location information comprising information regarding the location of the first secure environment;

b. requesting access to the second secure environment;

c. reading location information to obtain the location of the first secure environment;

d. directing the claimant to the first secure environment;

e. providing authentication information to the first secure environment;

f. verifying the claimant;

g. accessing the first secure environment;

h. providing additional authentication information to the claimant for authentication at the second secure environment;

i. directing the claimant to the second secure environment;

j. authenticating the claimant at the second secure environment; and

k. providing access to the second secure environment.

7. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein in step (a) providing the location information is performed by the following steps:

a. providing authentication information to the claimant while the claimant is inside the first secure environment;

b. directing the claimant to the second secure environment;

c. directing the claimant to the second secure environment,

d. authenticating the claimant at the second secure environment; and

e. using the second secure environment to give location information of the first secure environment to the claimant.

8. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein step (j) authentication is performed by performing a comparison of the claimant'"'"'s authentication information with authentication information in the second secure environment.

9. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein the first secure environment is a secure domain and the second secure environment is another secure domain.

10. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein in step (a) the location information is a Uniform Resource Locator.

11. The method claimed in claim 6 where in step (a) the location information is provided in a cookie.

12. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein the first secure environment is a network.

13. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein the second secure environment is a network.

14. The method claimed in claim 6 wherein the first and second secure environments are interconnected by an Internet.