Method and apparatus enabling automatic login for wireless internet-capable devices

• US 6,865,680 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2000
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yodlee Incorporated (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Yodlee.com, Inc. (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wu, Jonathan, Rangarajan, Anand, Daswani, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Application Number:
  US09/703,432
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 713/182, 713/184, 713/201, 713/202, 380/201, 380/202, 380/270, 380/280, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229
• US Class Current: 726/12
• 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 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/065 Continuous authentication

Abstract

A network-based system for providing automatic login to a network-connected data source on behalf of a network-connected user accessing the system through a wireless communication appliance is provided. The system comprises, a wireless communication appliance, the appliance having network capability and an interactive user interface, the appliance operated for the purpose of accessing the network-connected data source, a network service-provider for providing access to the network; a network gateway for managing communication between the appliance and network-connected data source, a network-connected server node for performing proxy navigation and automated login services for the network-connected user, a data repository accessible to the network-connected server node, the data repository for holding data about the network-connected user and, a network-connected data source, the data source accessible to the network-connected server node. In preferred embodiments, a user operating the appliance while connected to the network invokes a hyperlink displayed in the user interface, the hyperlink containing a browser instruction for contacting the network-connected server node, the server node directing automated navigation to and login to the data source defined by the hyperlink, the login is accomplished through automated insertion of user data retrieved from the data repository into the appropriate fields of a login request.

Claims

1. A network-based system for providing automatic login to a network-connected data source on behalf of a network-connected user accessing the system through a wireless communication appliance comprising:

a wireless communication appliance, the appliance having network capability and an interactive user interface, the appliance operated for the purpose of accessing the network-connected data source;

a network service-provider for providing access to the network;

a network gateway for managing communication between the appliance and network-connected data source;

a network-connected server node for performing proxy navigation and automated login services for the network-connected user;

a data repository accessible to the network-connected server node, the data repository for holding data about the network-connected user; and

a network-connected data source, the data source accessible to the network-connected server node, characterized in that a user operating the appliance while connected to the network invokes a hyperlink displayed in the user interface, the hyperlink containing a browser instruction for contacting the network-connected server node, the server node directing automated navigation to and login to the data source defined by the hyperlink, the login accomplished through automated insertion of user data retrieved from the data repository into the appropriate fields of a login request.

2. The network-based system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet network.

3. The network-based system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication appliance is a handheld computer.

4. The network-based system of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication appliance is a cellular telephone.

5. The network-based system of claim 1, wherein the network service-provider and the network gateway are hosted by a single entity.

6. The network-based system of claim 1, wherein the network service-provider, the network gateway, and the network-connected server node are hosted by a single entity.

7. The network-based system of claim 2, wherein the user data comprises a user name and password pair required as authentication to the network-connected data source defined by the hyperlink.

8. The network-based system of claim 2, wherein the user data comprises a personal identification code.

9. The network-based system of claim 2, wherein a user data comprises a user name and password pair and a personal identification code.

10. The network-based system of claim 3, wherein invocation of the hyperlink results in an HTTP request containing an HTML form for logging into the network-connected data source, the form replaced with a similar form venerated by the network-connected server node, the similar form containing the authentication information.

11. The network-based system of claim 10, wherein the authentication information is a user name and password pair.

12. The network-based system of claim 11, wherein the authentication information is a personal identification code.

13. The network-based system of claim 10, wherein the authentication information is a user name and password pair and a personal identification code.

14. The network-based system of claim 4, wherein invocation of the hyperlink results in an HDML request containing an HDML form for logging into the network-connected data source, the form accepting the user authentication information inserted therein by the network-connected server node.

15. The network-based system of claim 14, wherein the authentication information is a user name and password pair.

16. The network-based system of claim 15, wherein the authentication information is a personal identification code.

17. The network-based system of claim 14, wherein the authentication information is a user name and password pair and a personal identification code.

18. The network-based system of claim 2, wherein the automated login includes generation of a session ID at the network-connected data source, the session ID retrieved from the data source by the network-connected server node and passed back to the requesting appliance.

19. The network-based system of claim 18, wherein the session ID is of the form of a cookie.

20. The network-based system of claim 2, wherein the automated log in includes generation of a session ID at the network-connected data source, the session ID retrieved from the data source by the network-connected server node and passed back to the network gateway used by the requesting appliance.

21. The network-based system of claim 20, wherein the session ID is of the form of a cookie.

22. The network-based system of claim 4, wherein wireless-application-protocol is the communication protocol.

23. The network-based system of claim 4, wherein wireless-markup-language is the communication language.

24. A proxy server for performing automated navigation and login to a network-connected data source on behalf of a network-connected user operating a network-capable wireless appliance comprising:

at least one port for receiving requests from the wireless appliance;

at least one port for establishing a network connection to the data source;

at least one port for establishing a data connection to a data repository; and

a software engine for retrieving data from the data repository and inserting the data into appropriate fields of a request to the data source, such that upon receiving a request from the wireless appliance, the proxy server retrieves authentication data from the data repository and inserts the data into the request or into a duplicate thereof, the request containing the authentication data sent to the data source whereupon the data source accepting the authentication data, registers a successful login, and authenticates the user for an established data session.

25. The proxy server of claim 24, wherein the network is the Internet network.

26. The proxy server of claim 25, wherein the wireless appliance is a handheld computer.

27. The proxy server of claim 25, wherein the wireless appliance is a cellular telephone.

28. The proxy server of claim 25 further comprising:

software for enabling function as a network service-provider; and

software for enabling the function as a network gateway.

29. The proxy server of claim 25, wherein the data retrieved from the data repository comprises a user name and password pair required as authentication data for logging into to the network-connected data source.

30. The proxy server of claim 29, wherein the data retrieved from the data repository comprises a personal identification code.

31. The proxy server of claim 29, wherein the data retrieved from the data repository comprises a user name and password pair and a personal identification code.

32. The proxy server of claim 25, wherein the received request from the wireless appliance results from user invocation of a provided hyperlink viewable in the display portion of the wireless appliance.

33. The proxy server of claim 32, wherein the received request from the wireless appliance is an HTTP request.

34. The proxy server of claim 32, wherein the received request from the wireless appliance is an HDML request.

35. The proxy server of claim 32, wherein the received request from a wireless appliance is a WML request.

36. The proxy server of claim 32, wherein a data session established by the proxy server on behalf of the network-connected user is rendered under the control of the user.

37. The proxy server of claim 36, wherein the automated login includes generation of a session ID at the network-connected data source, the session ID retrieved from the data source by the proxy server and passed back to the requesting appliance.

38. The proxy server of claim 37, wherein the session ID is of the form of a cookie.

39. The proxy server of claim 36, wherein the automated log in includes generation of a session ID at the network-connected data source, the session ID retrieved from the data source by the proxy server and passed back to a network gateway used by the requesting appliance.

40. The proxy server of claim 39, wherein the network gateway and the proxy server function are listed on a same machine.

41. A method for establishing a network data session by proxy on behalf of a user operating a network-capable, wireless appliance comprising:

(a) providing a hyperlink within a user interface of the network-capable appliance, the hyperlink specifying the data source and the proxy-service node to establish the session;

(b) invoking the hyperlink thereby communicating a request for site-access to the proxy-service node;

(c) receiving the request at the proxy-service node;

(d) retrieving authentication data from a connected data repository for insertion into the appropriate form-fields of the request;

(e) sending the request containing the authentication criteria and action instructions to the target site identified in the request;

(f) logging in to the target site and authenticating the user by submitting the appropriate form containing the authentication data; and

(g) rendering the established and authenticated data session under the control of the requesting user.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the network is the Internet network.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the network-capable, wireless appliance is a handheld computer.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the network-capable, wireless appliance is a cellular telephone.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein in step (a), the provided hyperlink contains browser instruction for performing proxy navigation and auto login procedures.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein in step (a), the provided hyperlink further contains instruction for retrieval of authentication data required for login purposes.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (b), the site-access request is an HTTP request.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (b), the hyperlink is of the form of an HDML link.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (b), the hyperlink is of the form of a WML link.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (b), the hyperlink is of the form of an HTML link.

51. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (d), the authentication data is of the form of the user name and password pair required to access the site.

52. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (d), the authentication data is of the form of a personal identification code required to access the site.

53. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (d), the authentication data is of the form of a personal identification code and the user name and password pair required to access the site.

54. The method of claim 46 wherein in step (d), a login form contained within the received request is replaced with a similar form already containing the appropriate authentication data.