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Cross-site timed out authentication management

  • US 7,237,024 B2
  • Filed: 10/15/2002
  • Issued: 06/26/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for monitoring Web browsing activity across a network of affiliated sites and for enabling said sites to detect and to force re-authentication upon users who have had a period of network-wide inactivity longer than a site-specific maximum allowable inactivity period, wherein said network comprises at least one network authentication server (NAS) which maintains a network-wide activity tracking (NATr) cookie, said NATr cookie comprising a set of network-wide activity tracking (NATr) parameters for each registered user, and wherein each of said sites maintains a site-specific activity tracking (SATr) cookie which comprises a set of site-specific activity tracking (SATr) parameters for each registered user, the method comprising the steps of:

  • (a) requesting, by a user, a page from a site in said network;

    (b) checking, by said site, whether the user has already been authenticated;

    (c) if the check result in step (b) is yes, then updating the user'"'"'s SATr parameters and storing them into said SATr cookie;

    (d) checking said SATr cookie to determine whether the user has been inactive at said site for longer than said site'"'"'s maximum allowable inactivity period Pmax;

    (e) if the check result in step (d) is yes, then redirecting the user along with said Pmax and said site'"'"'s return URL to a network authentication server (NAS) associated with said network to check the user'"'"'s network-wide activity;

    (f) updating, by said NAS, the user'"'"'s network-wide activity tracking (NATr) parameters and storing them into said NATr cookie;

    (g) inspecting the user'"'"'s NATr parameters in said NATr cookie to determine whether the user has been inactive for longer than said Pmax; and

    (h) if the check result in step (g) is yes, then forcing the user to re-authenticate.

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