Regulating concurrent logins associated with a single account
First Claim
1. A method for regulating network access, the method comprising:
- receiving a request for network access for a user identity;
identifying a type of connection being sought by the user identity over the network as being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection;
identifying the user identity for which the request is submitted;
identifying one or more other user identities that are associated with the user identity;
determining whether the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity have network access contemporaneously with the received request;
determining types of connections used to obtain the network access by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access, the types of connections used by the other user identities being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection; and
determining whether to grant the user identity the network access requested based on the type of connection being sought by the user identity and based on the types of connections used by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access,wherein determining whether to grant access comprises applying a set of login rules to determine whether to grant access, andwherein applying the set of login rules comprises;
accessing login rules that indicate a first maximum number of concurrent logins using a first connection type and indicate a second maximum number of concurrent logins using a second connection type, the first connection type being different from the second connection type and the first maximum number being different from the second maximum number;
determining that the type of connection being sought by the user comprises the first type of connection; and
denying access conditioned on a number of concurrent logins of the other user identities that are using the first connection type to obtain network access being equal to the first maximum number.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Regulating network access includes receiving a request for network access for a user identity and identifying a type of connection that the user identity seeks to leverage if granted the network access requested. The user identity for which the request is submitted is identified. One or more other user identities that are associated with the user identity are identified. The other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and that have network access contemporaneously with the received request are determined. The types of connections used to obtain network access by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with user identity and determined to have network access are determined. A determination is made whether to grant the user identity the network access requested based on the type of connections used by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access.
160 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A method for regulating network access, the method comprising:
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receiving a request for network access for a user identity; identifying a type of connection being sought by the user identity over the network as being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection; identifying the user identity for which the request is submitted; identifying one or more other user identities that are associated with the user identity; determining whether the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity have network access contemporaneously with the received request; determining types of connections used to obtain the network access by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access, the types of connections used by the other user identities being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection; and determining whether to grant the user identity the network access requested based on the type of connection being sought by the user identity and based on the types of connections used by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access, wherein determining whether to grant access comprises applying a set of login rules to determine whether to grant access, and wherein applying the set of login rules comprises; accessing login rules that indicate a first maximum number of concurrent logins using a first connection type and indicate a second maximum number of concurrent logins using a second connection type, the first connection type being different from the second connection type and the first maximum number being different from the second maximum number; determining that the type of connection being sought by the user comprises the first type of connection; and denying access conditioned on a number of concurrent logins of the other user identities that are using the first connection type to obtain network access being equal to the first maximum number. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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26. A computer system for regulating access to an online service provider system, the computer system comprising;
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a customer account data store; a system state data store; and an authentication server configured to receive a request for network access for a user identity, identify a type of connection being sought by the user identity over the network as being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection; access the customer account data store to identify one or more other user identities associated with the user identity, access the system state data store to determine whether the other user identities have network access contemporaneously with the received request and to determine types of connections used to obtain the network access by the other user identities, the types of connections used by the other user identities being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection; and determine whether to grant the user identity the network access requested based on the type of connection being sought by the user identity and based on the types of connections used by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access, wherein the authentication server is configured to determine whether to grant the user identity access by applying a set of login rules, and wherein the authentication server being configured to apply the set of login rules comprises the authentication server being configured to; access login rules that indicate a first maximum number of concurrent logins using a first connection type and indicate a second maximum number of concurrent logins using a second connection type, the first connection type being different from the second connection type and the first maximum number being different from the second maximum number; determine that the type of connection being sought by the user comprises the first type of connection; and deny access conditioned on a number of concurrent logins of the other user identities that are using the first connection type to obtain network access being equal to the first maximum number. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 54, 55, 56)
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49. An apparatus for regulating network access, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving a request for network access for a user identity; means for identifying a type of connection being sought by the user identity over the network as being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection; means for identifying the user identity for which the request is submitted; means for identifying one or more other user identities that are associated with the user identity; means for determining whether the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity have network access contemporaneously with the received request; means for determining types of connections used to obtain the network access by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access, the types of connections used by the other user identities being among at least one of a dial-up connection, a broadband connection, a wireless connection, and a private line connection; and means for determining whether to grant the user identity the network access requested based on the type of connection being sought by the user identity and based on the types of connections used by the other user identities that are identified as being associated with the user identity and determined to have network access, wherein the means for determining whether to grant access comprises means for applying a set of login rules to determine whether to grant access, and wherein the means for applying the set of login rules comprises; means for accessing login rules that indicate a first maximum number of concurrent logins using a first connection type and indicate a second maximum number of concurrent logins using a second connection type, the first connection type being different from the second connection type and the first maximum number being different from the second maximum number; means for determining that the type of connection being sought by the user comprises the first type of connection; and means for denying access conditioned on a number of concurrent logins of the other user identities that are using the first connection type to obtain network access being equal to the first maximum number.
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Specification