Method and device for authenticating a user on a remote server

• US 7,502,931 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Theimer, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy; Pramila
• Application Number:
  US10/475,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A method is provided for authenticating a user (10) on a remote server 16a, 16b, 16c of a network 18, comprising the steps of receiving an authentication request from said remote server 16a, 16b, 16c of said network 18 by a terminal device 14, retrieving a respective authentication key from a personal trusted device 12 in which a plurality of network addresses of remote servers 16a, 16b, 16c and corresponding authentication keys are stored in a database, and displaying said authentication key to the user 10 on said personal trusted device 12.

Claims

1. Method for use by a personal trusted device, comprising:

receiving from a terminal device a network address of a remote server, said network address being provided by the remote server to the terminal device in an authentication request,

retrieving a respective authentication key of said remote server, wherein a plurality of network addresses of remote servers and corresponding authentication keys are stored in a database of said personal trusted device, and

displaying said retrieved authentication key on said personal trusted device,

wherein said retrieved authentication key is provided to the terminal device by a user of the terminal device for authenticating said user on said remote server.

2. Method according to claim 1, where said authentication keys are a user login name and a password.

3. Method according to claim 1, where said authentication key is a personal identification number.

4. Method according to claim 1, where said network addresses are uniform resource locations or uniform resource identifiers.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein:

said network addresses and said corresponding authentication keys are encrypted before storing in said database on said personal trusted device, and

said authentication key retrieved from said database on said personal trusted device is decrypted before displaying it to the user on said personal trusted device.

6. Method according to claim 1, further comprising:

requesting the user'"'"'s authentication before retrieving the respective authentication key.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the authentication key retrieval is closed automatically, if said personal trusted device remains inactive for a predetermined period of time.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium storing program codes thereon for used by a personal trusted device, wherein the program codes comprise:

instructions for receiving from a terminal device a network address of a remote server, said network address being provided by the remote server to the terminal device in an authentication request.

instructions for retrieving a respective authentication key of said remote server. wherein a plurality of network addresses of remote servers and corresponding authentication keys are stored in a database of said personal trusted device, and

instructions for displaying said authentication key on said personal trusted device,

wherein said authentication key is provided to the terminal device by a user of the terminal device for authenticating said user on said remote server.

9. Computer program according to claim 8, implemented as a Java applet.

10. Computer program product of claim 8, wherein said program product is run on a computer or a mobile terminal device.

11. Personal trusted device, comprising:

a memory, configured to store a plurality of network addresses and respective authentication keys in a database,

an authentication key retriever, configured to retrieve a respective authentication key from said database upon entry of a network address of a remote server, and

a display, configured to display said retrieved authentication key,

wherein said network address is provided by said remote server to a terminal device in an authentication request,

wherein said network address is transferred from said terminal device to said personal trusted device, and

wherein said retrieved authentication key is provided to the terminal device by a user of the terminal device for authenticating said user on said remote server.

12. Personal trusted device according to claim 11, wherein said personal trusted device is a mobile terminal device.

13. Personal trusted device according to claim 11, wherein said personal trusted device is a paging terminal device.

14. Communication network, comprising:

at least one terminal device,

an access point in communication with said terminal device and forming part of a network, and

a personal trusted device,

wherein said personal trusted device comprises;

a memory, configured to store a plurality of network addresses and respective authentication keys in a database,

an authentication key retriever, configured to retrieve a respective authentication key from said database upon entry of a network address of said access point, and

a display, configured to display said retrieved authentication key,

wherein said network address is provided by said access point to said terminal device in an authentication request,

wherein said network address is transferred from said terminal device to said personal trusted device, and

wherein said retrieved authentication key is provided to the terminal device by a user of the tenninal device for authenticating said user with said network.

15. Communication network according to claim 14, where said terminal device is connected to said personal trusted device by a wired link.

16. Communication network according to claim 14, where said terminal device has a wireless connection to said personal trusted device.

17. Communication network according to claim 16, where said terminal device is connected to said personal trusted device by a bluetooth connection.

18. Communication network according to claim 16, where said terminal device is connected to said personal trusted device by an infrared connection.

19. Communication network according to claim 16, where said terminal device is connected to said personal trusted device by an ultraviolet connection.

20. A personal trusted device apparatus, comprising:

means for storing a plurality of network addresses and respective authentication keys in database,

means for retrieving a respective authentication key from said database upon entry of a network address of a remote server, and

means for displaying said retrieved authentication key,

wherein said network address is provided by said remote server to a terminal device in an authentication request,

wherein said network address is transferred from said terminal device to said apparatus, and

wherein said retrieved authentication key is provided to the terminal device by a user of the terminal device for authenticating said user on said remote server.

21. A communication network, comprising:

at least one terminal device,

an access point in communication with said terminal device and forming part of a network, and

a personal trusted device,

wherein said personal trusted device comprises;

means for storing a plurality of network addresses and respective authentication keys in a database,

means for retrieving a respective authentication key from said database upon entry of a network address of a remote server, and

means for displaying said retrieved authentication key,

wherein said network address is provided by said remote server to a terminal device in an authentication request,

wherein said network address is transferred from said terminal device to said personal trusted device,and

wherein said retrieved authentication key is provided to the terminal device by a user of the terminal device for authenticating said user on said remote server.