Method and system for consistent recognition of ongoing digital relationships

• US 7,739,500 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2005
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nanda, Arun K., Cameron, Kim, Kwan, Stuart L. S., Harjanto, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Colin; Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HEE K
• Application Number:
  US11/074,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713155-159, 713/161, 713/168, 380/229, 380/232, 380247-250, 380/258, 380/277, 705/67, 705/51
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a method and system for creating an attendance marker and establishing consistent recognition of an ongoing digital relationship, including receiving an identity key about a server, creating an attendance marker, associating the attendance marker with the server. Other embodiments relate to systems and methods for recognizing a server, website, and/or other system for a client, such as a computer system for a user. Such authentication involves receiving an identity key about a web server or other system, creating an attendance marker, associating the attendance marker with the server, requesting an attendance marker associated with a server, and recognizing the server based at least in part on the attendance marker.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of recognition of an ongoing digital relationship, comprising:

receiving, at a client computing device, an identity key associated with a server, wherein the identity key includes server specific information about the server;

creating a random master key;

creating an attendance marker and an attendance marker identifier, wherein the attendance marker is created using the identity key, the master key, and a constant, and wherein creating an attendance marker comprises encrypting identifying information using an encryption key derived from the identity key and the master key;

associating the attendance marker with the server;

sending the attendance marker to the server for storing the attendance marker on the server in association with a website for which the attendance marker has been created;

requesting the previously stored attendance marker from the server, wherein the attendance marker indicates that the client computing device has previously accessed the server; and

authenticating the server based at least in part on the attendance marker, wherein the authenticating comprises decrypting the attendance marker.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein requesting the attendance marker comprises providing the attendance marker identifier corresponding to the attendance marker.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the attendance marker identifier comprises a hash of the identity key, master key, and a constant.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a certificate comprising the identity key.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising parsing the identity key from the certificate.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the encrypting comprises a hash function.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising requesting further assurances related to the attendance marker.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the authenticating comprises determining if the decrypted attendance marker matches an original attendance marker.

9. A system to send an identity information document, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communication channel connected with the processor; and

a memory coupled with and readable by the processor, the memory containing a series of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive an identity key associated with a server, wherein the identity key includes server specific information about the server,

create a random master key,

create an attendance marker, wherein the attendance marker is created using the identity key, the master key, and a constant, associating the attendance marker with the server, wherein the attendance marker indicates that a client has previously accessed the server, wherein creation of an attendance marker comprises encrypting identifying information using an encryption key derived from the identity key and the master key,

send the attendance marker to the server for storing the attendance marker on the server in association with a website for which the attendance marker has been created,

request the stored attendance marker-from the server, and

recognize the server based at least in part on the stored attendance marker.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that cause the processor to create an attendance marker identifier corresponding to the attendance marker.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein requesting the attendance marker comprises providing the attendance marker identifier corresponding to the attendance marker.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the encrypting comprises a hash function.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that cause the processor to request further assurances related to the attendance marker.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to recognizing the server, allowing further interaction between the client and the server, and

responsive to not recognizing the server, requesting a certificate about the server.

15. A computer storage media encoding instructions for executing a computer implemented method for recognition of an ongoing digital relationship, the method comprising:

receiving an identity key associated with a server, wherein the identity key includes server specific information about the server;

creating a random master key;

creating an attendance marker and an attendance marker identifier, wherein the attendance marker and attendance marker identifier are created using the identity key, the master key, and a constant, and wherein the identity key, master key, and constant may not be determined from the resultant attendance marker, and wherein creating an attendance marker comprises encrypting identifying information using an encryption key derived from the identity key and the master key;

associating the attendance marker with the server, wherein the attendance marker indicates that a client has previously accessed the server;

sending the attendance marker to the server for storing the attendance marker on the server in association with a website for which the attendance marker has been created;

presenting the attendance marker identifier to the server;

in response to presenting the attendance marker identifier, receiving the previously stored attendance marker from the server; and

determining whether the received attendance marker matches the created attendance marker.