Application of automatic internet identification methods

• US 7,756,748 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trivnet Ltd. (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Trivnet Ltd. (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Wilf, Saar, Shaked, Shvat, Tal, Or, Tarsi, Yuval
• Primary Examiner(s): Havan; Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US09/772,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20010034718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,450 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 : Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 : Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting

Abstract

A method of controlling access to a service over a network, including the steps of automatically identifying a service user and acquiring user information, thereby to control the access. Additionally, a method of providing service over a network, in which the service requires identification of a user, including the steps of automatically identifying the user; and associating the user with user information, thus enabling the service.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access of a user to a service, the method comprising:

obtaining a first, transient identifier associated with a communication session of said user over an anonymous network;

obtaining a second identifier associated with persistent real-world information of said user from a network access provider (NAP) through which said user is connected to said service, said second identifier associated with said first identifier at said NAP; and

controlling access based on said second identifier.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said service is selected from the group consisting of e-mail service, electronic banking, financial service, and firewall.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said network is selected from the group consisting of an Internet network, a wireless data network, a cellular data network, and a CATV-based data network.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating the reliability of said second identifier based on predetermined criteria; and

determining the level of access to provide to said user based on said reliability.

13. A method according to claim 1 for verifying the authenticity of information provided by a user in a communication session over an anonymous network, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining account details previously collected by said NAP and associated with said user by said NAP; and

determining the authenticity of said information by comparing said information with said previously verified account details.

14. A method according to claim 1 verifying the authenticity of information provided by a user, the method comprising:

sending by a service provider to a network access provider (NAP) through which said user is engaged in a communication session with said service provider a request to identify said user, said request including said information and an identifier of said communication session; and

receiving a report from said NAP comprising the match results between said information and account details previously collected by said NAP and associated with said user by said NAP.

5. A method for providing a telephone call identifier, the method comprising:

obtaining by a network device an identifier associated with a telephone line accessing a data network; and

sending said identifier to be associated with a telephone call to a terminating telephone network.

6. A method for verifying that an anonymous network user is an adult, the method comprising:

obtaining by a network device account details associated with said user; and

reporting said user as an adult if said account details pertain only to users above a predetermined age.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said step of obtaining comprises receiving said account details from a network access provider servicing said user.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said account details pertain to at least one user below said predetermined age and further comprising:

obtaining information associated with said account generally known only to adult users of said account;

requesting said user to enter an at least generally significant part of said information; and

reporting said user as an adult if said at least generally significant part matches the corresponding part of said information.

9. A method for handling telephone calls during a dial-up Internet connection, the method comprising:

obtaining an identifier of a telephone line connecting a user to a data network from a network side of a connection between said user and said data network;

associating said identifier with information for contacting said user over said network; and

configuring incoming telephone calls to said user according to said information.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

upon receiving said incoming call, sending notification of said incoming call to said user.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

forwarding said incoming call to said user over said network;

forwarding said incoming call to said user over a telephone network;

sending to said user information about the origin of said incoming call; and

receiving from said user at least one order about how to handle said incoming call.

12. A system for handling telephone calls, the system comprising:

an extraction unit able to extract an identifier of a telephone line connecting a user to a data network from a network side of a connection between said user and said network;

an association unit able to associate said identifier with information for contacting a user associated with said telephone line over said network; and

a messenger system communicating with said user over said network using said information for contacting said user.