Method and apparatus for providing user authentication using a back channel
First Claim
1. A method for providing user authentication comprising:
- (a) sending, by a first unit, user identification data to an authentication unit;
(b) using the user identification data to determine which intermediate destination unit will receive an authentication code to be used to authenticate the user;
(c) sending the authentication code to the determined intermediate destination unit based on the user identification data via a first secondary channel;
(d) re-transmitting, by the intermediate destination unit, the authentication code to the first unit via a second secondary channel in a way that is transparent to the user;
(e) in response to receiving the re-transmitted authentication code from the intermediate destination unit, returning the authentication code to the authentication unit; and
(f) authenticating the user when the returned authentication code is determined to be suitable.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus provides user authentication by communicating primary authentication information, such as user identification data and/or password data to an authentication unit via a primary channel such as over the Internet. An authentication code is generated by the authentication unit on a per session basis and is sent to a destination unit via a first secondary channel during the session. The destination unit then retransmits the authentication code, on a second secondary channel, to the first unit in a way that is transparent to a user of the first unit. The first device then send the received re-transmitted authentication code back to the authentication unit via the primary channel during the session.
112 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for providing user authentication comprising:
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(a) sending, by a first unit, user identification data to an authentication unit; (b) using the user identification data to determine which intermediate destination unit will receive an authentication code to be used to authenticate the user; (c) sending the authentication code to the determined intermediate destination unit based on the user identification data via a first secondary channel; (d) re-transmitting, by the intermediate destination unit, the authentication code to the first unit via a second secondary channel in a way that is transparent to the user; (e) in response to receiving the re-transmitted authentication code from the intermediate destination unit, returning the authentication code to the authentication unit; and (f) authenticating the user when the returned authentication code is determined to be suitable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A storage medium comprising:
memory containing executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to; send, by a first unit, user identification data to an authentication unit; use the user identification data to determine which intermediate destination unit will receive an authentication code to be used to authenticate the user; send the authentication code to the determined intermediate destination unit based on the user identification data via a first secondary channel; re-transmit, by the intermediate destination unit, the authentication code to the first unit via a second secondary channel in a way that is transparent to the user; in response to receiving the re-transmitted authentication code from the intermediate destination unit, return the authentication code to the authentication unit; and authenticate the user when the returned authentication code is determined to be suitable. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A system for providing user authentication comprising:
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a first unit; a second unit operatively coupleable to the first unit via a primary wireless channel and operatively coupleable to an authenticator; and a third unit, operatively coupleable to the second unit via a wireless back channel and operatively coupleable to the first unit via a secondary short range channel, the first unit operative to send primary authentication information via the primary channel during a session to the second unit; the authenticator operative to use the primary authentication information to determine which destination unit, other than the first unit, will receive an authentication code as secondary authentication information via the wireless back channel and wherein the destination unit is the third unit; the second unit operative to the send the authentication code on the wireless back channel to the destination unit based on the primary authentication information sent via the primary channel during the same session; the destination unit operative to re-transmit the authentication code to the first unit via a second secondary channel in a way that is transparent to a user of the first unit; the first unit operative to return the authentication code on the wireless primary channel to the second unit during the same session; and the authenticator operative to authenticate the user when the returned authentication code received from the wireless primary channel is determined to be suitable. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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Specification