Method for displaying web user's authentication status in a distributed single login network

• US 8,161,157 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tom, Allen Lee, Bethur, Mohan Kumar S., Shin, Hyun Jong, Huang, Jun-Shong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea, Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/851,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225, 709227-229, 726 3- 8, 715/513, 715741-747, 715/760, 715/772, 715/779, 715808-811
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for automatically displaying a user'"'"'s logged-in status across an Internet based network of affiliated Web sites via a visual indicator such as a toolbar to help the user to be certain about his logged-in status when he stays with one or switches from one to another affiliated Web site.

Claims

1. A method for automatically displaying a Web user'"'"'s authentication status in a distributed single-login network, comprising the steps of:

embedding code that instructs the user'"'"'s web browser to load a visual indicator from an authentication server in said distributed single-login network showing a logged-in or a logged-out status as the user moves from one web site to any other participating web site; and

displaying said user'"'"'s logged-in status on said visual indicator in a participating website.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying said user'"'"'s logged-in status on a first visual indicator in a participating website from which said user has logged in said network; and

when said user switches from any participating website to any other participating website in a different domain, automatically displaying said user'"'"'s logged-in status on another visual indicator in said any other participating website without requiring any browser redirects or any additional pre-installed application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said visual indicator is displayed in a toolbar of web sites visited by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said embedded code comprises a small piece of JavaScript bootstrapping code which instructs said user'"'"'s Web browser to load additional JavaScript from a central server of said network to render each participating website'"'"'s toolbar in logged-in state or logged-out state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein whenever said user logs in said network, said central server creates a status cookie storing said user'"'"'s logged-in status and sends status cookie to said user'"'"'s Web browser.

6. An apparatus for automatically displaying a Web user'"'"'s authentication status in a distributed single-login network comprising:

a processor programmed for embedding code that instructs the user'"'"'s web browser to load a visual indicator from an authentication server in said distributed single-login network showing a logged-in or a logged-out status as the user moves from one web site to another web site in said distributed single-login network; and

a processor programmed for displaying said user'"'"'s logged-in status on said visual indicator in a participating website.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a processor programmed for displaying said user'"'"'s logged-in status on a first visual indicator in a participating website from which said user has logged in said network; and

a processor programmed for, responsive to said user switching from any participating website to any other participating website in a different domain, automatically displaying said user'"'"'s logged-in status on another visual indicator in said any other participating website without requiring any browser redirects or any additional pre-installed application.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a processor programmed for displaying said indicator in a toolbar of a web site responsive to a visit to said web site by said user.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said embedded code comprises a small piece of JavaScript bootstrapping code which instructs said user'"'"'s Web browser to load additional JavaScript from said server to render each participating website'"'"'s toolbar in logged-in state or logged-out state.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a processor programmed for, responsive to said user logging in said network, creating a status cookie storing said user'"'"'s logged-in status and sending said status cookie to said user'"'"'s Web browser.