Worldwide web registration information processing system

• US 8,271,467 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panalogin LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Acacia Research Group LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Klug, John R., Peterson, Thad D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US12/237,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/44, 705 64- 67, 707705-788, 713182-186, 235 2- 3, 235 6- 7, 709200-203, 709223-232
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• 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 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A World Wide Web registration processing system is disclosed for assisting World Wide Web users in registering at World Wide Web web sites. For each such user, the registration processing system includes a long term repository for the user'"'"'s web site registration information so that this information can be automatically transferred to a plurality of web sites to which the user may at time to time request to be registered. Further, the registration processing system provides the user with the capability to have a common user identification that may be used for accessing services at a plurality of web sites.

Claims

1. A computer server configured to facilitate secure access to at least one third party web site by a user using a common user identifier comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium configured to store user registration information and a common user identifier associated with the stored user registration information;

a network server operatively connected to the computer-readable storage medium and configured for executing a software module, the software module configured for communicating the user registration information to at least one third party web site upon receiving, from the user upon redirection of the user to the network server from the third party website, the common user identifier, wherein the common user identifier is used by both the network server and the at least one third party web site to identify the user;

whereupon communication of the user registration information to the at least one third party web site, the at least one third party web site utilizes the user registration information to authenticate the identity of the user when receiving a request, from the user, instructing the at least one third party web site to perform a given action.

2. A method for registering a user with a third party web site, by utilizing user registration information provided to a registration web site, the method comprising, at a first server configured to present a third party website to a user:

receiving a request from the user to access the third party web site;

determining whether the user is registered with the third party web site;

when registered with the third party web site, allowing the user to access the third party web site; and

when not registered with the third party web site, the method further comprising

providing the user with an option to register directly with the third party web site, and

providing the user with an option to access a second server, the second server in communication with the first server and configured to host a registration website and to register the user using the registration web site by

directing the user to access the second server to register with a registration web site,

receiving a notification that the user has registered with the registration web site, and

obtaining user registration information from the registration web site, wherein the third party web site utilizes the obtained user registration information to register the user with the third party web site.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising receiving a user identifier and user password established with the registration web site.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising establishing a connection between the user and the registration web site;

wherein, via the connection, user registration information is provided to the registration web site; and

a user identifier and user password are associated with the information provided to the registration web site.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising providing the user identifier and user password to the registration web site prior to obtaining user registration information from the registration web site.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing a third party web site identifier to the registration web site prior to obtaining user registration information from the registration web site.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the third party web site is accessed via the registration web site.

8. A system for facilitating the utilization, by a user, of a third party web site using user registration information provided, by the user, to a registration web site, the system comprising:

a first server configured to present a third party web site to a user upon receiving a request from the user to access the third party web site; and

a second server, in communication with the first server, configured to host a registration web site;

wherein upon establishment of a connection between a user client node and the first server, the third party web site

determines whether the user is registered with the third party web site,

when the user is registered with the third party web site, allows the user to access the third party web site, and,

when the user is not registered with the third party website, provides the user with an option to register directly with the third party web site or to use the registration web site by

directing the user to register with a registration web site,

receiving a notification that the user has registered with the registration web site,

obtaining user registration information from the registration web site, and

utilizing the obtained user registration information to register the user with the third party web site.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first server and the second server are collocated.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a registration web site database adapted to store a user identifier, user password, and user registration information.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a third party web site database adapted to store necessary user registration information obtained from the registration web site.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the necessary user registration information comprises a subset of the user registration information stored in the registration web site database.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the client node establishes a connection with at least one of the first server and the second server via the Internet.

14. A system for facilitating access to at least one third party web site, the system comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium configured to store user registration information; and

at least one network server operatively connected to the computer-readable storage medium and configured to

receive user registration information from a user,

receive a request to transmit at least a portion of user registration information associated with the user to a third-party web site, wherein the requested user registration information is stored in the computer-readable storage medium on the at least one network server, and,

based on the request, transmit the at least a portion of user registration information to the third-party web site.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the request is received from the user.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the request is received from the third-party web site.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a user interface which comprises an input that allows the user to request that the at least one network server provide the at least a portion of user registration information to the third-party web site.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one network server receives user registration information from the user by:

providing a user interface to the user for inputting basic information and expanded information;

receiving the basic information inputted by the user; and

receiving the expanded information inputted by the user, if any.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the request comprises a selection of the at least a portion of user registration information, and wherein the selection comprises one or more of the basic information and the expanded information.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one network server also encrypts the at least a portion of user registration information prior to transmittal.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the received user registration information comprises a user identifier and a password.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one network server also enriches the user registration information with additional information acquired from sources other than the user.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one network server also logs activities of users with third-party web sites.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one network server also:

analyzes the activities of the users; and

,

based on the analysis, suggests additional third-party web sites to the users.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one network server also provides statistics to the third-party web sites.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one network server also receives a request by the user to delete the user registration information.

27. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one network server also, after transmitting the at least a portion of user registration information to the third-party web site, alerts the third-party web site if the at least a portion of user registration information becomes outdated.

28. A method for facilitating access to at least one third party web site, the method comprising performing the following by at least one network server:

receiving user registration information from a user;

receiving a request to transmit at least a portion of user registration information associated with the user to a third-party web site, wherein the requested at least a portion of user registration information is stored in a computer-readable storage medium; and

,

based on the request, transmitting the at least a portion of user registration information to the third-party web site.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the request is received from the user.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the request is received from the third-party web site.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing a user interface which comprises an input that allows the user to request that the at least one network server provide the at least a portion of user registration information to the third-party web site.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein receiving user registration information from the user comprises:

providing a user interface to the user for inputting basic information and expanded information;

receiving the basic information inputted by the user; and

receiving the expanded information inputted by the user, if any.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the request comprises a selection of the at least a portion of user registration information, and wherein the selection comprises one or more of the basic information and the expanded information.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising encrypting the at least a portion of user registration information prior to transmittal.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the received user registration information comprises a user identifier and a password.

36. The method of claim 28, further comprising enriching the user registration information with additional information acquired from sources other than the user.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising logging activities of users with third-party web sites.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

analyzing the activities of the users; and

based on the analysis, suggesting additional third-party web sites to the users.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising providing statistics to the third-party web sites.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising receiving a request by the user to delete the user registration information.

41. The method of claim 28, further comprising, after transmitting the at least a portion of user registration information to the third-party web site, alerting the third-party web site if the at least a portion of user registration information becomes outdated.