Method and system for authenticating a user receiving device into a primary service provider system to communicate with a partner service provider

• US 8,621,646 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Kapil
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolentino, Roderick
• Application Number:
  US11/960,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20090161867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,204 Days
• Field of Search: 380243-246, 726 1- 34, 700225-227, 705 57- 58, 711/164
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/601 Broadcast encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A method and system for authenticating a user receiving device to communicate with a partner service device includes a primary service provider. A user receiving device generates a request for a first encrypted token. The user receiving device communicates the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service of the primary service provider. The authentication web service generates the first encrypted token. The primary service provider communicates the first encrypted token to the user receiving device. The user receiving device communicates the first encrypted token to the partner service provider. The partner service provider communicates data to the user receiving device after receiving the first encrypted token.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a request for a first encrypted token at a user receiving device;

communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service associated with a primary service provider;

generating the first encrypted token at the authentication web service, wherein the first encrypted token comprises a site identifier encrypted therein that identifies a partner service provider;

communicating the first encrypted token from the authentication web service to the primary service provider;

communicating the first encrypted token from the primary service provider to the user receiving device;

communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider;

validating a request for data from the user receiving device at the partner service provider by decrypting the first encrypted token and validating the site identifier; and

receiving the data from the partner service provider at the user receiving device after validation of the first encrypted token.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token at a user receiving device comprises generating the request at a satellite set top box.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the primary service provider to the user receiving device through a secure server.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the primary service provider to the user receiving device through a broadband network.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the primary service provider to the user receiving device through a public switched telephone network.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the primary service provider to the user receiving device through an interactive video guard server.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the primary service provider to the user receiving device through a secure connection.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider through a secure server.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider through a broadband network.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider through a public switched telephone network.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider through an interactive video guard sever.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider comprises communicating the first encrypted token from the user receiving device to the partner service provider through a secure connection.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token having an expiration time.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a site identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token using the site identifier.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a site identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the site identifier and an account identifier.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a site identifier and a user receiver identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the site identifier and user receiver identifier.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a site identifier, a user receiver identifier and an account identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the site identifier, user receiver identifier and an account identifier.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a site identifier, a user receiver identifier and an account identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the site identifier, user receiver identifier, an account identifier and an expiration time.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein generating a request for a first encrypted token comprises generating the request including a site identifier and wherein generating the first encrypted token comprises generating the first encrypted token by encrypting the site identifier and an expiration time for the first encrypted token.

20. A system comprising:

a primary service provider;

a partner service provider;

a user receiving device in communication with the primary service provider and the partner service provider and generating a request for a first encrypted token, said user receiving device communicating the request for the first encrypted token to an authentication web service of the primary service provider;

said authentication web service generating the first encrypted token, wherein the first encrypted token comprises a site identifier encrypted therein that identifies the partner service provider;

said authentication web service communicating the first encrypted token to the primary service provider;

said primary service provider communicating the first encrypted token to the user receiving device;

said user receiving device communicating the first encrypted token to the partner service provider;

said partner service provider validating a request for data from the user receiving device by decrypting the first encrypted token and validating the site identifier; and

said partner service provider communicating the data to the user receiving device after validating the first encrypted token.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the user receiving device comprises a satellite television set top box.

22. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a secure server, said user receiving device communicating the request for the first encrypted token through the secure server.

23. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a public switched telephone network, said user receiving device communicating the request for the first encrypted token through the public switched telephone network.

24. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising an interactive video guard server, said user receiving device communicating the request for the first encrypted token through the interactive video guard server.

25. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a secure connection, said primary service provider communicates the first encrypted token through the secure connection.

26. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a secure server, said primary service provider communicates the first encrypted token through the secure server.

27. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a public switched telephone network, said primary service provider communicates the first encrypted token through the public switched telephone network.

28. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising an interactive video guard server, said primary service provider communicates the first encrypted token through the interactive video guard server.

29. A system as recited in claim 20 further comprising a secure connection, said primary service provider communicates the first encrypted token through the secure connection.

30. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first encrypted token comprises an expiration time.

31. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first encrypted token comprises the site identifier and an account identifier.

32. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first encrypted token comprises the site identifier and a site user identifier.

33. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first encrypted token comprises the site identifier, a site user identifier and an account identifier.

34. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first encrypted token comprises the site identifier, a site user identifier, an account identifier and an expiration time.

35. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first encrypted token comprises a site user identifier and an expiration time.

36. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the first encrypted token comprises the site identifier and an expiration time for the first encrypted token.