System and method for authenticating a user for accessing an email account using authentication token

• US 8,756,317 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gorty, Suryanarayana Murthy
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, CHAU D
• Application Number:
  US11/237,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,184 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

A system authenticates a user for accessing an electronic mailbox of the user from a remote device and obtaining electronic mail (email). An email server is provided by an email service provider and contains the electronic mailbox of the user. A mobile office platform is operative for accessing the email server and determines if an authentication token is required to access the electronic mailbox of the user. An authentication token is received from the email server or other server if an authentication token is required. Access is attempted to the electronic mailbox of the user using the authentication token. The authentication token is stored for subsequent use by the user to access their electronic mailbox if access to the electronic mailbox using the token has been successful.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating access to an electronic mailbox from a remote device and obtaining electronic mail (email), comprising:

an email server; and

a mobile office platform server configured as an agent between the email server and the remote device, and comprising a processor configured to

access the email server, including initially accessing the electronic mailbox with a user identification and email address,

determine when an authentication token is required to access the electronic mailbox and, then receive an authentication token from the email server,

retain the user identification and email address when an authentication token is not required for accessing the electronic mailbox,

when an attempt to access the electronic mailbox using the authentication token is successful, store the authentication token for subsequent use and discard the user identification and email address, and

if when access to the electronic mailbox using the authentication token is not successful, request a new authentication token from the email server and make another attempt to access the electronic mailbox using the new authentication token.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile wireless communications device that receives email from the mobile office platform server.

3. A system according to claim 1, which further comprises a database operative with the mobile office platform server for storing the authentication token for subsequent use.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said mobile office platform server includes an email server, and further including a direct access proxy for accessing and retrieving emails from the electronic mailbox.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said mobile office platform server includes a database for storing the authentication token for subsequent use.

6. A method of authenticating access to an electronic mailbox from a remote device and obtaining electronic mail (email), implemented by a processor comprising:

accessing from a mobile office platform server an email server containing the electronic mailbox including initially accessing the email server with a user identification and user email address;

determining when an authentication token is required to access the electronic mailbox and then receiving an authentication token from the email server;

retaining the user identification and email address when an authentication token is not required for accessing the electronic mailbox;

when an attempt to access to the electronic mailbox using the authentication token is successful, storing the authentication token for subsequent use and discarding the user identification and email address; and

when access to the electronic mailbox using the authentication token is not successful, requesting a new authentication token from the email server and making another attempt to access the electronic mailbox using the new authentication token.

7. A method according to claim 6, which further comprises accessing the electronic mailbox from a direct access proxy that retrieves and delivers any user email to the remote device.

8. A method according to claim 6, which further comprises receiving user email on a mobile wireless communications device.

9. A method according to claim 6, which further comprises storing the authentication token on a database for subsequent use.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions executable by a processor comprising:

accessing an electronic mail server that includes the electronic mailbox when a user identification and password is entered including initially accessing the email server with a user identification and user email address;

determining when an authentication token is required to access the electronic mailbox of the user and then receiving an authentication token from the email server;

retaining the user identification and email address when an authentication token is not required for accessing the electronic mailbox;

when an attempt to access the electronic mailbox using the authentication token is successful, storing the authentication token for subsequent use and discarding the user identification and email address; and

when access to the electronic mailbox using the authentication token was not successful, requesting a new authentication token from the email server and making another attempt to access the electronic mailbox using the new authentication token.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions are operative for storing the authentication token on a database for subsequent use.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the computer-executable instructions are operative for delivering email messages to a mobile wireless communications device.