Apparatus, system, and method for network authentication and content distribution

• US 8,789,207 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Davison, James M., Sansone, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dada, Beemnet
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEHESHTI SHIRAZI, SAYED ARESH
• Application Number:
  US13/474,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22, 726/23, 726/28
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for network authentication and content distribution. The apparatus includes an authentication module configured to receive redirected network requests over a communications network from a firewall module and configured to present a user license agreement and not require user-identifiable information, and a content distribution module configured to synchronize over the communications network with a client module and transmit content to the client module. The system includes a firewall module connected with a global communications network, a network connected with the firewall module, a computing device configured to couple with the network, and the apparatus. The method includes receiving redirected network requests over a communications network from a firewall module, presenting a user license agreement and not requiring user-identifiable information, and synchronizing over the communications network with a client module and transmitting content to the client module.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling Internet access, the apparatus comprising:

a firewall module comprising at least one of hardware and non-transitory computer readable storage media, the firewall module operating as part of a local area network (LAN) and situated between a computing device and the Internet, the computing device connected to the LAN behind the firewall module, wherein the firewall module;

intercepts a request from the computing device to access the Internet, the request not reaching the Internet;

requires the client module to be installed on the computing device, the client module originating at the LAN, the client module being required for the computing device to access the Internet;

authenticates the computing device in response to the computing device executing the client module;

causes one or more advertisements to be displayed to the user by the client module during an Internet session conducted through the firewall module; and

terminates the Internet session in response to the client module being terminated such that the one or more advertisements are not presented to the user.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a content distribution module that sends the one or more advertisements to be displayed to the user, wherein the content distribution module further syncs with the client module.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the firewall module further terminates the Internet session in response to the content distribution module losing sync with the client module.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the firewall module further initiates the Internet session upon acceptance of a user license agreement causing installation of the client module, and to deny initiation of the Internet session upon non-acceptance of the user license agreement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the firewall module communicatively couples with the computing device using a wireless network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a browser configured to access the Internet.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the client module operates within the browser.

8. A system comprising:

a firewall module situated between a computing device and the Internet, the firewall module communicating with the Internet and a local area network (LAN), the computing device connected to the LAN behind the firewall module;

an authentication module configured to intercept a request from the computing device to access the Internet, the request not reaching the Internet, and require a client module to be installed on the computing device, the client module originating at the LAN, the client module being required for the computing device to access the Internet, the authentication module authenticating the computing device based on the computing device executing the client module;

a content distribution module that transmits one or more advertisements to the client module, the client module displaying one or more advertisements to the user of the computing device during an Internet session conducted through the firewall module, the authentication module further terminating the Internet session in response to the client module being terminated such that the one or more advertisements are no longer presented to the user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the content distribution module further terminates the Internet session upon losing sync with the client module.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the authentication module further presents a user license agreement on the computing device in connection with requiring the client module to be installed on the computing device, wherein the authentication module is configured to allow Internet access upon acceptance of the user license agreement and to deny Internet access upon non-acceptance of the user license agreement.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing device communicates with the firewall module, the authentication module, and the content distribution module over a wireless network connection.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device comprises a browser configured to access the Internet.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the client module is configured to operate within the browser.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the authentication module terminates Internet access upon the termination of the client module.

15. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for:

intercepting a request from a computing device to access the Internet, the request not reaching the Internet;

requiring a client module to be installed on the computing device, the client module originating at the LAN, the client module being required for the computing device to access the Internet;

authenticating the computing device based on the computing device executing the client module;

sending one or more advertisements to the client module during an Internet session conducted on the computing device, wherein the client module displays the one or more advertisements to the user during the Internet session; and

terminating the Internet session in response to the client module being terminated on the computing device such that the client module no longer displays the one or more advertisements to the user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for an operation to synchronize a content distribution module with the client module.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for terminating the Internet session in response to the content distribution module losing sync with the client module.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for initiating the Internet session upon acceptance of a user license agreement causing installation of the client module, and denying initiation of the Internet session upon non-acceptance of the user license agreement.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the client module is terminated in response to one of a user terminating the client module and an error in the computing device terminating the client module.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the client module is implemented in a browser on the computing device.