Shared identity profile management

• US 9,100,438 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lawyer, Justin, Barta, Scott, Guo, Peiran
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, KAREN C
• Application Number:
  US12/410,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/313 using a call-back technique via a telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus are disclosed for maintaining a shared identity profile. An example method includes receiving, at a first online service provider, a plurality of profile information items from a user and storing, by the first online service provider, the profile information items in an identity profile associated with the user. In the example method, at least one of the profile information items includes user identifying information that is capable of verification. The example method also includes verifying, by the first online service provider, the user identifying information and storing, by the first online service provider, as part of the identity profile, a verification status corresponding with the verifying. The example method further includes receiving, at the first online service provider, a request, from a second online service provider, for one or more of the profile information items including the user identifying information and providing, from the first online service provider to the second online service provider, the requested profile information items and the verification status.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a first online service provider server, a plurality of profile information items from a user, wherein one or more of the plurality of profile information items comprises respective user identifying information that is capable of verification;

storing, by the first online service provider server, the plurality of profile information items in an identity profile associated with the user, each of the profile information items including an indication as to whether the profile information item has been verified, a first subset of the profile information items being unverified and a second subset of the profile information items being verified;

receiving, at the first online service provide server from a second online service provider server, a first request for the plurality of profile information items;

providing the plurality of profile information items to the second online service provider in response to the first request;

receiving, from a second online service provider server and after providing the plurality of profile information items to the second online service provider, a second request to verify the first subset of profile information items;

verifying, by the first online service provider server, in response to receiving the second request, the first subset of profile information items;

receiving a third request for the verified first subset; and

providing the verified first subset in response to the third request.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second request includes a budget for verifying one or more of the first subset of profile information items.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

verifying the one or more of the first subset of profile information items in accordance with the budget.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, in the event a respective profile information item has been verified, the verification status comprises a corresponding date when the verification was done.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each indication as to whether the profile information item has been verified comprises:

a verifying entity; and

a verification method.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically re-verifying, by the first online service provider server, one or more of the plurality of profile information items comprising respective user identifying information that is capable of verification; and

updating, by the first online service provider server, each corresponding indication based on the periodic re-verification.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the plurality of profile information items from a user comprises;

receiving a name of the user; and

receiving user identifying information associated with the user'"'"'s name; and

verifying the user identifying information comprises;

querying, by the first online service provider server, a trusted database based on the user'"'"'s name and the user identifying information;

determining, based on a result of the query, if a match exists in the database between the user'"'"'s name and the user identifying information;

in the event a match exists, challenging the user, by the first online service provide server, based on the user identifying information; and

determining, by the first online service provider server, whether to verify the user'"'"'s identity based on a result of the challenge.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein verifying the first subset of profile information items comprises querying, by the first online service provider server, one or more trusted databases.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first online service provider server and the second online service provider server are separate entities.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating, by a second online service provider server, an identity profile request;

providing, by the second online service provider server, the identity profile request to a first online service provider server;

receiving, at the second online service provider server, an identity profile corresponding with the profile request, the identity profile comprising a plurality of profile information items, each of the profile information items including a verification status of whether the profile information item has been verified, a first subset of the profile information items being unverified and a second subset of the profile information items being verified;

generating, by the second online service provider server, a verification request for verification of one or more of the first subset of profile information items that have not been verified and comprise respective user identifying information that is capable of verification;

providing, by the second online service provider server, the verification request to the first online service provider server; and

receiving, at the second online service provider server, in response to the verification request, a verification status for the identity profile, the verification status comprising respective verification information for each of the first subset of profile information items, wherein the respective information includes a respective indication whether or not the correspondence profile information item has been verified.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the verification request is generated and provided in response to an initial verification status received with the identity profile.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the verification request is generated and provided in response to a verification date received with the identity profile exceeding a verification freshness threshold of the second online service provider server.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first online service provider server and the second online service provider server are separate entities.

14. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including executable instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause one or more data processing apparatuses to:

receive a plurality of profile information items from a user, wherein one or more of the plurality of profile information items comprises respective user identifying information that is capable of verification;

store the plurality of profile information items in an identity profile associated with the user, each of the profile information items including a verification status of whether the profile information item has been verified, a first subset of the profile information items being unverified and a second subset of the profile information items being verified;

receive a first request for the plurality of profile information items;

provide the plurality of profile information items in response to the first request;

receive, after providing the plurality of profile information items, a second request to verify the first subset of profile information items;

verify, in response to receiving the second request, the first subset of profile information items;

receiving a third request for the verified first subset; and

providing the verified first subset in response to the third request.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the executable instructions, when executed, are further configured to cause one or more data processing apparatuses to:

periodically re-verify one or more of the plurality of profile information items comprising respective user identifying information that is capable of verification; and

update each corresponding verification status based on the periodic re-verification.

16. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including executable instructions that, when executed, are configured to cause one or more data processing apparatuses to:

generate an identity profile request;

provide, from a second online service provider, the profile request to a first online service provider;

receive an identity profile corresponding with the profile request, the identity profile comprising a plurality of profile information items, each of the profile information items including a verification status of whether the profile information item has been verified, a first subset of the profile information items being unverified and a second subset of the profile information items being verified;

generate a verification request for verification of one or more of the first subset of profile information items that have not been verified and comprise respective user identifying information that is capable of verification;

provide, from the second online service provider, the verification request to the first online service provider; and

receive, in response to the verification request, a verification status for the identify profile, the verification status comprising respective verification information for each of the first subset of profile information items, wherein the respective verification information includes a respective indication whether or not the corresponding profile information item has been verified.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the executable instruction, when executed, are further configured to cause one or more data processing apparatuses to:

compare respective verification dates for the one or more profile information items with corresponding freshness thresholds; and

in the event one or more of the respective verification dates exceeds its corresponding freshness threshold;

generate a re-verification request for re-verification of the one or more profile information items with verification dates exceeding their corresponding freshness thresholds;

provide the re-verification request to the first online service provider; and

receive, in response to the re-verification request, an updated verification status.

18. A system comprising:

a first online service provider server configured to provide online services to one or more users;

one or more computer-readable media including machine-executable instructions;

one or more instruction processors configured to execute at least a portion of the machine-executable instructions stored in the computer-readable media, wherein execution of the instructions, in response to a request from a user for access to the online services, results in;

receiving, at the first online service provider server, a plurality of profile information items from the user, wherein one or more of the plurality of profile information items comprises respective user identifying information that is capable of verification;

storing, by the first online service provider server, the plurality of profile information items in an identity profile associated with the user, each of the profile information items including a verification status of whether the profile information item has been verified, a first subset of the profile information items being unverified and a second subset of the profile information items being verified;

receiving, at the first online service provide server from a second online service provider server, a first request for the plurality of profile information items;

providing the plurality of profile information items to the second online service provider in response to the first request;

receiving, from a second online service provider server and after providing the plurality of profile information items to the second online service provider, a second request to verify the first subset of profile information items;

verifying, by the first online service provider server, in response to receiving the second request, the first subset of profile information items;

receiving a third request for the verified first subset; and

providing the verified first subset in response to the third request.

19. A system comprising:

a second online service provider server configured to provide online services to one or more users;

one or more computer-readable media including machine-executable instructions;

one or more instruction processors configured to execute at least a portion of the machine-executable instructions stored in the computer-readable media, wherein execution of the instructions, in response to a request from a user for access to the online services, results in;

generating, by the second online service provider server, an identity profile request;

providing, by the second online service provider server, the identity profile request to a first online service provider server;

receiving, at the second online service provider server, an identity profile corresponding with the profile request, the identity profile comprising a plurality of profile information items, each of the profile information items including a verification status of whether the profile information item has been verified, a first subset of the profile information items being unverified and a second subset of the profile information items being verified;

generating, by the second online service provider server, a verification request for verification of one or more of the first subset of profile information items that have not been verified and comprise respective user identifying information that is capable of verification;

providing, by the second online service provider server, the verification request to the first online service provider server; and

receiving, at the second online service provider server, in response to the verification request, a verification status for the identify profile, the verification status comprising respective verification information for each of the first subset of profile information items, wherein the respective verification information includes a respective indication whether or not the corresponding profile information item has been verified.