Seamless authentication with proxy servers
First Claim
1. A computer having a network interface for connection to a computer network, the computer comprising:
- a network interface module configured, in response to connection of the network interface to a first computer network, detect whether a proxy server using authentication is connected to the first computer network, the proxy server being configured to manage access by computers on the first computer network to a second computer network;
a user interface configured to prompt a user of the computer, in response to the network interface module detecting the proxy server using authentication, to enter authentication information for the proxy server;
storage configured to store authentication information for the proxy server in a manner accessible by applications on the computer to use the authentication information to communicate requests by the applications to access the second computer network; and
the network interface module being further configured to process the requests by the applications to access the second computer network using the proxy server and being further configured to automatically include the stored authentication information from the storage with the requests.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer can be configured to provide seamless access to a proxy server by, upon connection to a computer network, determining whether a proxy server using authentication is connected to the computer network, and then prompting a user of the computer to enter authentication information for that proxy server. This authentication information for the proxy server then can be stored in a manner accessible by applications on the computer to use the authentication information to connection with requests by the applications to access the second computer network. For example, the operating system can store the authentication information. It also can include a module that processes all requests from applications that access the proxy server, and then includes in such requests the stored authentication information.
19 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A computer having a network interface for connection to a computer network, the computer comprising:
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a network interface module configured, in response to connection of the network interface to a first computer network, detect whether a proxy server using authentication is connected to the first computer network, the proxy server being configured to manage access by computers on the first computer network to a second computer network; a user interface configured to prompt a user of the computer, in response to the network interface module detecting the proxy server using authentication, to enter authentication information for the proxy server; storage configured to store authentication information for the proxy server in a manner accessible by applications on the computer to use the authentication information to communicate requests by the applications to access the second computer network; and the network interface module being further configured to process the requests by the applications to access the second computer network using the proxy server and being further configured to automatically include the stored authentication information from the storage with the requests. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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6. A computer program product, comprising:
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a computer storage medium comprising at least one of a memory device and a storage device; computer program instructions stored on the computer storage medium that, when processed by a computer, instruct the computer to perform a process comprising; in response to connection of a network interface to a first computer network, determining, using a network interface module, whether a proxy server using authentication is connected to the first computer network, the proxy server being configured to manage access by computers on the first computer network to a second computer network; in response to determining that a proxy server using authentication is connected to the first computer network, prompting a user of the computer to enter authentication information for the proxy server; storing the authentication information for the proxy server in a manner accessible by applications on the computer to use the authentication information to communicate requests by the applications to access the second computer network, the network interface module being configured to process the requests by the applications to access the second computer network; and automatically including, using the network interface module the stored authentication information with the requests. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 27, 28)
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11. A process for managing access by a computer to a computer network, comprising:
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after connection of a network interface to a first computer network, determining, using a network interface module, whether a proxy server using authentication is connected to the first computer network, the proxy server being configured to manage access by computers on the first computer network to a second computer network; in response to determining that a proxy server using authentication is connected to the first computer network, prompting a user of the computer to enter authentication information for the proxy server; storing the authentication information for the proxy server in a manner accessible by applications on the computer to use the authentication information to communicate requests by the applications to access the second computer network, the network interface module being configured to process the requests by the applications to access the second computer network; and automatically including, using the network interface module, the stored authentication information with the requests. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 29)
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30. A computer having a network interface for connection to a computer network, the computer comprising:
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one or more processing units connected to storage, the storage including computer program instructions defining an operating system, the one or more processing units being configured by execution of the operating system to; in response to connection of the network interface to a first computer network, send a message to another computer on a second computer network; in response to receipt of an authentication error from a proxy server as a reply to the message, present a user interface, the user interface being configured to prompt a user of the computer to enter authentication information for the proxy server; in response to input comprising authentication information, store the authentication information for the proxy server in storage in a manner accessible by applications executing by the one or more processing units on the computer to use the authentication information to communicate requests by the applications to access the second computer network; and in response to requests by the applications to access the second computer network through the proxy server, process the requests to automatically include the stored authentication information from the storage with the requests, and to transmit the requests with the authentication information to the second computer network through the proxy server. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A computer having a network interface for connection to a computer network, the computer comprising:
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a network interface module configured to, in response to connection of the network interface to a first computer network, send a message to another computer on a second computer network; a user interface configured to prompt a user of the computer, in response to the network interface module receiving and authentication error from a proxy server, to enter authentication information for the proxy server, the proxy server being configured to manage access by computers on the first computer network to a second computer network; and storage configured to store the authentication information for the proxy server in a manner accessible by applications on the computer to use the authentication information to communicate requests by the applications to access the second computer network; the network interface module being further configured to process the requests by the applications to access the second computer network using the proxy server and being further configured to automatically include the stored authentication information from the storage with the requests. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35)
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Specification