System and methods for facilitating authentication of an electronic device accessing plurality of mobile applications

• US 9,369,286 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TATA Consultancy Services Limited (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shukla, Kartikey, Singh, Nishant, Shetty, Kalidas Krishna, Tiwari, Shishir, Yohannan, Nisha
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TU T
• Application Number:
  US14/242,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating authentication of an electronic device accessing plurality of mobile applications are disclosed. The system may receive a device public key and authentication information of the electronic device. The system may validate the authentication information to initiate a device session with the electronic device and create an authentication token signed with a server signature. The system may enable the electronic device to access a first mobile application based on the authentication information validated. Further, the system may receive the authentication token signed with a device signature. The system may authorize the authentication token by verifying the device signature and the server signature on the authentication token with a device public key and a server public key respectively. The system may then enable the electronic device to access the second mobile application using the authentication token authorized.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating authentication of an electronic device accessing a plurality of mobile applications, the method comprising:

receiving a device public key of the electronic device and authentication information of the electronic device from a first application server associated with a first mobile application installed on the electronic device;

validating the authentication information using reference data stored in an active directory;

creating an authentication token for the electronic device post-validation of the authentication information;

signing the authentication token with a server signature using a server private key, wherein the server signature and the server private key are associated with a system;

transmitting the authentication token to the electronic device via the first application server post-signing, wherein the authentication token transmitted to the electronic device is further accessible to a second application server, and wherein the second application server is associated with a second mobile application installed on the electronic device;

enabling the electronic device to access the first mobile application based on the authentication information validated;

receiving the authentication token from the second application server associated with the second mobile application installed on the electronic device, wherein the authentication token received is signed with a device signature using a device private key, and wherein the device signature and the device private key are associated with the electronic device;

authorizing the authentication token by verifying the device signature and the server signature on the authentication token using the device public key and a server public key, wherein the server public key is associated with the system;

transmitting the authentication token authorized to the electronic device via the second application server; and

enabling the electronic device to access the second mobile application using the authentication token authorized.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile applications are native mobile applications or hybrid mobile applications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication information comprises login credentials including username and password.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a unique device identifier associated with the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication token is based on Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first mobile application is a hybrid mobile application, the authentication token is transmitted to the electronic device corresponding to a request received by the first application server, via a response Header (HTTPHeader), and wherein a response body (HTTPBody) from the first application server, corresponding to the request, contains a home page of the first mobile application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication token is stored in a memory unit of the electronic device, and wherein the authentication token is deleted from the memory unit once a user is logged out from the first mobile application or the second mobile application.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises destroying an existing user session on the electronic device, via the first application server or the second application server, once the user is logged out from the first mobile application or the second mobile application.

9. A system for facilitating authentication of an electronic device accessing a plurality of mobile applications, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is capable of executing a set of instructions stored in the memory, and wherein the set of instructions comprising instructions for;

receiving a device public key of the electronic device and authentication information of the electronic device from a first application server associated with a first mobile application installed on the electronic device;

validating the authentication information using reference data stored in an active directory;

creating an authentication token for the electronic device post-validation of the authentication information;

signing the authentication token with a server signature using a server private key, wherein the server signature and the server private key are associated with a system;

transmitting the authentication token to the electronic device via the first application server post-signing, wherein the authentication token transmitted to the electronic device is further accessible to a second application server, and wherein the second application server is associated with a second mobile application installed on the electronic device;

enabling the electronic device to access the first mobile application based on the validation of the authentication information;

receiving the authentication token from the second application server associated with the second mobile application installed on the electronic device, wherein the authentication token received is signed with a device signature using a device private key, and wherein the device signature and the device private key are associated with the electronic device;

authorizing the authentication token by verifying the device signature and the server signature on the authentication token using the device public key and a server public key, wherein the server public key is associated with the system;

transmitting the authentication token authorized to the electronic device via the second application server; and

enabling the electronic device to access the second mobile application using the authentication token authorized.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of mobile applications are native mobile applications or hybrid mobile applications.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the authentication token is based on Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) format.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein when the first mobile application is a hybrid mobile application, the authentication token is transmitted to the electronic device corresponding to a request received by the first application server, via a response Header (HTTPHeader), and wherein a response body (HTTPBody) from the first application server, corresponding to the request, contains a home page of the first mobile application.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the authentication token is stored in a memory unit of the electronic device, and wherein the authentication token is deleted from the memory unit once a user is logged out from the first mobile application or the second mobile application.

14. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program for facilitating authentication of an electronic device accessing a plurality of mobile applications, the computer program comprising a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving a device public key of the electronic device and authentication information of the electronic device from a first application server associated with a first mobile application installed on the electronic device;

validating the authentication information using reference data stored in an active directory;

creating an authentication token for the electronic device post-validation of the authentication information;

signing the authentication token with a server signature using a server private key, wherein the server signature and the server private key are associated with a system;

transmitting the authentication token to the electronic device via the first application server post-signing, wherein the authentication token transmitted to the electronic device is further accessible to a second application server, and wherein the second application server is associated with a second mobile application installed on the electronic device;

enabling the electronic device to access the first mobile application based on the authentication information validated;

receiving the authentication token from the second application server associated with the second mobile application installed on the electronic device, wherein the authentication token received is signed with a device signature using a device private key, and wherein the device signature and the device private key are associated with the electronic device;

authorizing the authentication token by verifying the device signature and the server signature on the authentication token using the device public key and a server public key, wherein the server public key is associated with the system;

transmitting the authentication token authorized to the electronic device via the second application server; and

enabling the electronic device to access the second mobile application using the authentication token authorized.