System, method, program and storage medium for providing service

• US 20030154373A1
• Filed: 02/11/2003
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hadano, Masahiro, Yoshida, Koji, Shimada, Naoki, Onsen, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations

Abstract

The present invention is to perform authentication to enable linkage among a plurality of different applications providing a service. For example, an authentication server of an embodiment of the present invention is an authentication sever shared among a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW, which is configured to perform user authentication in response to a request from one of the applications, to determine whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded, and to inform the application, which requested for the user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.

Claims

1. A service providing method for controlling a service providing system comprising a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW, and an authentication server shared among the applications, said service providing method causes:

an authentication step for authenticating a user in response to a request from one of said applications;

a determination step for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded in the authentication step; and

an information step for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored to be executed in said authentication server.

2. The service providing method according to claim 1, wherein said application comprises a creation step for creating a screen according to the status-of-use information when the application receives the information at said information step.

3. The service providing method according to claim 1, wherein said application further comprises a storage step for storing user'"'"'s status-of-use information in the application into said authentication database in association with the authentication ID.

4. The service providing method according to claim 1, wherein said application further comprises a session management step for managing the user'"'"'s status of use by using session information.

5. The service providing method according to claim 4, wherein said session information contains said authentication ID and a user ID for identifying a user.

6. The service providing method according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of different applications are executed in a plurality of different service servers.

7. The service providing method according to claim 1, wherein said service is an e-mail service by using the WWW.

8. A service providing method for controlling an authentication server shared among a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW, comprising:

an authentication step for authenticating a user in response to a request from one of said applications;

a determination step for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded in the authentication step; and

an information step for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.

9. A service providing system including a plurality of different applications for providing a service by using the WWW and an authentication server shared among the applications, comprising:

an authentication means for authenticating a user in response to a request from said applications;

a determination means for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded by the authentication means; and

an information means for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.

10. The service providing system according to claim 9, wherein said service providing system further comprises a plurality of different service server, and wherein said plurality of different applications is executed in said plurality of different service server.

11. An authentication server shared among a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW, comprising:

an authentication means for authenticating a user in response to a request from one of said applications;

a determination means for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded by the authentication means; and

an information means for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.

12. A computer executable service providing program for controlling a service providing system comprising a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW, and an authentication server shared among the applications, comprising a program code for causing said authentication server to execute

an authentication step for authenticating a user in response to a request from one of said applications;

a determination step for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded in the authentication step; and

an information step for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.

13. The service providing program according to claim 12, comprising a program code for causing said application to execute a creation step for creating a screen according to the status-of-use information at, receiving the status-of-use information at said information step.

14. The service providing program according to claim 12, comprising a program code for causing said application to further execute a storage step for storing user'"'"'s status-of-use information at the application into said authentication database in association with the authentication ID.

15. The service providing program according to claim 12, comprising a program code for causing said application to further execute a session management step for managing the user'"'"'s status of use by using session information.

16. The service providing program according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of different applications is a program executed at a plurality of different server.

17. The service providing program according to claim 12, wherein said service is an e-mail service using the WWW.

18. A computer executable service providing program for controlling an authentication server shared among a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW, comprising a program code for causing said authentication server to execute

an authentication step for authenticating a user in response to a request from one of said applications;

a determination step for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded in the authentication step; and

an information step for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing a service providing program for controlling a service providing system comprising a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW and an authentication sever shared among the applications, wherein the program comprises a program code for causing said authentication server

an authentication step for authenticating a user in response to a request from one of said applications;

a determination step for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded in the authentication step; and

an information step for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing a service providing program for controlling an authentication server shared among a plurality of different applications providing a service by using the WWW, wherein the program comprises a program code for causing said authentication server

an authentication step for authenticating a user in response to a request from one of said applications;

a determination step for determining whether an authentication ID associated with a user who succeeded in the authentication is stored in an authentication database, which stores an authentication ID and user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with each other, if the authentication succeeded in the authentication step; and

an information step for informing the application, which requested for said user authentication, of user'"'"'s status-of-use information associated with the stored authentication ID to cause the application to perform a process according to the status-of-use information, if the authentication ID associated with the user is determined to be stored.