Method and system for real-time secure transfer of personal information between websites

• US 20030217291A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Merck & Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hale and Dorr LLP, Merck & Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Bauer, Keith, Kittrell, Melanie, Moore, Lori, Dippold, Sean, Schramm-Apple, Susan
• Application Number:
  US10/390,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20030217291A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

A method of securely transferring user information between a website server and at least one external website server to authenticate a user with the at least one external website server includes receiving a request for accessing an external website server by the user and determining whether the user is not logged on to the website server. If the user is not logged on, the user is logged on to the website server by the user. A secure connection from the website server to the at least one external website server is generated and the user information is transferred from the website server to the at least one external website server by a HTTP GET protocol and/or a HTTP POST protocol.

Claims

1. A method of securely transferring user information between a website server and at least one external website server to authenticate a user with the at least one external website server, the method comprising at least one of the sequential, non-sequential, or sequence independent steps of:

receiving a request for accessing the at least one external website server by the user;

determining whether the user is not logged on to the website server;

if the user is not logged on, logging on to the website server by the user;

generating a secure connection from the website server to the at least one external website server; and

transferring the user information from the website server to the at least one external website server by at least one of a HTTP GET protocol and a HTTP POST protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP GET protocol is used to transfer the information from the website server to the at least one external website server, the method further comprising:

generating a HTTP GET message, wherein the HTTP GET message contains the user information required to authenticate the user with the at least one external website server;

redirecting the user to the at least one external website server;

authenticating the user with the at least one external website server, such that the user can access an external website supported by the at least one external website server; and

displaying the external website to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the request to access the at least one external website server is received by the user utilizing a HyperText Markup Language link to the external website located on a website supported by the website server.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the HTTP GET message is transferred using Secure Sockets Layer security protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTTP POST protocol is used to transfer the information from the website server to the at least one external website server, the method further comprising:

generating a HTTP POST message, wherein the HTTP POST message contains the user information required to authenticate the user with the at least one external website server;

transferring the HTTP POST message to the at least one external website server using a Java Secure Socket Extensions protocol;

authenticating the user with the at least one external website server, such that the user can access an external website supported by the at least one external website server;

generating the external website and transferring the external website to the website server suing the Java Secure Socket Extensions protocol; and

displaying the external website to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the request to access the at least one external website server is received by the user entering a HyperText Transport Protocol request to access the external website.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the HTTP POST message is transferred using Secure Sockets Layer security protocol.

2. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of logging on further comprises:

displaying to the user a message that the user must be logged in;

redirecting the user to a login page;

prompting the user to enter a userID and a password;

matching the userID and the password entered by the user with user login information stored in a database; and

if the userID and the password match the user login information located in the database, logging in the user.

9. A system for securely transferring user information between a website and at least one external website to authenticate a user with the at least one external website, the system comprising:

a website server, wherein the website server supports the website;

at least one external website server, wherein the at least one external website server supports the at least one external website;

a wide area network, wherein the wide area network facilitates the transferring of user information between the website server and the at least one external website server;

means for allowing the user to provide the user information such that the user is capable of being authenticated with the website server;

a database, in data communication with the website server, wherein the database stores the user information; and

means for generating a secure connection between the website server to the at least one external website server and for transferring the user information from the website server to the 5at least one external website server by at least one of a HTTP GET protocol and a HTTP POST protocol.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the database further stores user login information.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a login information database, wherein the login information database stores user login information.

12. A system for securely transferring user information between a website server and at least one external website server to authenticate a user with the at least one external website server, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request for accessing to the at least one external website server by the user;

means for determining whether the user is not logged on to the website server;

if the user is not logged on, means for logging on to the website server by the user;

means for generating a secure connection from the website server to the at least one external website server; and

means for transferring the user information from the website server to the at least one external website server by one of a HTTP GET protocol and a HTTP POST protocol.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for displaying to the user a message that the user must be logged in;

means for redirecting the user to a login page;

means for prompting the user to enter a userID and a password; and

means for matching the userID and the password entered by the user with user login information stored in a database.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the HTTP GET protocol is used to transfer the information from the website server to the at least one external website server, the system further comprising:

means for generating a HTTP GET message, wherein the HTTP GET message contains the user information required to authenticate the user with the at least one external website server;

means for redirecting the user to the at least one external website server;

means for authenticating the user with the at least one external website server, such that the user can access an external website supported by the at least one external website server; and

means for displaying the external website to the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the request to access the at least one external website server is received by the user clicking on a HyperText Markup Language link to the external website located on a website supported by the website server.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the HTTP GET message is transferred using Secure Sockets Layer security protocol.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the HTTP POST protocol is used to transfer the information from the website server to the at least one external website server, the method further comprising:

means for generating a HTTP POST message, wherein the HTTP POST message contains the user information required to authenticate the user with the at least one external website server;

means for transferring the HTTP POST message to the at least one external website server using a Java Secure Socket Extensions protocol;

means for authenticating the user with the at least one external website server, such that the user can access an external website supported by the at least one external website server;

means for generating the external website and transferring the external website to the home website server suing the Java Secure Socket Extensions protocol; and

means for displaying the external website to the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the request to access the at least one external website server is received by the user entering a HyperText Transport Protocol request to access the external website.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the HTTP POST message is transferred using Secure Sockets Layer security protocol.

20. A system for securely transferring user information between a website and at least one external website to authenticate a user with the at least one external website, the system comprising:

a website server, wherein the website server supports the website;

at least one external website server, wherein the at least one external website server supports the at least one external website;

a wide area network, wherein the wide area network facilitates the transferring of user information between the website server and the at least one external website server, provides a secure connection between the website server to the at least one external website server, and enables the transfer of the user information from the website server to the at least one external website server by at least one of a HTTP GET protocol and a HTTP POST protocol;

a user input that enables the user to provide the user information such that the user is capable of being authenticated with the website server; and

a database, in data communication with the website server, wherein the database stores the user information.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the database further stores user login information.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising a login information database, wherein the login information database stores user login information.