Centralized authentication system

• US 20040225887A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rivera, Jose F., Thomson, William George, OʼNeil, Douglas R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Centralized authentication systems are provided. A representative system, among others, includes a mobile authentication registration system, a content provider and a wireless internet server. The mobile authentication registration system resides on a content provider which is coupled to the internet, and is operable to receive a single identification number and password from a user independent of a platform the user is associated with, and determine that the identification number and password combination provided by the user is associated with a registered user. The content provider provides personalized internet content to any of a plurality of registered users on a plurality of platforms. The wireless internet server receives a connection request from a wireless device, sends an authentication request to the mobile authentication registration system, and provides a personalized internet content from the content provider to said at least one wireless device. Methods and other systems for multiple access portals are also provided.

Claims

1. A centralized authentication system, comprising:

the content provider operable to provide personalized internet content to any of a plurality of registered users on a plurality of platforms, wherein the content provider comprises a mobile authentication registration system which is coupled to the internet, the mobile authentication registration system being operable to receive a single identification number and password from a user independent of a platform the user is associated with, and determine that the identification number and password combination provided by the user is associated with a registered user; and

a wireless internet server operable receive a connection request from at least one wireless device, to send an authentication request to the mobile authentication registration system, and provide a personalized internet content from the content provider to said at least one wireless device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the platform can include a telephone, a computer, a high speed wireless internet connection, a wireless access protocol phone, a short message service phone, and an analog mobile phone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile authentication registration system further comprises a database operable to store a plurality of preferences associated with each of the plurality of registered users.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein mobile authentication registration system provides preferences associated with a registered user to the content provider upon receiving a proper identification number and password.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system further comprises a translator operable to translate a internet content into a format that is suitable for a variety of platforms from which the registered user can connect, and provide the content provider with the translated internet content.

6. A central authentication system, comprising:

a mobile authentication registration system coupled to the internet, operable to receive an authentication request including an identification number and a password from a plurality of platforms, determine whether the identification number and password combination are a valid combination, and authenticate a user providing the valid combination as a registered user;

a content hub coupled to the mobile authentication registration system and the internet, the content hub being operable to store a internet content available to a registered user; and

a translator coupled to the content hub and to the mobile authentication and registration system, the translator being operable to translate the internet content into at least a hypertext markup language and a wireless markup language and transmit it to the registered user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the translator is further operable to translate the internet content into an extensible markup language.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the translator is further operable to translate the internet content into a short message service language.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the translator is further operable to translate the internet content to send to a voice portal.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile authentication registration system determines the identification number and password are a valid combination by finding the combination in a list of a plurality of valid combinations.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile authentication registration system is further operable to store a plurality of preferences associated with a plurality of registered users.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein mobile authentication registration system is operable to provide a plurality of preferences associated with the registered user to the content hub.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the content hub is operable to use the plurality of preferences associated with the registered user to provide the registered user with personalized internet content.

14. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a wireless internet server coupled to the translator, and operable to route the internet content received from the translator through an appropriate gateway to the registered user.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a wireless access protocol gateway operable to send the wireless markup language to a wireless phone;

a short message service center operable to send at least one text message to a wireless device; and

a voice portal operable to convert text to speech and send the speech to a telephone.

16. A method of providing a single logon across a plurality of platforms, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an authentication request including an identification number and a password associated with a user from any of a plurality of platforms;

authenticating the authentication request on an authentication server;

retrieving a internet content for the user; and

sending the internet content to the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of platforms comprises a wireless access protocol and a short message service protocol.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of platforms further comprises a voice platform.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of platforms further comprises a computer platform.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the computer includes a high speed internet connection.

21. The method of claim 20, the method further comprising:

retrieving a personalized internet content associated with the user; and

sending the personalized content to the user.

22. A method of providing internet access, comprising:

providing a internet content to a plurality of types of wireless devices; and

using a centralized authentication mechanism such that accessing the internet content with any of a plurality of types of wireless devices requires a single identification number and password combination for each of a plurality of registered users.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

providing a personalized internet content for each of the plurality of registered users.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of types of wireless devices includes a wireless access enabled wireless phone.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of types of wireless devices includes a short message service enabled wireless phone.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of types of wireless devices includes an analog wireless phone.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of types of wireless devices includes a computer having a high speed wireless internet connection.