Tracking a user across both secure and non-secure areas on the Internet, wherein the users is initially tracked using a globally unique identifier

• US 5,966,705 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 10/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Koneru, Sudheer, Tuchen, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US08/885,324
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/9, 707/3, 707/104, 707/2, 707/6, 707/7, 707/8, 707/100, 707/102, 707/200, 707/201, 707/501, 707/513, 395/200.32, 395/683, 395/187.01, 395/188.01, 395/200.57, 395/200.54, 395/200.59, 395/200.33, 380/23, 380/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for tracking a user across both secure and non-secure areas on an Internet and/or Intranet site. In one aspect of the system and method, when a user first accesses a non-secure area, such as a public area, the user is assigned a token, such as a globally-unique identifier (GUID). The token is used as a key to a database entry on a server computer for tracking the user in non-secure areas. When the user first accesses a secure area, the user is prompted to enter a user identification and a password. The user identification is then used as the key to the database entry, rather than the token. The server then uses the user identification to track the user across both secure and non-secure areas.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a user on a client computer as the user accesses secure and non-secure areas on a network server computer, comprising the steps of:

upon first accessing a non-secure area, assigning a token representing the user wherein the token does not contain a user identification and using the token as a key for accessing a database entry associated with the user on the server computer;

upon first accessing the secure area, receiving a user identification associated with the user;

after accessing the secured area, replacing the token with the user identification as the key to the database entry; and

the database entry including customization information associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

storing the token, the user identification, and a network address associated with the server computer in local storage on the client computer; and

receiving the token and the user identification from the client computer upon subsequent accessing by the user of the network address.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

upon first accessing the non-secure or secure areas on the server computer, storing customization information associated with the user in the database entry;

upon subsequent accessing of the non-secure or secure areas, retrieving the customization information stored in the database entry by using the user identification to access the database entry; and

returning to the client computer, a document customized according to the customization information.

4. The method of claim 3 further including:

storing a copy of the token within the database entry;

upon subsequent accessing of the server computer, comparing the copy of the token stored in the database entry to the token received from the client computer;

if the tokens match, returning a document customized according to the customization information to the client computer; and

if the tokens do not match, returning a generic, uncustomized document to the client computer.

5. The method of claim 1 further including:

during first accessing of the server computer, obtaining customization information from the user; and

storing the customization information in the database entry.

6. The method of claim 5 further including:

prior to accessing the secure area;

(a) receiving the token from the client computer;

(b) accessing the database entry on the server computer using the token; and

(c) returning a document to the client computer that is customized in accordance with the customization information stored in the database entry;

after accessing the secure area;

(a) receiving the user identification and the token from the local storage on the client computer;

(b) accessing the database entry on the server computer using the user identification; and

(c) checking the token received from the client computer by comparing the token to information stored within the database entry.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-secure area includes a public area and a private area.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the token is a globally unique identifier.

9. The method of claim 6 further including:

upon first accessing the private area, requesting registration information and storing information in the database entry indicating that the user has registered.

10. The method of claim 9 further including:

upon subsequent accessing the private area, checking the database entry to verify that the user previously registered, and if the user already registered, allowing the user to access the private area without further registration.

11. The method of claim 1 further including requesting a user identification and password each time the user enters a secure area and comparing the user identification and password to stored information in the database entry on the server computer.

12. A method of tracking a user on a computer network, comprising the steps of:

connecting to the computer network from the client computer, the computer network having a plurality of server computers associated with a plurality of content providers;

assigning a token to the user;

;

accessing a secure area on a server computer having a predetermined network address;

requesting a user identification from the user;

upon receiving the user identification from the user, providing a database entry that is accessible by using the user identification;

storing the user identification and the token on the client computer, the user identification being passed to the server when the user subsequently accesses the predetermined network address;

receiving from the client computer, both the token and the user identification.

13. The method of claim 12 further including:

accessing a non-secure area on the server computer and assigning a token associated with the user;

storing the token and the user identification on the client computer; and

upon subsequent accessing of the non-secure area, receiving, from the client computer, the token and the user identifier.

14. The method of claim 12 further including:

storing a copy of the token in the database entry on the server computer; and

upon receiving the token from the client computer, comparing the token to the copy of the token in the database entry.

15. The method of claim 14 further including:

upon first accessing the non-secure area, storing customization information associated with the user in the database entry; and

providing customized information to the user if the copy of the token in the database entry matches the token received from the client computer.

16. The method of claim 15 further including:

providing generic, uncustomized information to the user if the copy of the token in the database entry does not match the token received from the client computer.

17. A method of tracking user access of secure and non-secure areas on a network server computer, comprising the steps of:

during first accessing of a non-secure area on the server, storing a globally unique identifier, associated with the user, in local storage on a client computer;

storing information associated with the user'"'"'s browsing characteristics in a database entry on the server computer using the globally unique identifier as a key to accessing the stored information;

during first accessing a secure area on the server, requesting a user identification and a user password as a prerequisite to entering the secure area;

changing the key to the database entry from the globally unique identifier to the user identification;

storing the user identification and the globally unique identifier in the local storage on the client computer;

storing a copy of the globally unique identifier in the database entry;

during subsequent accessing of the non-secure area, receiving the user identification and the globally unique identifier from the client computer;

accessing the database using the user identification;

comparing the copy of the globally unique identifier in the database entry to the globally unique identifier received from the client computer;

if both globally unique identifiers match, providing personalized content to the user and if both globally unique identifiers do not match, providing generic content to the user.

18. A computer system comprising:

a server computer having memory for storing a database and having secure and non-secure areas;

a client computer having local memory and a display for displaying an interactive environment that allows a user to access the secure and non-secure areas on the server computer;

a communication network for coupling the server computer and the client computer for allowing communication therebetween;

means on the client computer for storing in the local memory a user identification entered by the user and a globally unique identifier and for passing the user identification and globally unique identifier to the server computer when accessing a secure or non-secure area; and

means on the server computer for using the user identification as a key to accessing a database entry in the database and for comparing a globally unique identifier stored in the database entry to the globally unique identifier received from the client computer.

19. The computer system of claim 18, further including means for providing personalized content when the globally unique identifier stored in the database entry and the globally unique identifier stored on the client computer match.

20. A method of tracking a user on a client computer as the user accesses secure and non-secure areas on a network server computer, comprising the steps of:

upon first accessing a non-secure area, assigning a token representing the user and using the token as a key for accessing a database entry associated with the user on the server computer;

upon first accessing the secure area, receiving a user identification associated with the user;

replacing the token with the user identification as the key to the database entry;

storing the token, the user identification, and a network address associated with the server computer in local storage on the client computer;

receiving the token and the user identification from the client computer upon subsequent accessing by the user of the network address;

upon first accessing the non-secure or secure areas on the server computer, storing customization information associated with the user in the database entry;

upon subsequent accessing of the non-secure or secure areas, retrieving the customization information stored in the database entry by using the user identification to access the database entry;

returning to the client computer, a document customized according to the customization information;

storing a copy of the token within the database entry;

upon subsequent accessing of the server computer, comparing the copy of the token stored in the database entry to the token received from the client computer;

if the tokens match, returning a document customized according to the customization information to the client computer; and

if the tokens do not match, returning a generic, uncustomized document to the client computer.

21. A method of tracking a user on a client computer as the user accesses secure and non-secure areas on a network server computer, comprising the steps of:

upon first accessing a non-secure area, assigning a token representing the user and using the token as a key for accessing a database entry associated with the user on the server computer;

upon first accessing the secure area, receiving a user identification associated with the user;

replacing the token with the user identification as the key to the database entry;

during first accessing of the server computer, obtaining customization information from the user;

storing the customization information in the database entry;

prior to accessing the secure area;

(a) receiving the token from the client computer;

(b) accessing the database entry on the server computer using the token; and

(c) returning a document to the client computer that is customized in accordance with the customization information stored in the database entry;

after accessing the secure area;

(a) receiving the user identification and the token from the local storage on the client computer;

(b) accessing the database entry on the server computer using the user identification; and

(c) checking the token received from the client computer by comparing the token to information stored within the database entry.

22. The method of claim 21 further including:

upon first accessing the private area, requesting registration information and storing information in the database entry indicating that the user has registered.

23. The method of claim 22 further including:

upon subsequent accessing the private area, checking the database entry to verify that the user previously registered, and if the user already registered, allowing the user to access the private area without further registration.

24. A method of tracking a user on a computer network, comprising the steps of:

connecting to the computer network from the client computer, the computer network having a plurality of server computers associated with a plurality of content providers;

accessing a secure area on a server computer having a predetermined network address;

requesting a user identification from the user;

upon receiving the user identification from the user, providing a database entry that is accessible by using the user identification;

storing the user identification on the client computer, the user identification being passed to the server when the user subsequently accesses the predetermined network address;

accessing a non-secure area on the server computer and assigning a token associated with the user;

storing the token and the user identification on the client computer; and

upon subsequent accessing of the non-secure area, receiving, from the client computer, the token and the user identifier.

25. A method of tracking a user on a client computer as the user accesses secure and non-secure areas on a network server computer, comprising the steps of:

upon first accessing a non-secure area, assigning a token representing the user and using the token as a key for accessing a database entry associated with the user on the server computer;

upon first accessing the secure area, receiving a user identification associated with the user;

replacing the token with the user identification as the key to the database entry;

storing customization information associated with the user in the database entry;

storing a copy of the token within the database entry and comparing the copy with a token received from the client computer;

if the tokens match, returning a document customized according to the customization information; and

if the tokens do not match, returning a generic, uncustomized document to the client computer.