Leveraging a persistent connection to access a secured service

• US 8,689,312 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirsh, Robert Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US13/453,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/8, 726/10, 726/11, 726/22
• US Class Current: 726/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

Leveraging a persistent connection to provide a client access to a secured service may include establishing a persistent connection with a client in response to a first request from the client, and brokering a connection between the client and a secured service based on a second request from the client by leveraging the persistent connection with the client. The brokering may occur before the client attempts to connect to the secured service directly and the connection may be established between the client and the secured service without provision by the client of authentication information duplicative or additional to authentication information provided by the client to establish the persistent connection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, using at least one processor, a connection with a client;

receiving, from the client, a request to access a secured service;

submitting, in response to the request received from the client, a request to the secured service for authorization information;

receiving the authorization information from the secured service; and

sending the received authorization information to the client to enable the client to access the secured service independent of the connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the request for authorization information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request for authorization information comprises a password and a request-to-honor for the password.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the received authorization information comprises a target connection point.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the request for authorization information comprises a connection authorization request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received authorization information comprises at least one of a target connection point or a password.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving keystone authentication information from the client; and

authenticating the client based on the received keystone authentication information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating the client in response to establishing the connection with the client.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the received authorization information comprises constraint information used to enable a direct connection between the client and the secured service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the constraint information includes at least one of an indication of a number of uses for which the received authorization information may be used, an indication of a time when the received authorization information was determined, an indication of a window of time in which the received authorization information may be used, or information indicative of an identity of the client for whom the received authorization information was determined.

11. A method comprising:

establishing, using at least one processor, a connection with an intermediary system;

sending, to the intermediary system, a request to access a secured service;

receiving, from the intermediary system, authorization information generated by the secured service;

accessing the secured service independent of the connection through the use of the authorization information; and

synchronizing local data with remote data stored by the secured service.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the authorization information comprises at least one of a target connection point or a password.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising establishing a direct connection with the secured service by presenting the password to the secured service at the target connection point.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the authorization information comprises constraint information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the constraint information includes at least one of an indication of a number of uses for which the authorization information may be used, an indication of a time when the authorization information was determined, an indication of a window of time in which the authorization information may be used, or information indicative of an identity of the client for whom the authorization information was determined.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing keystone authentication information to the intermediary system; and

authenticating with the intermediary system based on the keystone authentication information.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising authenticating with the intermediary in response to establishing the connection.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the secured service comprises at least one of a calendar synchronization service or a task list synchronization service.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein local data and remote data comprise at least a portion of a calendar or a task list.

20. An system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

establish a connection with a client;

receive, from the client, a request to access a secured service;

submit, in response to the request received from the client, a request for authorization information from the secured service;

receive authorization information from the secured service; and

send the received authorization information to the client to enable the client to access the secured service independent of the connection.