User authentication using unique hidden identifiers

• US 9,306,926 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian A. Truong
• Original Assignee: Brian A. Truong
• Inventors: Truong, Brian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simitoski, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/204,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42008 Systems for anonymous communication between parties, e.g. by use of disposal contact identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for user authentication using hidden unique identifiers in networks. In some example embodiments these systems and methods only require a single human readable identifier be provided and minimize personal information exposure in the event of a network breach.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that are configured to cause a computer system to allow a first user to authenticate a second user in the computer system without disclosing and storing valuable personal information in a personal information database by performing a method comprising:

a first user device prompting the first user to create a first human readable identifier signifying a first network account on a network including at least one server;

the first user device creating the first network account, wherein account creation includes;

the first user device transmitting the first human readable identifier to the server;

the server receiving the first human readable identifier and assigning a first unique hidden identifier associated with the first human readable identifier to the first user device and storing the associated first human readable and first unique hidden identifiers in an account database; and

the server transmitting the first unique identifier to the first device;

the server assigning a first current session identifier to the first user device upon first network account creation or the first user logging into the system using a previously created first network account and storing the first current session identifier and the first human readable identifier in a current session database;

the server transmitting the first current session identifier to the first user device; and

the first user device adding contacts both directly and indirectly based on first user inputs,

wherein adding contacts directly includes the first user device transmitting a first contact add request comprising the first human readable identifier and the first current session identifier to a second user device for an authentication by confirmation,

wherein adding contacts indirectly includes;

the first user device, having already been authenticated by a third user device that has created a group comprising the first human readable identifier and a fourth human readable identifier associated with a fourth user device previously authenticated by the third user device, transmits a second contact add request to the fourth user,

wherein human readable identifiers are used to identify added and potential contacts to user and wherein unique hidden identifiers of users are unknown to all users.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that are configured to cause a computer system to allow a first user to authenticate a second user by performing a method according to claim 1, wherein the authentication by confirmation further comprises:

the second user device sending a second current session identifier associated with the second user device and the first current session identifier to the server upon confirmation of the contact add request by the second user;

the server retrieving the first unique hidden identifier from the account database and adding the first unique hidden identifier to a second group stored in a group database;

the server retrieving the second unique hidden identifier from the account database and adding the second unique hidden identifier to a first group stored in the group database; and

the server sending the second human readable identifier to a first local group stored on the first user device and sending the first human readable identifier to a second local group stored on the second user device.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that are configured to cause a computer system to allow a first user to authenticate a second user by performing a method according to claim 2, wherein a second user device connecting to the server further comprises:

the second user device sending the second unique hidden identifier to the server and receiving the second session identifier from the server.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that are configured to cause a computer system to allow a first user to authenticate a second user by performing a method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the server allowing a third party system to access or interact with the first user'"'"'s contacts using the first human readable identifier signifying the first network account upon confirmation by the first user.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that are configured to cause a computer system to allow a first user to authenticate a second user by performing a method according to claim 4, further comprising:

wherein confirmation by the first user further comprises;

the third party system displaying a barcode signifying a third party session identifier for the first user to scan using the first user device;

upon scanning the barcode, the first user device prompting the first user to confirm a login by selecting a confirmation option;

upon selecting the confirmation option, the first user device transmitting the third party session identifier and the first session identifier to the server and causing the server to associate the third party and first session identifiers and allow the third party system to have access or interact with the first user'"'"'s contacts.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that are configured to cause a computer system to allow a first user to authenticate a second user by performing a method according to claim 1, further comprising:

wherein a plurality of the third user'"'"'s contacts is used to provide an additional authentication measure.