Linking identities in a network entity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9961085-B2
Application number	US-201514739502-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2015
Priority date	Jun 15, 2015
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A network entity that allows collaboration among end users of a collaborative application by using different identifiers. The network entity receives an authentication request from a collaborative application to authenticate an end user. The network entity uses a first identifier of the end user that is associated with the network entity to verify that end user is permitted to use the collaborative application and informs the collaborative application that the end user is permitted to use the collaborative application. The network entity receives from the collaborative application a second identifier of the end user that is not associated with the network entity. The second identifier is linked to the first identifier. The network entity allows the second identifier to be used to authenticate the user with the collaborative application without the need to use the first identifier when a collaborative session is begun.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a processor;
a system memory;
a receive module configured to receive an authentication request from a collaborative application, the authentication request including registration information of a user who is registering with the collaborative application in order to begin an initial collaborative session, the user's registration information being configured to enable the system to use the registration information to identify both a system-side user account of the user and an existing first identifier of the user's system-side user account, the user's registration information including identifying information about the user so that the user's system-side user account and the user's existing first identifier are identifiable using the identifying information, the identifying information not including an existing username of the user, whereby the system uses the registration information, as opposed to the user's existing username, to initially identify the user's system-side user account and to obtain the existing first identifier;
an authentication module configured to use the existing first identifier to authenticate the user, the existing first identifier having been previously saved within a recognition domain and being used to verify that the user is permitted to use the collaborative application, the authentication module being further configured to send second data to the collaborative application, the second data being structured to be interpretable by the collaborative application as meaning that the user is permitted to use the collaborative application such that the user is authenticated with the collaborative application; and
a linking module configured to receive a second identifier for the user, the second identifier not at least initially being in the recognition domain such that the second identifier is not identified as the user's existing username, the linking module being further configured to link the second identifier with the existing first identifier so that the second identifier is usable to authenticate the user with the collaborative application during a subsequent collaborative session without needing to use the existing first identifier when the user begins the subsequent collaborative session using the collaborative application, wherein the second identifier is received at the linking module after the user is already authenticated, the second identifier being sent to the linking module in response to a request sent to the user after the user is already authenticated, and wherein, after the initial collaborative session has started, a selectable link is transmitted to a second user to invite the second user to join the initial collaborative session with the user, the selectable link, when activated by the second user, enabling the second user to interact directly with the collaborative application to join the initial collaborative session;
whereby the user is authenticated without ever inputting the user's existing username.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the existing first identifier is a previously saved username that the user has with the system.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the existing first identifier is associated with a network entity, and wherein the second identifier is chosen by the user and is not initially associated with the network entity.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is a social network that is configured to be associated with a plurality of collaborative applications and a plurality of end users.

5. A computer-implemented method for authenticating an end user who is registering with a collaborative application in order to begin an initial collaborative session, the method comprising:
an act of receiving at a network entity an authentication request from the collaborative application, the collaborative application using the network entity to authenticate the end user, wherein the authentication request includes registration information of the end user, the end user's registration information being usable to identify both a network-entity-side user account of the end user and an existing first identifier of the end user's network-entity-side user account, the end user's registration information including identifying information about the end user so that the end user's network-entity-side user account and the end user's existing first identifier are identifiable using the identifying information, the identifying information not including an existing username of the end user, whereby the registration information, as opposed to an existing username, is used to initially identify the end user's network-entity-side user account and to obtain the first identifier;
an act of the network entity using the existing first identifier to authenticate the end user, the existing first identifier being associated with the network entity, the existing first identifier having been previously saved within a recognition domain of the network entity and being used by the network entity to verify that the end user is permitted to use the collaborative application;
in response, an act of the network entity sending first data to the collaborative application, the first data being structured to be interpretable by the collaborative application as meaning that the end user is permitted to use the collaborative application such that the end user is authenticated with the collaborative application;
an act of receiving, at the network entity and from the collaborative application, a second identifier for the end user, the second identifier not at least initially being within the recognition domain of the network entity such that the second identifier is not identified as the end user's existing username, wherein the second identifier is received after the end user is already authenticated, the second identifier being received in response to a request that was sent to the end user after the end user is already authenticated;
an act of linking the second identifier with the existing first identifier;
an act of the network entity allowing the second identifier to be used to authenticate the end user with the collaborative application during a subsequent collaborative session without needing to use the existing first identifier when the end user begins the subsequent collaborative session using the collaborative application; and
after the initial collaborative session has started, a selectable link is transmitted to a second end user to invite the second end user to join the initial collaborative session with the end user, the selectable link, when activated by the second end user, enabling the second end user to interact directly with the collaborative application to join the initial collaborative session;
whereby the end user is authenticated without ever inputting the user's existing username.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the act of the network entity allowing the second identifier to be used to authenticate the end user with the collaborative application during the subsequent collaborative session without needing to use the existing first identifier comprises:
an act of the network entity sending second data to the end user, the second data being associated with the second identifier; and
an act of the network entity receiving third data from the end user, the third data verifying that the end user is associated with the second identifier.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the act of the network entity allowing the second identifier to be used to authenticate the end user with the collaborative application during the subsequent collaborative session without needing to use the existing first identifier comprises:
an act of the network entity sendin

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Raghavendra Chetan Pentam

Classifications

• H04L63/04

  for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks · CPC title

• G06Q10/103

  Workflow collaboration or project management · CPC title

• G06F21/30

  Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals · CPC title

• H04L63/102 Primary

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L65/1069

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title