# US 10,375,059 B1 · Account sharing prevention in online education > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,059 B1 - Document ID: US10375059B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/064,207 - Filed: 2016-03-08 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-23 - Assignees: Study Social, Inc. - Applicants: Study Social, Inc. - Inventors: Ethan Fieldman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375059B1 ## CPC - H04L 63/083: {using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226)} - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - G06Q 20/1235: {with control of digital rights management [DRM]} - G06Q 20/145: {Payments according to the detected use or quantity} - G06Q 30/0635: {replenishment orders; recurring orders} - G06Q 40/12: Accounting - G06Q 50/20: Education - G06Q 50/205: {Education administration or guidance} - G09B 5/00: Electrically-operated educational appliances (working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F) - G09B 5/02: with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip - H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)} - H04L 63/0807: {using tickets, e.g. Kerberos (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213)} - H04L 63/102: {Entity profiles} - H04L 63/108: {when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time} - H04N 21/2543: Billing {, e.g. for subscription services (payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21)} - H04N 21/47211: {for requesting pay-per-view content (payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F)} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A user may only log into an education application using login credentials of a third-party social media site. A browser is redirected to a server computer of the site which authenticates the user's credentials. The server confirms to the education application which displays its contents on the computer and allows the user to access the education application. Or, the user selects a mobile application on a telephone which connects to the server of the site. The site authenticates the user's credentials and sends a confirmation back to the mobile application. The mobile application connects to the education application and allows it to display its contents on the telephone. Alternatively, an actual minimum number of links is required before access is granted to the education application which is greater than a stated minimum. Attempting to log into the education application with fewer than the stated minimum results in a warning message and access is not granted. Attempting to log into the education application with greater than the stated minimum but fewer than the actual minimum results in a different warning message and access is not granted without further verification. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; accessing said user account to quantify a number of social media links from said user account to other user accounts of said social media Web site; denying access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said number of social media links is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than a stated minimum of social media links; and displaying on said computing device of said user said stated minimum when said quantity is less than said stated minimum. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 4 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; displaying on said computing device of said user a stated minimum of social media links; accessing said user account to quantify a number of social media links from said user account to other user accounts of said social media Web site; denying access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said number of social media links is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than said stated minimum; and displaying on said computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 7 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; accessing said user account to quantify a number of messages published on said user account; denying access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said number of messages published on said user account is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than a stated minimum of messages published; and displaying on said computing device of said user said stated minimum when said quantity is less than said stated minimum. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 10 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; accessing said user account to quantify an age of said user account, said age indicating how long since said user account was established; denying access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said age of said user account is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than a stated minimum of said age of said user account; and displaying on said computing device of said user said stated minimum when said quantity is less than said stated minimum. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 13 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; displaying on said computing device of said user a stated minimum of messages published; accessing said user account to quantify a number of messages published on said user account; denying access to said resources of said education application by said user when said quantity of said number of messages published is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than said stated minimum; and displaying on a computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 16 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; displaying on said computing device of said user a stated minimum of an age of said user account; accessing said user account to quantify an age of said user account, said age indicating how long since said user account was established; denying access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said age of said user account is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than said stated minimum; and displaying on said computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 19 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; accessing said user account to quantify a criterion of said user account that indicates that said user account is an actual account of said user; denying access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said criterion is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than a stated minimum of said criterion of said user account; and displaying on said computing device of said user said stated minimum when said quantity is less than said stated minimum. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The method as recited in claim 19 wherein said criterion is a number of photographs, groups, or posts that are liked on said user account, a number of status updates of said user account, a number of logins to said user account over a period of time, a number of activities of said user account or a number of interactions of said user account with other applications. ### Claim 23 A method of denying access to resources of an education application, said method comprising: allowing a user to log in to an education application of a server computer via a computing device using credentials of a user account of a social media Web site; displaying on said computing device of said user a stated minimum of a criterion of said user account that indicates that said user account is an actual account of said user; accessing said user account to quantify said criterion of said user account that indicates that said user account is an actual account of said user; denying access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said criterion is less than an actual minimum, said actual minimum not being revealed to said user and being greater than said stated minimum; and displaying on said a computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method as recited in claim 23 wherein said education application is hosted within said social media Web site. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method as recited in claim 23 wherein said resources include the ability of said user to view a video, electronic document, or a message board on said computing device. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method as recited in claim 23 wherein said criterion is a number of photographs, groups, or posts that are liked on said user account, a number of status updates of said user account, a number of logins to said user account over a period of time, a number of activities of said user account or a number of interactions of said user account with other applications. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said number of social media links is greater than or equal to said actual minimum. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The method as recited in claim 27 further comprising: displaying on said computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 29 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said number of social media links is greater than or equal to said actual minimum. ### Claim 30 (depends on 7) The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said number of messages published is greater than or equal to said actual minimum. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method as recited in claim 30 further comprising: displaying on said computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 32 (depends on 13) The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said number of messages published is greater than or equal to said actual minimum. ### Claim 33 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said age of said user account is greater than or equal to said actual minimum. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method as recited in claim 33 further comprising: displaying on said computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 35 (depends on 16) The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said age of said user account is greater than or equal to said actual minimum. ### Claim 36 (depends on 19) The method as recited in claim 19 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said criterion is greater than or equal to said actual minimum. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method as recited in claim 36 further comprising: displaying on said computing device of said user an error message when said quantity is less than said actual minimum but greater than or equal to said stated minimum. ### Claim 38 (depends on 23) The method as recited in claim 23 further comprising: allowing access to said resources of said education application by said computing device of said user when said quantity of said criterion is greater than or equal to said actual minimum.