US 2001/0019559 A1Published application

System, method, and computer program product for end-user self-authentication

AssigneeGemini Networks, Inc.

InventorsMichael Brandt Handler, Ronald Keith Dobes

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Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for self-authenticating an end-user of one of multiple service providers, each of the service providers having end-users connected to a common network. A digital repository is populated with information regarding the service providers, the end-users and service description information for the end-users. New devices are detected as they are connected to the high-speed network, and are allocated a limited amount of bandwidth. The end-user is given access to an authentication application. Based on the information entered by the end-user, the database is queried to determine a level of service purchased by the end-user from their service provider. The end-user is then allocated the appropriate level of service.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A system for self-authenticating a first end-user connected to a common network and a second end-user connected to the common network, the first end-user being a customer of a first service provider of multiple service providers and the second end-user being a customer of a second service provider of multiple service providers, comprising:

a digital repository populated with
service provider entries including information about the first service provider and other information about the second service provider,
end-user entries including information about the first end-user and other information about the second end-user, each of the end-user entries being associated with at least one service provider entry, and
service description entries including information about a level of service purchased by an end-user from a service provider, each of the service description entries being associated with an end-user entry;
a processor;
and
a computer readable medium encoded with processor readable instructions that when executed by the processor implement,
a new device detection mechanism configured to detect a new device connected to the common network, the new device being associated with one of the first end-user and the second end-user,
a bandwidth allocation mechanism configured to allocate limited bandwidth on the common network to the new device and to provide access to an end-user authentication mechanism,
the end-user authentication mechanism configured to obtain identification information from the one of the first end-user and the second end-user,
a service determination mechanism configured to query the digital repository to determine the level of service purchased by the one of the first end-user and the second end-user from a respective one of the multiple service providers based on information obtained by the end-user authentication mechanism,
a service allocation mechanism configured to provide the level of service purchased to the one of the first end-user and the second end-user authenticated by the end-user authentication mechanism.

9 more elements

A method for self-authenticating a first end-user connected to a common network and a second end-user connected to the common network, the first end-user being a customer of a first service provider of multiple service providers and the second end-user being a customer of a second service provider of multiple service providers, comprising:

populating a digital repository with
service provider entries including information about the first service provider and other information about the second service provider,
end-user entries including information about the first end-user and other information about the second end-user, each of the end-user entries being associated with at least one service provider entry, and
service description entries including information about a level of service purchased by an end-user, each of the service description entries being associated with an end-user entry;
detecting a new device connected to the common network, the new device being associated with one of the first end-user and the second end-user;
allocating limited bandwidth on the common network to the new device to provide access to an end-user authentication mechanism;
authenticating the one of the first end-user and the second end-user via the end-user authentication mechanism;
querying the digital repository to determine the level of service purchased by the one of the first end-user and the second end-user from a respective one of the multiple service providers based on information obtained in the obtaining step;
and
providing the level of service purchased to the one of the first end-user and the second end-user authenticated in the authenticating step.

7 more elements

A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium;
and
a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a processor to self-authenticate a first end-user connected to a common network and a second end-user connected to the common network, the first end-user being a customer of a first service provider of multiple service providers and the second end-user being a customer of a second service provider of multiple service providers, the computer program code mechanism having,
a first computer code device configured to maintain service provider information, end-user information, and service description information in a database,
the service provider information including information about the first service provider and other information about the second service provider,
the end-user information including information about the first end-user and other information about the second end-user and including an association between each end-user and at least one service providers, and
the service description information including information about a level of service purchased by an end-user, and an association with an end-user;
a second computer code device configured to detect a new device connected to the common network, the new device being associated with one of the first end-user and the second end-user;
a third computer code device configured to allocate limited bandwidth on the common network to the new device and to provide access to a fourth computer code device;
the fourth computer code device configured to authenticate an end-user based on identification information obtained from the one of the first end-user and the second end-user;
a fifth computer code device configured to query the database to determine the level of service purchased by the one of the first end-user and the second end-user from a respective one of the multiple service providers based on information obtained by the fourth computer code device;
and
a sixth computer code device configured to provide the level of service purchased to the one of the first end-user and the second end-user.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.