Controlled access to credential information of delegators in delegation relationships

A method for a relying party, comprising:

• receiving, from a delegate, a request for a service;
• sending a credential information request to a delegate credential service provider;
• receiving requested credential information from the delegate credential service provider;
• verifying the credential information;
• generating a service response based on the results from the verifying and the request for the service;
• and
• sending the service response to the delegate.

A method for a delegate credential service provider, comprising:

• receiving a service request;
• determining the service type based on the service request;
• registering, if the service type is for subscribing a digital credential service, a user's credential information for requested digital credential service;
• registering, if the service type is for delegation service, a delegation between a delegator and a delegate, the delegation including delegation terms;
• changing, if the service type is for updating an existing delegation, the terms of an existing delegation;
• and
• providing, if the service request is a credential information request from a relying party for credential information required for a service requested by a delegate, credential information.

A system for a relying party, comprising:

• a service request processing mechanism for processing a service request for a service from a user;
• a credential information request mechanism for obtaining required credential information that is necessary for the service from a delegation credential service provider;
• and
• a service response generation mechanism for generating a service response based on the service request and the required credential information.

A machine-accessible medium encoded with data, the data, when accessed, causing:

• requesting, by a delegate with a delegation from a delegator, a service from a relying party;
• requesting, by the relying party based on the service requested and the delegation, credential information from the delegate credential service provider;
• sending, by the delegate credential service provider, the credential information to the relying party;
• generating, by the relying party, a service response according to the credential information, received from the delegate credential service provider;
• and
• sending the service response to the delegate.

A machine-accessible medium encoded with data related to a relying party, the data, when accessed, causing:

• receiving, from a delegate, a request for a service;
• sending a credential information request to a delegate credential service provider;
• receiving the requested credential information from the delegate credential service provider;
• verifying the credential information;
• generating a service response based on the results from the verifying and the request for the service;
• and
• sending the service response to the delegate.

A machine-accessible medium encoded with data related to a delegate credential service provider, the data, when accessed, causing:

• receiving a service request;
• determining the service type based on the service request;
• registering, if the service type is for subscribing a digital credential service, a user's credential information for requested digital credential service;
• registering, if the service type is for delegation service, a delegation between a delegator and a delegate, the delegation including delegation terms;
• changing, if the service type is for updating an existing delegation, the terms of an existing delegation;
• and
• providing, if the service request is a credential information request from a relying party for digital credential information required for a service requested by a delegate, required credential information.