Method and apparatus for caching credentials in proxy servers for wireless user agents

A method comprising:

• enabling caching of credentials at a location accessible by an intermediary network node using a wireless user agent;
• intercepting a first request destined for a resource at a specified network locator on a wireline network transmitted by a client device over a wireless network, the first request including an associated credential;
• intercepting a subsequent request without the associated credential at the intermediary network node, the request transmitted by the client device over the wireless network and destined for a resource at a specified network locator on the wireline network;
• and, in response to the request:
• using the intermediary network node to locate a cached credential associated with the client device;
• and
• sending the request with the cached credential from the intermediary network node to the resource over the wireline network, the resource authenticating the client device using the credential.

An intermediary network node comprising:

• means for enabling caching of credentials at a location accessible by an intermediary network node using a wireless user agent;
• means for intercepting a first request including an associated credential from a mobile device over a wireless network, the first request destined for a resource at a specified network locator within a protected realm on a wireline network;
• means for intercepting a subsequent request without an associated credential at the intermediary network node from the mobile device over the wireless network, the request destined for a resource within the protected realm on the wireline network;
• means for using the intermediary network node to locate in a credential cache a credential associated with the mobile client device in response to the subsequent request;
• and
• means for sending the subsequent request with the credential from the intermediary network node to the resource at the specified network locator over the wireless network, the resource authenticating the client device using the credential.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at an intermediary network node enabled by a wireless user agent to store credentials, a credential from a client device over a wireless network, wherein the credential is associated with a first request by the client device destined for a first resource at a specified first network locator within a protected realm on a wireline network;
• caching the credential in a credential cache using the intermediary network node if the credential is not present in the cache;
• receiving, at the intermediary network node, a second request from the client device without an associated credential, the second request destined for a second resource at a specified second network locator within the protected realm on the wireline network;
• using the intermediary network node to locate the cached credential in the credential cache in response to the second request;
• and
• sending the cached credential with the second request from the intermediary network node to the resource over the wireline network, the resource authenticating the client device using the credential.

A method comprising:

• creating a credential cache accessible by a proxy server enabled by a wireless user agent to cache credentials, the proxy server proxying to a set of client devices on a wireless network a set of services on a wireline network;
• intercepting a first request to access a resource at a specified network locator on the wireline network using said proxy server, the first request transmitted by a client device and destined for a resource in said wireline network, the first request including a credential;
• storing said credential in a credential entry in said credential cache if said credentials is not present in the cache;
• and
• in response to receiving a subsequent request from the client device to access the resource on the wireline network:
• accessing the credential stored in the credential cache;
• and
• sending the accessed credential for authentication to the resource with the subsequent request, such that the client device is not required to send the credential over the wireless network for the subsequent request to be satisfied.

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a proxy server enabled by a wireless user agent to store credentials, a credential, comprising a user name and a password, from a mobile client device over a wireless network, wherein the credential is associated with a first request by the mobile client destined for a first resource at a specified first network locator within a protected realm on a wireline data network;
• caching the credential in a credential cache if the credential is not present in the cache, wherein the credentials in the credential cache expire according to a set of defined expiration rules, using the proxy server unless the user specifies that the credential is not to be cached;
• receiving, at the proxy server, a second request without an associated credential from the mobile client over the wireless network, the second request destined for a second resource at a specified second network locator within the protected realm on the wireline data network;
• accessing the cached credential in the credential cache in response to the second request, using the proxy server;
• and
• proxying the second request to the resource over the wireline data network, including sending the cached credential to the resource with the second request for authentication of the mobile client at the resource, such that the mobile client is not required to send the credential over the wireless network for the second resource to satisfy the second request.