# US 8,752,158 B2 · Identity management with high privacy features

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,752,158 B2
- Document ID: US8752158B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/682,743
- Filed: 2012-11-21
- Published: 2013-10-17
- Granted: 2014-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-21
- Assignees: Microsoft Corporation
- Applicants: Microsoft Corporation
- Inventors: Ronald John Kamiel Euphrasia Bjones; Kim Cameron
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8752158B2

## CPC

- H04L 63/0884: {by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity}
- G06F 21/6263: {during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies}
- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- H04L 63/0407: {wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00)}
- H04L 63/0807: {using tickets, e.g. Kerberos (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213)}
- H04L 63/0281: {Proxies}
- H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)}
- H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources}
- 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

## Abstract

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to identity technology. In aspects, a user device sends a request for access to a service. In response, the service directs the user device to a user agent that may be downloaded or that may already exist on the user device. The user agent includes code that executes on the user device to create a security boundary. The security boundary controls transmission of identity information that may be used to identify a user of the device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method implemented at least in part by a computer, the method comprising:
sending a request to a relying party to gain access to a service provided by the relying party;
in response to the request, receiving a document and redirection data that indicates a source for a user agent;
executing code of the user agent to erect a privacy boundary to control transmission of identity information;
determining, via the code and the document, a claim required by the relying party to gain access to the service;
obtaining a partially signed claim from a claims provider trusted by the relying party;
under control of the code, using a function or data provided by claims provider to create a fully signed claim from the partially signed claim; and
providing evidence of the fully signed claim to the relying party to gain access to the service.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading the code of the user agent from the source without providing identity information to the source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising locating the code of the user agent in a store of the computer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining from the document an indication of a trust framework to use to obtain claims to present to the relying party to gain access to the service.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the fully signed claim together with other fully signed claims to a token issuer to obtain a token that includes the evidence of the fully signed claim to provide to the relying party.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising obscuring one or more of the other fully signed claims in providing the evidence of the fully signed claim to the relying party.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein executing code of the user agent to erect a privacy boundary to control transmission of identity information comprises executing the code on a device that is under control of an entity that seeks to access the service, the code, when executed, storing identity information on the device and preventing from crossing the privacy boundary data that is usable by the claims provider and/or the relying party to associate access to the service with a natural identity of the entity.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein executing code of the user agent to erect a privacy boundary to control transmission of identity information comprises executing the code on a device that is in the Internet, the device in the Internet erecting the privacy boundary to control transmission of the identity information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein receiving redirection data comprises receiving a URL of a service that includes the code of the user agent.

### Claim 10

In a computing environment, a system, comprising:
a user device having a memory for storing a user agent, the user device configured to perform actions, including:
sending a request to a relying party to gain access to a service provided by the relying party;
in response to the request, receiving redirection data that indicates a source for the user agent and a document that indicates a claim required by the relying party to gain access to the service;
executing code of the user agent to erect a privacy boundary between a claims provider and the relying party, the privacy boundary preventing natural identity information from being transmitted to the relying party;
obtaining a partially signed claim from a claims provider trusted by the relying party;
under control of the code, using a function or data provided by claims provider to create a fully signed claim from the partially signed claim; and
providing evidence of the fully signed claim to the relying party to gain access to the service.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the source comprises a user agent service and wherein the user device is further configured to perform additional actions, comprising downloading the code from the user agent service in response to receiving the redirection data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, further comprising a store connected to the user device and wherein the user device is further configured to perform additional actions, comprising locating the code on the store in response to receiving the redirection data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the user device operates in the Internet and is further configured to receive an address of the service to initiate performing the actions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the user device is further configured to perform additional actions, comprising providing the fully signed claim together with other fully signed claims to a token issuer to obtain a token that includes the evidence of the fully signed claim to provide to the relying party.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the user device is further configured to perform additional actions, comprising obscuring one or more of the other fully signed claims in providing the evidence of the fully signed claim to the relying party.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the user device hosts a Web browser configured to receive a Web address of the relying party, the Web browser further configured to receive the redirection data and to download the user agent from a service indicated by the redirection data, the Web browser further configured to store state data obtained for accessing the service provided by the relying party, the Web browser further configured to delete the state data in conjunction with the Web browser closing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, further comprising a relying party device of the relying party configured to send the redirection data to the user device and a claims provider device of the claims provider configured to provide the partially signed claims to the user device.

### Claim 18

A computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform actions, comprising:
sending a request to a relying party to gain access to a service provided by the relying party;
in response to the request, receiving redirection data that indicates a source for a user agent, the user agent including code that, when executed, erects a privacy boundary to control the transmission of identity information;
receiving a document that indicates a claim required by the relying party in order for the relying party to provide the service;
executing the code to obtain a signed claim from a claims provider trusted by the relying party; and
providing evidence of the signed claim to the relying party to gain access to the service.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The computer storage medium of claim 18, further comprising executing the code to erect the privacy boundary to prevent natural identity data from being transmitted to the relying party from a device sending the request, the natural identity data usable by the relying party to determine a natural identity of an entity sending the request.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The computer storage medium of claim 18, further comprising erecting a privacy boundary by encrypting the signed claim obtained from the claims provider prior to sending the signed claim to the relying party, the encrypting the identity information obscuring identity information included in the claim while maintaining evidence that the claim was obtained from the claims provider.