Shared authorization data authentication method for transaction delegation in service-based computing environments

Abstract

A system and method for allowing client computers to access data or processing on remote computers without requiring the remote computer's recognition of the client computer. An authorizing computer provides client computers with a data specification and remote computer address along with an authorization code that may only be used for a limited number of times. A client computer then accesses the remote computer to access secure data. The authorization codes of the example embodiment are stored on the authorizing computer and the remote computer and simple look up and comparison is used to validate the authorization code on the remote computer.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of providing data to a client computer, comprising the steps of: 
 accepting a request for data from a client computer; and    transmitting a partial response to the client computer, wherein the partial response contains a nonce value, and wherein the nonce value is used to authorize a limited number of accesses to data on a remote computer.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of charging an entity upon use of the nonce value for at least one of the accesses.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonce value is obtained by retrieval from a nonce value list shared between a computer performing the step of transmitting and the remote computer.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonce value comprises an expiration time.  
     
     
         5 . A method of controlling access to data on a computer, the method comprising the steps of: 
 accepting a request for a data item, wherein the request contains a nonce value;    verifying the nonce value; and    responding to the request by returning the data item if the nonce value is valid and has been previously used less than a limited number of times.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising the step of charging an entity upon performance of the step of responding in conjunction with the use of the nonce value.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the nonce value comprises an expiration time.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein step of verifying comprises comparing the nonce value to a list of stored and valid nonce values.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the list of stored and valid nonce values is shared with an entity that originated the data request.  
     
     
         10 . A method of obtaining service from a secure data server, the method comprising the steps of: 
 accepting a partial response from a first computer, wherein the partial response comprises a nonce value and a specification of a remote computer;    transmitting a service request to the remote computer, wherein the service request comprises the nonce value; and    receiving a service response from the remote computer if the nonce value was valid.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the service request comprises a request for a data item.  
     
     
         12 . A system for of providing data to a client computer, the system comprising: 
 a request message receiver for accepting a request for data from a client computer; and    a partial response transmitter transmitting for transmitting a partial response to the client computer, wherein the partial response contains a nonce value, and wherein the nonce value is used to authorize a limited number of accesses to data on a remote computer.    
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , further comprising a billing module for charging an entity upon use of the nonce value for at least one of the accesses.  
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the nonce value is obtained by retrieval from a nonce value list shared between a computer performing the step of transmitting and the remote computer.  
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the nonce value comprises an expiration time.  
     
     
         16 . A system for controlling access to data on a computer, the system comprising: 
 a request receiver for accepting a request for a data item, wherein the request contains a nonce value;    a nonce verifier for verifying the nonce value; and    a response generator for responding to the request by returning the data item if the nonce value is valid and has been previously used less than a limited number of times.    
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , further comprising a billing module for charging an entity upon use of the nonce value for the onetime access.  
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the nonce value comprises an expiration time.  
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein nonce verifier verifying comprises means for comparing the nonce value to a stored list of valid nonce values.  
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the stored list of valid nonce values is shared with an entity that originated the data request.  
     
     
         21 . A system for obtaining service from a secure data server, the system comprising the steps of: 
 a partial response receiver for accepting a partial response from a first computer, wherein the partial response comprises a nonce value and a specification of a remote computer;    a request transmitter for transmitting a service request to the remote computer, wherein the service request comprises the nonce value; and    a service response receiver for receiving a service response from the remote computer if the nonce value was valid.    
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 21 , wherein the service request comprises a request for a data item.  
     
     
         23 . A computer readable medium including computer instructions for controlling communications access to remote processors, the computer instructions comprising instructions for: 
 accepting a request for data from a client computer; and    transmitting a partial response to the client computer, wherein the partial response contains a nonce value, and wherein the nonce value is used to authorize a limited number of accesses to data on a remote computer.    
     
     
         24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , further comprising instructions for charging an entity for at least one of the accesses.  
     
     
         25 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the nonce value is obtained by retrieval from a nonce value list shared between a computer performing the step of transmitting and the remote computer.  
     
     
         26 . The computer readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the nonce value comprises an expiration time.  
     
     
         27 . A computer readable medium including computer instructions for controlling communications access to computer, the computer instructions comprising instructions for: 
 accepting a request for a data item, wherein the request contains a nonce value;    verifying the nonce value; and    responding to the request by returning the data item if the nonce value is valid and has been previously used less than a limited number of times.    
     
     
         28 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 27 , further comprising instructions for charging an entity upon use of the nonce value for the onetime access.  
     
     
         29 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 27 , wherein the nonce value comprises an expiration time.  
     
     
         30 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 27 , wherein step of verifying comprises comparing the nonce value to a list of stored and valid nonce values.  
     
     
         31 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 30 , wherein the list of stored and valid nonce values is shared with an entity that originated the data request.  
     
     
         32 . A computer readable medium including computer instructions for obtaining service from a secure data server, the computer instructions comprising instructions for: 
 accepting a partial response from a first computer, wherein the partial response comprises a nonce value and a specification of a remote computer;    transmitting a service request to the remote computer, wherein the service request comprises the nonce value; and    receiving a service response from the remote computer if the nonce value was valid.    
     
     
         33 . The computer readable medium according to  claim 32 , wherein the service request comprises a request for a data item.