Authentication system for networked computer applications

Abstract

A system such as in a networked computer system comprising a user, an application server, a gatekeeper server and an authentication server. Communication within the system is managed by the gatekeeper server, wherein the user communicates with the authentication server and the application server through the gatekeeper server. Once the user has been initially authenticated by the authentication server, the user may request application services from a plurality of application servers within the networked computer system without having to be re-authenticated.

1 . A method of authenticating a user within a networked computer system, the method comprising:
 providing an authentication server for authenticating a user;   providing a gatekeeper server;   creating an authentication token comprising a user ID of the user by the authentication server upon user authentication to uniquely identify the user, the authentication token being independent of the user credentials presented by the user and verifiable without a need for the user to re-present the user credentials;   providing an application server;   providing a first encryption key, said first encryption key being shared by the authentication server and the application server but not with the gatekeeper server;   encrypting the authentication token with the first encryption key, wherein the gatekeeper server is unable to access the encrypted authentication token created by the authentication server; and   using the encrypted authentication token by the application server to verify that the user is a subscriber to the application server.   
   
   
       2 . The method of authenticating a user of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a second encryption key, said second encryption key being an asymmetric key pair wherein the authentication server stores the private key of the asymmetric key pair; and   digitally signing the authentication token by the authentication server with the private key of the asymmetric key pair before encrypting the authentication token with the first encryption key.   
   
   
       3 . The method of authenticating a user of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a third encryption key, said third encryption key is stored on the gatekeeper server. 
   
   
       4 . The method of authenticating a user of  claim 3 , wherein said third encryption key is a symmetric key. 
   
   
       5 . The method of authenticating a user of  claim 3 , further comprising providing a plurality of authentication servers, application servers and gatekeeper servers, wherein the first encryption key is shared among the authentication servers and application servers, the private key of the second encryption key is stored on the authentication servers and the third encryption key is shared among the gatekeeper servers. 
   
   
       6 . The method of authenticating a user of  claim 1 , wherein the combined token is less than or equal to 2 kilobytes. 
   
   
       7 . An authentication system within a networked computer system, comprising:
 an application server;   a gatekeeper server;   an authentication server;   a user having user credentials, and   a first encryption key shared by the application server and authentication server, wherein the first encryption key is not shared with the gatekeeper server, and wherein an encrypted authentication token created by the authentication server using the first encryption key is independent of the user credentials presented by the user and verifiable without a need for the user to re-present the user credentials, the encrypted authentication token being used to verify by the application server that the user is a subscriber to the application server.   
   
   
       8 . The authentication system of  claim 7 , further comprising a second encryption key, said second encryption key being an asymmetric key pair, wherein the authentication server stores the private key of the asymmetric key pair and the application server stores the public key of the asymmetric key pair. 
   
   
       9 . The authentication system of  claim 7 , wherein the first encryption key is a symmetric key. 
   
   
       10 . The authentication system of  claim 7 , further comprising a third encryption key stored by the gatekeeper server, wherein the third encryption key is not stored by the application server or the authentication server. 
   
   
       11 . The authentication system of  claim 10 , wherein the third encryption key is a symmetric key. 
   
   
       12 . The authentication system of  claim 7 , wherein the combined token is less than or equal to 2 kilobytes. 
   
   
       13 . A computer-readable token having a plurality of data nodes stored therein and representing a data structure for verifying authentication of a user, comprising:
 a first data node comprising data identifying the data structure;   a second data node comprising data indicating the time the data structure was created; and   a third data node comprising unique data representing the user.   
   
   
       14 . The computer-readable token of  claim 13 , further comprising a fourth data node comprising data representing the relationship between the user and the requester. 
   
   
       15 . The computer-readable token of  claim 13 , wherein the third data node is derived from credentials presented by the user. 
   
   
       16 . The computer-readable token of  claim 13 , wherein the first data node comprises data derived from the second data node. 
   
   
       17 . The computer-readable token of  claim 13 , wherein the first data node comprises data derived from data identifying a server. 
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable token of  claim 13 , further comprising a second data structure for securing data stored within the first data structure. 
   
   
       19 . The computer-readable token of  claim 13 , wherein the second data structure comprises:
 a fifth data node comprising the data of the first data node;   a sixth data node comprising data indicating the time the second data structure was created; and   a seventh data node comprising data indicating the time period for which the second data structure will be valid.   
   
   
       20 . The computer-readable token of  claim 19 , wherein a hash function is performed on the computer-readable token by a server. 
   
   
       21 . The computer-readable token of  claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable token is encrypted by a server. 
   
   
       22 . The computer-readable token of  claim 13 , wherein the computer-readable token is less than or equal to 2 kilobytes.