Method and system for registering a presence user with a presence service

Abstract

A method, performed by a registrar of a presence service, for registering a user with a presence service. The method entails negotiating a key with a client device operated by the user in order to establish an encrypted communications channel between the client device and the registrar via a proxy node, authenticating the user by exchanging messages through the encrypted communications channel and through a separate e-mail channel, binding a universally unique identifier identifying the user with one particular function node that is interposed between the proxy node and a publish-subscribe subsystem of the presence service and creating a user profile for the user and storing the user profile in a persistent data store.

1 . A method performed by a communication device to register with a system to provide a service, the method comprising:
 sending, to a registrar of the system that provides the service, a token request that includes a communication address;   receiving, from the registrar,
 via a first communication channel, a first token response that includes first security information, and 
 via a second communication channel different than the first communication channel, a second token response that is addressed to the communication address and includes second security information; 
   sending, to the registrar, an authentication message that includes a combination of the first and second security information;   receiving, from the registrar, an authentication acknowledgement containing a universally unique identifier (UUID); and   using the UUID for subsequently exchanging data with the system for providing of the service.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service is a presence service for sharing presence data. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first communication channel is an encrypted channel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sending of the token request, the sending of the authentication message and the receiving of the authentication acknowledgement are through the first communication channel. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the address is an email address, and the second communication channel is an email channel. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the address is a previous address, and the method further comprising, after the using step:
 sending a new token request that includes the UUID and a new address; 
 receiving, from the registrar, via the second communication channel, a third token response that is addressed to the new address and that includes third security information; and 
 sending, to the registrar, an authentication message that includes the third security information, for the registrar to associate the UUID with the new address for future communications. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device. 
     
     
         8 . A method performed by a registration server to register a communication device with a system that provides a service, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a communication device, a token request that includes a communication address;   sending, to the communication device,
 via a first communication channel, a first token response that includes first security information; and 
 via a second communication channel different than the first communication channel, a second token response that is addressed to the communication address and includes second security information; 
   receiving, from the communication device, an authentication message that includes a combination of the first and second security information;   sending, to the communication device, an authentication acknowledgement containing a universally unique identifier (UUID); and   associating the UUID with the communication address for use in future communications with the communication device for providing the service.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the service is a presence service for sharing presence data. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the first communication channel is an encrypted channel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the receiving of the token request, the receiving of the authentication message and the sending of the authentication acknowledgement are through the first communication channel. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the address is an email address, and the second communication channel is an email channel. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the address is a first address, and the method further comprising, after the associating step:
 receiving a new token request that includes the UUID and a second address; and 
 determining that the second address is different than the first address associated with the UUID; 
 sending via the second communication channel, a third token response that is addressed to the new address and that includes third security information; 
 receiving an authentication message that includes the third security information; and 
 associating the UUID with the new address for use in future communications. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising, after the receiving of the authentication message:
 associating the UUID with a first device identifier of the communication device; 
 receiving a new token request that includes the UUID; 
 determining that the new token request is from a communication device having a second device identifier that is different than the first device identifier associated with the UUID; and 
 associating the UUID with the second device identifier. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising:
 binding the UUID with a particular function node for use in future communications with the communication device. 
 
     
     
         16 . A server apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a machine readable storage medium containing instruction code for registering a user with a system to provide a service to the user, the instruction code being configured to be executed by the processor to:   receive, from a communication device, a token request to register with the system, the token request including a communication address;   send, to the communication device,
 via a first communication channel, a first token response that includes first security information, and 
 via a second communication channel different than the first communication channel, a second token response, addressed to the communication address, that includes second security information; 
   receive, from the communication device, an authentication message that includes a combination of the first and second security information;   send, to the communication device, an authentication acknowledgement containing a universally unique identifier (UUID); and   associate the UUID with the communication address for use in future communications with the communication device for providing the service.   
     
     
         17 . The server apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the service is a presence service for sharing presence data. 
     
     
         18 . The server apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the first communication channel is an encrypted channel. 
     
     
         19 . The server apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the receiving of the token request, the receiving of the authentication message and the sending of the authentication acknowledgement are through the first communication channel. 
     
     
         20 . The server apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the address is an email address, and the second communication channel is an email channel.