Common organization estimation at registration

Abstract

The registration of an individual for a service while providing protection against unintentional duplication of registration for the same organization. Upon receiving a request to register for a service from an individual over a network, it is automatically estimated as to whether the individual requesting registration belongs to the same organization as a prior registrant for the service. If so, the service notifies the individual requesting registration that they might belong to the same organization as a prior registrant. In one embodiment, it is then left to the individual as to whether they want to continue registering for the service.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   one or more storage media having stored computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, implement a method at the computing system for protecting against unintentional duplicate registrations for a service by different individuals belonging to a same organization, wherein the method includes:
 an act of receiving a request to register for a service from a particular individual over a network, the request including particular registration information provided by the particular individual; 
 an act of automatically estimating that the particular individual might belong to the same organization as another individual who is a prior registrant for the service, by comparing the particular registration information with prior registration information previously provided by the prior registrant; 
 prior to registering the particular individual to the service, an act of notifying the particular individual over the network regarding a prior registration of at least the prior registrant that is already registered to the service that might belong to the same organization as the particular individual; and 
   an act of presenting the particular individual with the option to continue registering despite the existence of the prior registrant, or to cease registration.   
     
     
         2 . The computing system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes:
 an act of receiving an additional request, the additional request comprising a request from a third individual to register for the service;   an act of automatically determining that there is insufficient evidence from which to estimate that the third individual is a member of the same organization as any prior registrant; and   an act of continuing to register the third individual in response to the act of automatically determining that there is insufficient evidence from which to estimate that the third individual is a member of the same organization as any prior registrant for the service.   
     
     
         3 . The computing system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes:
 in response to the notification, an act of receiving an indication from the particular individual that the particular individual is to continue registering; and   an act of continuing to register the particular individual in response to the indication.   
     
     
         4 . The computing system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the method further includes:
 in response to the notification, an act of receiving an indication from the particular individual that the particular individual is not to continue registering; and   an act of ceasing registration for the service by the particular individual in response to the indication.   
     
     
         5 . The computing system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 comparing a domain name of an e-mail address provided by the particular individual in the first registration information with a domain name of an e-mail address previously provided by the prior registrant   
     
     
         6 . The computing system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 comparing an account associated with the particular individual with an account associated with the prior registrant.   
     
     
         7 . The computing system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 an act of estimating an organization to which the particular individual belongs by comparing an organization name provided by the particular individual in the particular registration information with an organization name previously provided by the prior registrant.   
     
     
         8 . The computing system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 comparing a postal code and organization name combination, provided by the particular individual in the first registration information, with a postal code and organization name combination previously provided by the prior registrant.   
     
     
         9 . One or more hardware storage device having stored computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor of a computing system, implement a method at the computing system for protecting against unintentional duplicate registrations for a service by different individuals belonging to a same organization, wherein the method includes:
 an act of receiving a request to register for a service from a particular individual over a network, the request including particular registration information provided by the particular individual;   an act of automatically estimating that the particular individual might belong to the same organization as another individual who is a prior registrant for the service, by comparing the particular registration information with prior registration information previously provided by the prior registrant;   prior to registering the particular individual to the service, an act of notifying the particular individual over the network regarding a prior registration of at least the prior registrant that is already registered to the service that might belong to the same organization as the particular individual; and   an act of presenting the particular individual with the option to continue registering despite the existence of the prior registrant, or to cease registration.   
     
     
         10 . The one or more hardware storage device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the method further includes:
 an act of receiving an additional request, the additional request comprising a request from a third individual to register for the service;   an act of automatically determining that there is insufficient evidence from which to estimate that the third individual is a member of the same organization as any prior registrant; and   an act of continuing to register the third individual in response to the act of automatically determining that there is insufficient evidence from which to estimate that the third individual is a member of the same organization as any prior registrant for the service.   
     
     
         11 . The one or more hardware storage device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the method further includes:
 in response to the notification, an act of receiving an indication from the particular individual that the particular individual is to continue registering; and
 an act of continuing to register the particular individual in response to the indication. 
   
     
     
         12 . The one or more hardware storage device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the method further includes:
 in response to the notification, an act of receiving an indication from the particular individual that the particular individual is not to continue registering; and
 an act of ceasing registration for the service by the particular individual in response to the indication. 
   
     
     
         13 . The one or more hardware storage device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 comparing a domain name of an e-mail address provided by the particular individual in the first registration information with a domain name of an e-mail address previously provided by the prior registrant   
     
     
         14 . The one or more hardware storage device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 comparing an account associated with the particular individual with an account associated with the prior registrant.   
     
     
         15 . The one or more hardware storage device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 an act of estimating an organization to which the particular individual belongs by comparing an organization name provided by the particular individual in the particular registration information with an organization name previously provided by the prior registrant.   
     
     
         16 . The one or more hardware storage device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the act of automatically estimating comprises:
 comparing a postal code and organization name combination, provided by the particular individual in the first registration information, with a postal code and organization name combination previously provided by the prior registrant.   
     
     
         17 . A method, implemented at a computing system that includes one or more processors, for protecting against unintentional duplicate registrations for a service by different individuals belonging to the same organization, the method comprising:
 an act of receiving a request to register for a service from a particular individual over a network, the request including particular registration information provided by the particular individual;   an act of automatically estimating that the particular individual might belong to the same organization as another individual who is a prior registrant for the service, by comparing the particular registration information with prior registration information previously provided by the prior registrant;   prior to registering the particular individual to the service, an act of notifying the particular individual over the network regarding a prior registration of at least the prior registrant that is already registered to the service that might belong to the same organization as the particular individual; and   an act of presenting the particular individual with the option to continue registering despite the existence of the prior registrant, or to cease registration.   
     
     
         18 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 an act of receiving an additional request, the additional request comprising a request from a third individual to register for the service;   an act of automatically determining that there is insufficient evidence from which to estimate that the third individual is a member of the same organization as any prior registrant; and   an act of continuing to register the third individual in response to the act of automatically determining that there is insufficient evidence from which to estimate that the third individual is a member of the same organization as any prior registrant for the service.   
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the notification, an act of receiving an indication from the particular individual that the particular individual is to continue registering; and   an act of continuing to register the particular individual in response to the indication.   
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to the notification, an act of receiving an indication from the particular individual that the particular individual is not to continue registering; and   an act of ceasing registration for the service by the particular individual in response to the indication.