US5757920A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Logon certification
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1997-03-13
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Granted: 1998-05-26
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Expires: 2017-03-13
Abstract
Abstract Logon certificates are provided to support disconnected operation within the distributed system. Each logon certificate is a secure package holding credentials information sufficient to establish the identity and rights and privileges for a user/machine in a domain that is not their home domain. When a user/machine attempts to connect to the system at a domain other than the home domain of the user/machine, the user/machine presents a logon certificate that evidences his credentials. The domain where the user/machine attempts to connect to the system, decrypts and unseals the secure package as required to obtain the credentials information contained therein. If the user/machine has sufficient credentials, the user/machine is permitted to connect to the system. If the user/machine lacks sufficient credentials, the user/machine is not permitted to connect to the system.
Inventors
- 👤 Pradyumna K. Misra
- 👤 Arnold S. Miller
- 👤 Richard B. Ward
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 22:49
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L63/00; H04L63/08; H04L63/0823; G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/30; G06F21/31; G06F21/33; G06F21/60; G06F21/62; G06F21/6218; G06F21/6236; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/382; G06Q20/3821; H04L63/12; H04L63/04; H04L63/0428
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
In a distributed system logically partitioned into domains and each user having an associated home domain, a method comprising the steps of: encrypting credentials about a user to produce a block of encrypted credentials information; attaching a digital signature to the block of encrypted credentials information at the home domain for the user using a private key for the home domain; receiving a session key from the user; encrypting the digital signature and the block of encrypted credentials information to produce a secure package; providing the secure package to the user to enable the user to logon to the distributed system in a domain other than the home domain.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
In a distributed system logically partitioned into domains and each user having an associated home domain, a method comprising the steps of: encrypting credentials about a user to produce a block of encrypted credentials information; attaching a digital signature to the block of encrypted credentials information at the home domain for the user using a private key for the home domain; receiving a session key from the user; encrypting the digital signature and the block of encrypted credentials information to produce a secure package; providing the secure package to the user to enable the user to logon to the distributed system in a domain other than the home domain.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of attaching the digital signature to the block of encrypted credentials information further comprises the steps of: using a hash function to generate a hash value of the credentials information; and other data like expiration time, selecting an encryption key; encrypting the hash value and selected encryption key using the domain's private key to produce the digital signature.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed system includes a portable computer having memory and wherein the step of providing the secure package to the user comprises the step of storing the secure package in the memory of the portable computer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the secure package to the user comprises the step of storing the secure package on a portable storage medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the portable storage medium is a floppy disk and wherein the step of storing the secure package on the portable storage medium comprises storing the secure package on the floppy disk.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each domain includes a domain controller for overseeing administration and security for the domain and wherein the step of encrypting credentials information about the user is performed using an encryption key that is unique to the home domain.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of distributing the public key of the user's home domain only to other domain controllers for use in decrypting the block of encrypted credentials information.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
116 words
In a distributed system, a method comprising the steps of: providing a user with a first option of logging on to the distributed system wherein a secure package holding credentials is required; providing a user with a second option of logging on to the distributed system wherein a secure package holding credentials is not required; receiving a user request to logon using the first option; examining the secure package holding credentials to determine whether the user has sufficient credentials to be permitted to logon; where it is determined that the user has sufficient credentials, permitting the user to logon; and where it is determined that the user lacks sufficient credentials, prohibiting the user from logging on.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
116 words
In a distributed system, a method comprising the steps of: providing a user with a first option of logging on to the distributed system wherein a secure package holding credentials is required; providing a user with a second option of logging on to the distributed system wherein a secure package holding credentials is not required; receiving a user request to logon using the first option; examining the secure package holding credentials to determine whether the user has sufficient credentials to be permitted to logon; where it is determined that the user has sufficient credentials, permitting the user to logon; and where it is determined that the user lacks sufficient credentials, prohibiting the user from logging on.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
In a distributed system logically partitioned into domains wherein each user has an associated home domain, a method comprising the steps of: providing a secure package holding credentials to a user to allow the user to logon to the distributed system outside of the associated home domain of the user; establishing a time of expiration for the secure package holding credentials; and after the time of expiration has passed, prohibiting the user from using the secure package holding credentials to logon to a distributed system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
85 words
In a distributed system logically partitioned into domains wherein each user has an associated home domain, a method comprising the steps of: providing a secure package holding credentials to a user to allow the user to logon to the distributed system outside of the associated home domain of the user; establishing a time of expiration for the secure package holding credentials; and after the time of expiration has passed, prohibiting the user from using the secure package holding credentials to logon to a distributed system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
101 words
In a distributed system logically partitioned into domains wherein each user has an associated home domain, a method comprising the steps of: receiving a request from a user to receive a secure package holding credentials that will enable the user to logon to the distributed system outside the associated home domain of the user; prompting the user for a password; encoding information indicative of the password in the secure package holding credentials; issuing the secure package holding credentials to the user; and requiring the user to show knowledge of the password when attempting to logon using the secure package holding credentials.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
101 words
In a distributed system logically partitioned into domains wherein each user has an associated home domain, a method comprising the steps of: receiving a request from a user to receive a secure package holding credentials that will enable the user to logon to the distributed system outside the associated home domain of the user; prompting the user for a password; encoding information indicative of the password in the secure package holding credentials; issuing the secure package holding credentials to the user; and requiring the user to show knowledge of the password when attempting to logon using the secure package holding credentials.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
67 words
In a distributed system, a method comprising the steps of: issuing a secure package holding credentials to a user to enable the user to logon to the distributed system using the secure package holding credentials to show that the user has sufficient credentials; revoking the secure package holding credentials so that the secure package holding credentials may no longer be used to logon to the distributed system.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
67 words
In a distributed system, a method comprising the steps of: issuing a secure package holding credentials to a user to enable the user to logon to the distributed system using the secure package holding credentials to show that the user has sufficient credentials; revoking the secure package holding credentials so that the secure package holding credentials may no longer be used to logon to the distributed system.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
104 words
A distributed system partitioned into domains wherein each user has an associated home domain, each domain comprising: a secure package issuing facility for issuing secure packages holding credentials to users for whom the domain is the home domain; an authorization and authentication facility for determining whether a user is permitted to logon to the domain, said authorization and authentication facility comprising: a secure package examiner for examining secure packages holding credentials of users to determine whether the users are permitted to logon to the domain and using any authorization information in the secure package holding credentials to establish rights and privileges for the user.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
104 words
A distributed system partitioned into domains wherein each user has an associated home domain, each domain comprising: a secure package issuing facility for issuing secure packages holding credentials to users for whom the domain is the home domain; an authorization and authentication facility for determining whether a user is permitted to logon to the domain, said authorization and authentication facility comprising: a secure package examiner for examining secure packages holding credentials of users to determine whether the users are permitted to logon to the domain and using any authorization information in the secure package holding credentials to establish rights and privileges for the user.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The distributed system of claim 12, further comprising a portable computer having a memory for storing a secure package holding credentials for a user.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
19 words
The distributed system of claim 12, further comprising a revocation facility for revoking secure packages holding credentials for users.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The distributed system of claim 12 wherein the secure package holding issuing facility further comprises an encryption facility for encrypting credentials held in the secure package credentials.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The distributed system of claim 12 wherein the secure package issuing facility further comprises a digital signature facility for incorporating a digital signature into each secure package holding credentials.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-05-25 | 2001-11-24 | 2002-05-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-05-25 | 2005-11-24 | 2006-05-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-05-25 | 2009-11-24 | 2010-05-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |