Patent ID: 6678731
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A method of accessing a web server coupled to the Internet, the method comprising:receiving a request from a web server to authenticate a user of an Internet browser seeking access to the web server; determining whether the user was already authenticated by an authentication server; if the user was already authenticated by the authentication server, generating an authentication ticket and communicating the authentication ticket to the web server; if the user was not already authenticated by the authentication server, then communicating a web from the authentication server to an Internet browser operated by the user, wherein the web page requests login information to be returned to the authentication server from the user; receiving the completed web page at the authentication server from the user; authenticating the user by comparing the information received in the completed web page with authentication information maintained by the authentication server; and if the information received in the completed web page matches the authentication information, generating an authentication ticket at the authentication server and communicating the authentication ticket from the authentication server to the web server.