Patent ID: 8671444
Filing Date: 2014-03-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for using multiple channels to provide a user access to resources, the method comprising: authenticating, by an authentication system, the user based on at least a first authentication parameter transmitted from the user only over a first electronic communication channel from a first user device; initiating, by the authentication system, an electronic user session after authentication and granting the user access to a lower-value resource in the user session; receiving, by the authentication system, a request from the authenticated user over the first channel from the first user device to access a higher-value resource during the user session, wherein access to the higher-value resource requires additional authentication for the user comprising a second authentication parameter different from the first authentication parameter; creating, by the authentication system, an electronic session record; assigning, by the authentication system, a token value to the session record, wherein the token value comprises a unique identifier of the user session; transmitting, by the authentication system, the token value over the first channel to the authenticated user in response to the request; receiving, by the authentication system, the token value and the second authentication parameter from a second user device only over a second electronic communication channel, wherein the authentication system receives the token value and the second authentication parameter without the authentication system having prior knowledge of the second user device being associated with the user; retrieving, by the authentication system, the session record based on the token value, wherein the token value associates the second authentication parameter received from the second user device over the second channel with the user session on the first channel; validating, by the authentication system, the second authentication parameter corresponding to the session record referenced by the token value against a pre-stored parameter associated with the user; and upgrading, by the authentication system, the user session corresponding to the session record referenced by the token value to allow the user access to the higher-value resource based on the validating.