Patent ID: 8688984

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a first login request from a first device used by a user for logging into a service, the first login request being associated with a first anonymous identifier associated with the first device; reading a seed and creating, using one or more processors, a first private-public key pair associated with the user when using the first device; storing a first private key associated with the first private-public key pair locally in the first device and publishing a first public key in a directory entry associated with the user; receiving a second login request from a second different device used by the user, the second login request being associated with a second different anonymous identifier associated with the second different device; responsive to the received second login request: reading the seed and creating a second private-public key pair associated with the user when using the second different device including a second different public key; storing a second private key associated with the second private-public key pair locally in the second different device and publishing the second public key in the directory entry associated with the user; creating a secret key using the first public key; and associating the second anonymous identifier with the secret key to create a first association between the second anonymous identifier and the secret key; at a time subsequent to the publishing of the second public key, receiving a login request from the user when accessing the first device and, responsive to the received request: creating the secret key using the second public key; and associating the first anonymous identifier with the secret key to create a second association between the first anonymous identifier and the secret key; receiving a request for content from either: the first device including the first anonymous identifier; or the second different device including the second different anonymous identifier; and providing, using the one or more processors, content in response to the request using the first and second associations.