The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 19, 2005
Filed:
May. 10, 1999
Yassir K. Elley, Cambridge, MA (US);
Anne H. Anderson, Acton, MA (US);
Stephen R. Hanna, Bedford, MA (US);
Sean J. Mullan, Watertown, MA (US);
Radia J. Perlman, Acton, MA (US);
Yassir K. Elley, Cambridge, MA (US);
Anne H. Anderson, Acton, MA (US);
Stephen R. Hanna, Bedford, MA (US);
Sean J. Mullan, Watertown, MA (US);
Radia J. Perlman, Acton, MA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
In accordance with the invention, on-line group servers issue group membership or group non-membership certificates upon request. Furthermore, when a requester requests a group certificate for a particular entity, the associated group server makes a dynamic decision regarding the entity's membership in the group rather than simply referring to a membership list. These capabilities provide for, among other things, the implementation of 'nested' groups, wherein an entity may indirectly prove membership in a first, or nested, group by proving membership in a second group which is a member of the first group. In the nested group situation, the dynamic decision may involve the group server of the nested group obtaining proof of the entity's membership or non-membership in the second group. Proof of membership or non-membership may include a group certificate and/or a group membership list.