User authentication system

Abstract

A user authentication system and method includes a network of guardian nodes and gatekeeper nodes configured to securely communicate with one another. The gatekeeper nodes are connected to service providers and the guardian nodes are associated with UAS customers. The guardian nodes and gatekeeper nodes are configured to generate tokens that are passed between the guardian nodes, gatekeeper nodes, service providers and UAS customers to authenticate UAS customers requesting access to service providers.

1 . A secure communication system comprising:
 a network of guardian security nodes and gatekeeper security nodes configured to securely and directly communicate with one another;   (a) wherein a guardian security node is associated with a customer;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to maintain and store a registered customer account;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to generate a token associated with a transaction;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to directly transmit the token to a gatekeeper security node;   (b) wherein the gatekeeper security node is associated with a service provider; wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to maintain and store a registered service provider account;   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to receive the token from the guardian node;   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to associate the token received from the guardian node with a service provider account associated with the customer; and   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to directly transmit service provider account information to the service provider.   
     
     
         2 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the guardian security node is configured to verify the customer’s identity and register the customer.   
     
     
         3 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes a unique number corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         4 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes at least one user account key corresponding to the service provider.   
     
     
         5 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes a network address of the gatekeeper security node associated with the service provider.   
     
     
         6 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to verify the service provider’s identity and register the service provider.   
     
     
         7 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered service provider account includes a service provider account unique number corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         8 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered service provider account includes at least one service provider account key corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         9 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to detect customers with multiple customer accounts for the same service provider.   
     
     
         10 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to receive data from one or more guardian security nodes and to detect if the customer has multiple customer accounts.   
     
     
         11 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein the service provider account information is a username.   
     
     
         12 . The secure communication system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an executive node configured to securely communicate with the guardian security node and the gatekeeper security node;   wherein the executive node stores public keys, and the guardian security node and the gatekeeper security node store private keys; and   wherein the public keys and private keys are used for secure communication among the executive node, the guardian security node and the gatekeeper security node.   
     
     
         13 . The secure communication system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 wherein the executive node includes a table of the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes, which includes the network addresses of the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes, the customers associated with each guardian security node and the service providers associated with each gatekeeper security node.   
     
     
         14 . The secure communication system of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the executive node is configured to periodically distribute the table to the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes.   
     
     
         15 . A secure communication system comprising:
 a network of guardian security nodes and gatekeeper security nodes configured to securely and directly communicate with one another;.
 (a) wherein a guardian security node is associated with a customer,
 wherein the guardian security node is configured to maintain and store a registered customer account; 
 wherein the guardian security node is configured to generate a token associated with a transaction; 
 wherein the guardian security node is configured to directly transmit the token to a gatekeeper security node; 
 
 (b) wherein the gatekeeper security node is associated with a service provider; wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to maintain and store a registered service provider account;
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to receive the token from the guardian node; 
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to associate the token received from the guardian node with a service provider account associated with the customer; and 
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to directly transmit the service provider account information to the service provider; and 
 
 (c) further comprising an executive node configured to securely communicate with the guardian security node and gatekeeper security node;
 wherein the executive node includes a table of the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes, which includes network addresses of the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes, the customers associated with each guardian security node and the service providers associated with each gatekeeper security node; and 
 wherein the executive node is configured to periodically distribute the table to the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes. 
 
   
     
     
         16 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the guardian security node is configured to verify the customer’s identity and register the customer.   
     
     
         17 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes a unique number corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         18 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes at least one user account key corresponding to the service provider.   
     
     
         19 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes a network address of the gatekeeper security node associated with the service provider.   
     
     
         20 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to verify the service provider’s identity and register the service provider.   
     
     
         21 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered service provider account includes a service provider account unique number corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         22 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered service provider account includes at least one service provider account key corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         23 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to detect customers with multiple customer accounts for the same service provider.   
     
     
         24 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to receive data from one or more guardian security nodes and to detect if the customer has multiple customer accounts.   
     
     
         25 . The secure communication system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 wherein the executive node stores public keys, and the guardian security node and the gatekeeper security node store private keys; and   wherein the public keys and private keys are used for secure communication among the executive node, the guardian security node and the gatekeeper security node.   
     
     
         26 . A secure communication system comprising:
 a network of guardian security nodes and gatekeeper security nodes configured to securely and directly communicate with one another;   (a) wherein a guardian security node is associated with a customer,   wherein the guardian security node is configured to maintain and store a registered customer account;   wherein the registered customer account includes a unique number corresponding to the customer;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to generate a token associated with a transaction;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to directly transmit the token to a gatekeeper security node;   (b) wherein the gatekeeper security node is associated with a service provider; wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to maintain and store a registered service provider account;   wherein the registered service provider account includes a service provider account unique number corresponding to the customer;   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to receive the token from the guardian node;   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to associate the token received from the guardian node with the service provider account key and with a service provider account associated with the customer; and   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to directly transmit service provider account information to the service provider.   
     
     
         27 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the guardian security node is configured to verify the customer’s identity and register the customer.   
     
     
         28 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes a network address of the gatekeeper security node associated with the service provider.   
     
     
         29 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes at least one user account key corresponding to a service provider.   
     
     
         30 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered customer account includes a network address of the gatekeeper security node associated with the service provider.   
     
     
         31 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the registered service provider account includes at least one service provider account key corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         32 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to verify the service provider’s identity and register the service provider.   
     
     
         33 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to detect customers with multiple customer accounts for the same service provider.   
     
     
         34 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to receive data from one or more guardian security nodes and to detect if the customer has multiple customer accounts.   
     
     
         35 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the unique number corresponding to the customer is the same as, or can be linked to, the service provider account unique number corresponding to the customer.   
     
     
         36 . The secure communication system of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 wherein the executive node includes a table of the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes, which includes network addresses of the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes, the customers associated with each guardian security node and the service provider associated with each gatekeeper security node; and   wherein the executive node is configured to periodically distribute the table to the guardian security nodes and the gatekeeper security nodes.   
     
     
         37 . A secure communication system comprising:
 a network of guardian security nodes and gatekeeper security nodes configured to securely and directly communicate with one another;   wherein a gatekeeper security node is associated with a service provider;   wherein a guardian security node is associated with a customer;   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to maintain and store a registered service provider account associated with the customer;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to maintain and store a registered customer account;   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to generate a token associated with a transaction and with the service provider account associated with the customer;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to receive the token associated with the transaction;   wherein the guardian security node is configured to transmit the token to the gatekeeper node;   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to receive the token from the guardian node; and   wherein the gatekeeper security node is configured to transmit service provider account information to the service provider.