Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of retrieving an authentication certificate from a directory accessible by a directory service agent in a directory user agent, comprising the steps of: transmitting an open connection message comprising a search criteria message including certificate attributes to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent; searching the directory for authentication certificates responsive to the search criteria message; fetching the authentication certificates; and transmitting the fetched authentication certificates to the directory user agent.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of retrieving an authentication certificate from a directory accessible by a directory service agent in a directory user agent, comprising the steps of: transmitting an open connection message comprising a search criteria message including certificate attributes to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent; searching the directory for authentication certificates responsive to the search criteria message; fetching the authentication certificates; and transmitting the fetched authentication certificates to the directory user agent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of searching the directory for authentication certificates comprises the step of invoking a search application program interface to retrieve the certificates responsive to the search criteria message.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the search application program interface resides in the directory user agent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the search application program interface resides in the directory service agent.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each authentication certificate is associated with a name and the step of searching the directory for authentication certificates further comprises the steps of: generating a list of names associated with certificates responsive to the search criteria message; and presenting the names list to a user.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the step of fetching the certificates comprises the steps of: invoking a search application program interface to retrieve certificates; and validating the retrieved certificates.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the step of validating the certificates comprises the step of verifying that a certificate has not been revoked by accessing a certificate revocation list maintained by the directory service agent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
85 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the directory is accessible to a plurality of directory service agents, said directory service agents in communication with each other and arranged in a hierarchical relationship, and the step of validating the certificates comprises the step of verifying the certificate authority, including the steps of: accessing a plurality of directory service agents at different hierarchical levels; obtaining certificates from each of the plurality of directory service agents; and comparing the certificates obtained from the plurality of directory service agents.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
113 words
An apparatus for retrieving an authentication certificate from a directory accessible by a directory service agent in a directory user agent comprising: a computer implementing the directory user agent communicatively coupled to the directory service agent; means, performed by the computer, for transmitting an open connection message comprising a search criteria message including certificate attributes to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent; means, performed by the computer, for searching the directory for authentication certificates responsive to the search criteria message; means, performed by the computer, for fetching the authentication certificates; and means, performed by the computer, for transmitting the fetched authentication certificates to the directory user agent.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
113 words
An apparatus for retrieving an authentication certificate from a directory accessible by a directory service agent in a directory user agent comprising: a computer implementing the directory user agent communicatively coupled to the directory service agent; means, performed by the computer, for transmitting an open connection message comprising a search criteria message including certificate attributes to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent; means, performed by the computer, for searching the directory for authentication certificates responsive to the search criteria message; means, performed by the computer, for fetching the authentication certificates; and means, performed by the computer, for transmitting the fetched authentication certificates to the directory user agent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for fetching further comprises means, performed by the computer, for invoking a search application program interface to retrieve the certificates responsive to the search criteria message.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the search application program interface resides in the directory user agent.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the search application program interface resides in the directory service agent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
65 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each authentication certificate is associated with a name and the means for searching the directory for the authentication certificates further comprises: means for generating a list of names associated with the certificates further comprises: means for generating a list of names associated with certificates responsive to the search criteria message; and means for presenting the names to a user.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein fetching means comprises: means for invoking a search application program interface to retrieve certificates; and means for validating the retrieved certificates.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the means validating means comprises means for validating that a certificate has not been revoked by accessing a certificate revocation list maintained by the directory service agent.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
89 words
The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the directory is accessible to a plurality of directory service agents, said directory service agents in communication with each other and arranged in a hierarchical relationship, and the validating means comprises a means for validating the authenticity of the directory service agent, including: means for accessing a plurality of directory service agents at different hierarchical levels; means for obtaining certificates from each of the plurality of directory service agents; and means for comparing the certificates obtained from the plurality of directory service agents.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
115 words
A program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform one or more programs of instruction executable by the computer to perform method steps of retrieving an authentication certificate from a directory accessible by a directory service agent in a directory user agent, the method steps comprising the steps of: transmitting an open connection message comprising a search criteria message including certificate attributes to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent; searching the directory for authentication certificates responsive to the search criteria message; fetching the authentication certificates; and transmitting the fetched authentication certificates to the directory user agent.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
115 words
A program storage device, readable by a computer, tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform one or more programs of instruction executable by the computer to perform method steps of retrieving an authentication certificate from a directory accessible by a directory service agent in a directory user agent, the method steps comprising the steps of: transmitting an open connection message comprising a search criteria message including certificate attributes to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent; searching the directory for authentication certificates responsive to the search criteria message; fetching the authentication certificates; and transmitting the fetched authentication certificates to the directory user agent.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
39 words
The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the method step of searching the directory for authentication certificates comprises the method step of invoking a search application program interface to retrieve the certificates responsive to the search criteria message.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The program storage device of claim 17 wherein the method step of fetching the certificates comprises the method steps of: invoking a search application program interface to retrieve certificates; and validating the retrieved certificates.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
110 words
The program storage device of claim 19 wherein the directory is accessible to a plurality of directory service agents, said directory service agents in communication with each other and arranged in a hierarchical relationship, and the step of validating the certificates comprises the method steps of: verifying that the certificate has not been revoked by accessing a certificate revocation list maintained by the directory service agent; and verifying the certificate authority, including the method steps of accessing a plurality of directory service agents at different hierarchical levels, obtaining certificates from each of the plurality of directory service agents and comparing the certificates obtained from the plurality of directory service agents.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting an open connection message to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent comprises the steps of opening and binding a certificate data link library to the directory service agent.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the open connection message further comprises a search limit and the directory is searched for authentication certificates until the search limit is reached.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the open connection message comprises a directory service agent name and an associated security level, and the certificate data link library is bound to the directory service agent by generating a bind call from the security level and calling a bind application program interface as a user to the directory service agent.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the open connection message comprises a binding time value, and the method further comprises the steps of suspending binding if the binding time exceeds the binding time value.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for transmitting an open connection message to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent comprises a means for opening and binding a certificate data link library to the directory service agent.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the open connection message further comprises a search limit and the directory is searched for authentication certificates until the search limit is reached.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the open connection message comprises a directory service agent name and an associated security level, and the certificate data link library is bound to the directory service agent by generating a bind call from the security level and calling a bind application program interface as a user to the directory service agent.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the open connection message comprises a binding time value, and the method further comprises the steps of suspending binding if the binding time exceeds the binding time value.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
48 words
The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the method step of transmitting an open connection message to establish communication between the directory user agent and the directory service agent comprises the method steps of opening and binding a certificate data link library to the directory service agent.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
31 words
The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the open connection message further comprises a search limit and the directory is searched for authentication certificates until the search limit is reached.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
60 words
The program storage device of claim 17, wherein the open connection message comprises a directory service agent name and an associated security level, and the certificate data link library is bound to the directory service agent by generating a bind call from the security level and calling a bind application program interface as a user to the directory service agent.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The program storage device of claim 29, wherein the open connection message comprises a binding time value, and the method further comprises the steps of suspending binding if the binding time exceeds the binding time value.