FIELD

The present application generally relates to a method and apparatus with provider information access authorization.

BACKGROUND

In a typical information sharing system, there may be a management apparatus and a separate provider apparatus. However, the management apparatus and the provider apparatus may use separate and distinct/independent authentication processes, for example, separate usernames, passwords, multi-factor authentication, biometric authentication, and so on.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one general aspect, an apparatus includes one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to receive a single sign-on (SSO) token from a provider apparatus for a validated login request by a client device for a user account, wherein the SSO token is indicative of the provider apparatus having authorized, to the one or more processors, secure protocol access with the provider apparatus to access information at the provider apparatus associated with the user account, retrieve customer information from the provider apparatus using the SSO token, receive information from the client device, confirm whether, based on the information and the customer information, that a user of the user account is eligible to complete a data exchange, and in response to a result of the confirming being that the user of the user account is confirmed eligible to complete the data exchange, cause the provider apparatus to process the data exchange corresponding to the information.

The SSO token may include a valet token that permits access to only some information at the provider apparatus associated with the user account used for the data exchange.

The authorizing having been performed, as indicated by the received SSO token, may be based on the apparatus sending an SSO identification request to an identity provider associated with the provider apparatus with the login request.

The provider apparatus may be a separate entity from the apparatus, the apparatus and the provider apparatus may share information through a VPN, and the VPN may provide the SSO token to the provider apparatus when accessing information for the apparatus from the provider apparatus.

The data exchange may be a purchase transaction.

For the confirming, the one or more processors may be configured to use at least one of the customer information and the information from the provider apparatus to verify at least one of that the user is legally permitted to purchase products included in the purchase transaction, that the user has sufficient funds to purchase products of the purchase transaction, that the user is located at a suitable location to receive products of the purchase transaction, that the user has consented to suitable terms to receive products of the purchase transaction, that sufficient quantities of product are available to fulfill the products of the purchase transaction, and/or that there is no flag or indicator associated with the user providing that it is not appropriate to fulfill the products of the purchase transaction.

The apparatus may include a transaction apparatus that provides for sale products including precious metals products, and the transaction apparatus may communicate through a communication network with third parties to provide support tasks including at least one of delivering the precious metals products, performing credit card purchase processing, accessing precious metals pricing, and performing delivery address validation, and the transaction apparatus uses the SSO token to retrieve information from the provider apparatus for use by the third parties for the support tasks.

The apparatus may include a transaction management system that includes a transaction apparatus that includes the one or more processors and the memory, and the transaction management system may further include the provider apparatus, the provider apparatus including respective one or more processors that are configured, through execution of corresponding instructions stored in a corresponding memory of the transaction management system, to perform the validating of the login request as received by the provider apparatus and a generating of the SSO in response to a result of the performed validating being a successful validation, and provide the customer information to the transaction apparatus in response to receipt of the SSO token from the transaction apparatus.

In another general aspect, a processor-implemented method performed by a transaction management apparatus includes receiving a single sign-on (SSO) token from a provider apparatus for a validated login request by a client device for a user account, wherein the SSO token is indicative of the provider apparatus having authorized secure protocol access with the provider apparatus to access information at the provider apparatus associated with the user account, retrieving customer information from the provider apparatus using the SSO token, receiving information from the client device, confirming whether, based on the information and the customer information that a user of the user account is eligible to complete a data exchange, and in response to a result of the confirming being that the user of the user account is confirmed eligible to compete the data exchange, cause the provider apparatus to process the data exchange corresponding to the information.

The SSO token may include a valet token that permits access to only some information at the provider apparatus associated with the user account used for the data exchange.

The authorizing having been performed, as indicated by the received SSO token, may be based on sending an SSO identification request to an identity provider associated with the provider apparatus with the login request.

The provider apparatus may be a separate entity from the transaction management apparatus, the transaction management apparatus and the provider apparatus may share information through a VPN, and the VPN may provide the SSO token to the provider apparatus when accessing information from the provider apparatus.

The data exchange may include a purchase transaction.

The confirming may include using at least one of the customer information and the information from the provider apparatus to verify at least one of that the user is legally permitted to purchase products of the purchase transaction, that the user has sufficient funds to purchase products of the purchase transaction, that the user is located at a suitable location to receive products of the purchase transaction, that the user has consented to suitable terms to receive products of the purchase transaction, that sufficient quantities of product are available to fulfill the products of the purchase transaction, and/or that there is no flag or indicator associated with the user providing that it is not appropriate to fulfill the products of the purchase transaction.

The transaction management apparatus may include a transaction apparatus, and the transaction apparatus may provide for sale products including precious metals products, and the transaction apparatus may communicate through a communication network with third parties to provide support tasks including at least one of delivering the precious metals products, performing credit card purchase processing, accessing precious metals pricing, and performing delivery address validation, and the transaction apparatus uses the SSO token to retrieve information from the provider apparatus for use by the third parties for the support tasks.

In another general aspect, a provider apparatus includes one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the one or more processors to receive a login request from a transaction management apparatus, wherein the login request includes login credentials for a user account, validate the login request, and in response to the validation of the login request being successful, generate a single sign-on (SSO) token to authorize the user account to have authorized secure protocol access, to information at the provider apparatus associated with the user account, provide the SSO token to the transaction management apparatus, and provide customer information, to the transaction management apparatus by the provider apparatus, corresponding to a user of the user account, in response to receipt of the SSO token from the transaction management apparatus, the customer information being used by the transaction management apparatus for determining whether the user is eligible to complete a data exchange.

The data exchange may include a purchase transaction, and the one or more processors may be further configured to, in response to a result of the determining being that the user is determined eligible to complete the purchase transaction, process a purchase corresponding to the purchase transaction by transferring funds associated with the user account in payment for goods associated with the purchase and by initiating a delivery process to provide the user of the user account with the goods.

The customer information may be stored in a provider data repository accessed by the provider apparatus, and the provider data repository may also store information about financial accounts associated with the user account that may be used for payment and valid login credentials associated with the user account that may be used to validate the login request.

The validating having been performed, as indicated by the provided SSO token, may be based on the transaction management apparatus sending an SSO identification request to an identity provider associated with the provider apparatus with the login credentials, and may be based on the transaction management apparatus receiving an SSO identification response from the identity provider associated with the provider apparatus, including the SSO token.

The provider apparatus may be a separate entity than the transaction management apparatus, the transaction management apparatus and the provider apparatus may share information through a VPN, and the VPN may provide the SSO token to the provider apparatus when accessing information from the provider apparatus.

Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.

