Method, system and apparatus of authenticating user affiliation for an avatar displayed on a digital platform
A host server of a digital platform, such as a virtual world or augmented reality platform, receives a request to graphically indicate an affiliation between a user of an avatar and an organization or other entity. The host server queries an authenticating server to authenticate the affiliation between the user and the entity. Accordingly, the host server generates for display a logo, or other indication, to indicate the authenticated affiliation. Other users of the digital platform can learn whether the user of the avatar is actually affiliated with the entity. Access to digital spaces, virtual objects and some interactions of the avatar may be controlled according to an access policy of the entity.
1. A method of access control based on user affiliation, the method comprising:
generating, by a host server of a digital platform, a display of a first avatar of a first user of the digital platform;
receiving, by the host server, a request to access by the first avatar a portion of the digital platform;
transmitting to an authenticating server, by the host server, a request to authenticate an affiliation between the first user and an entity;
receiving, by the host server, an affiliation authentication from the authenticating server;
based at least in part on the affiliation authentication received, enabling access of the first avatar to the portion of the digital platform;
generating for display, simultaneously with display of the first avatar, a graphical indication of the affiliation between the first user and the entity;
based at least in part on the affiliation authentication received, preventing the first avatar with the display of the graphical indication from entering a second portion of the digital platform; and
enabling a second avatar without the display of the graphical indication to enter the second portion of the digital platform.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on the affiliation authentication received, enabling the first avatar to enter the portion of the digital platform only with the display of the graphical indication.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining an access policy from the authenticating server; and
determining, according to the access policy, the access to the portion of the digital platform.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the digital platform is an area on the digital platform.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the digital platform is a virtual object on the digital platform.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the digital platform is interaction with a second avatar.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the digital platform is an action of the first avatar.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the affiliation authentication received comprises an indication of a rank of the first user with the entity, and
wherein the generating of the display comprises generating display of an identification of the first rank as part of the graphical indication of the affiliation.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the affiliation authentication received comprises an indication of a rank of the first user with the entity, and the preventing of the access of the avatar to the portion of the digital platform is based on the rank.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the preventing of the access of the first avatar to the portion of the digital platform is limited to a specified time.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the affiliation authentication received comprises an indication of a rank of the first user with the entity, and enabling of the access of the first avatar to a second portion of the digital platform is limited, according to the rank, to a specified time.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital platform is a multi-user virtual world platform.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphical indication of the affiliation is a logo of the entity displayed at the first avatar.
14. A system of user affiliation-based access control, the system comprising:
processing circuitry of a host server of a digital platform configured to generate a display of a first avatar of a first user of the digital platform; and
input/output circuitry of the host server configured to receive a request to access by the first avatar a portion of the digital platform;
the processing circuitry further configured:
to transmit to an authenticating server a request to authenticate an affiliation between the first user and an entity;
to receive an affiliation authentication from the authenticating server;
to enable, based at least in part on the affiliation authentication received, access of the first avatar to the portion of the digital platform;
to generate for display, simultaneously with display of the first avatar, a graphical indication of the affiliation between the first user and the entity;
based at least in part on the affiliation authentication received, to prevent the first avatar with the display of the graphical indication from entering a second portion of the digital platform; and
to enable a second avatar without the display of the graphical indication to enter the second portion of the digital platform.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to enable the first avatar, based on the affiliation authentication received, to enter the portion of the digital platform only with the display of the graphical indication.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured:
to obtaining an access policy from the authenticating server; and
to determine, according to the access policy, the access to the portion of the digital platform.
17. A method of access control based on user affiliation, the method comprising:
generating, by a host server of a digital platform, a display of an avatar associated with a first user profile of the digital platform, wherein the first user profile is associated with a first user;
receiving, by the host server, a request associated with the avatar to access a portion of the digital platform;
transmitting to an authenticating server, by the host server, a request to authenticate an affiliation between the first user and a real world entity;
receiving, by the host server, an affiliation authentication from the authenticating server;
based at least in part on the affiliation authentication received, enabling access of the avatar to the portion of the digital platform;
determining that the avatar is being generated for display by a device associated with a second user profile of the digital platform, wherein the second user profile is associated with a second user distinct from the first user; and
based at least in part on the determining that the avatar is being generated for display by the device associated with the second user profile, and based at least in part on the affiliation authentication received: generating for display by the device associated with the second user profile, simultaneously with display of the avatar, a graphical indication of the affiliation between the first user and the entity.