Detection of unsecure calls by communications device

• US 10,341,855 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Vari, Venkata Ganesh, Mishra, Abhishek, Desai, Shantanu
• Primary Examiner(s): Heiber, Shantell L
• Application Number:
  US15/395,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]

Abstract

Disclosed are communications devices which can send indications that they are secure, and which can detect when a far end device is not secure (unsecure). A secure device is one that is not connected to a speakerphone or other speaker which is capable of emitting—or actually is emitting—sound which is louder than a certain threshold. If a communication device detects that a remote endpoint is unsecure, the communication device will switch to an unsecure mode. When the switch is made, the communications device alerts the user that the call is not secure so that the user can proceed accordingly.

Claims

1. A communications device configured to operate, alternatively, in a secure mode and an unsecure mode, the communications device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor, the instructions comprising instructions to;

detect actuation of a selectable input;

set the communication device in the secure mode and place, at a first time, a secure call responsive to the detection;

receive, responsive placement of the call, one or more communications from a remote endpoint;

determine, based at least in part on the one or more communications, that the remote endpoint has, at a second time subsequent to the placement of the call, become physically connected directly to a loudspeaker which is configured to produce audio greater than or equal to 80 dB; and

switch, responsive to such determination, the communications device from the secure mode to the unsecure mode.

2. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to provide an indication when the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

3. The communications device of claim 2, wherein the indication comprises a visual alert, an audio alert, or both.

4. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to automatically terminate the call when the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

5. The communications device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to detect whether the remote endpoint is operating in a secure mode by detecting whether one or more of the communications does not comply with a predetermined protocol.

6. The communications device of claim 5, wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a Polycom-Termination-Info header, which includes at least a speakerphone-on parameter and a speakerphone-off parameter.

7. The communications device of claim 5, wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a SIP Alert-Info header, which includes information comprising at least an alert-category parameter and an alert-indication parameter.

8. The communications device of claim 7, wherein the SIP Alert-Info header is defined by RFC 7462, in which at least one alert-category is a speakerphone detection, for which alert-indication values of no and yes are defined.

9. The communications device of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to switch communications device to unsecure mode when a communication containing urn:

alert;

speakerphone;

yes is received by the communications device.

10. A method for placing a secure telephonic call, the method comprising:

detecting actuation of a selectable input;

setting a communications device in a secure mode responsive to the detection;

placing, at a first time, a secure call responsive to the detection;

receiving, responsive to placing the secure call, one or more communications from a remote endpoint;

determining, based at least in part on the one or more communications, that the remote endpoint has, at a second time subsequent to placing the call, been physically connected directly to a loudspeaker which is configured to produce audio greater than or equal to 80 dB;

switching, responsive to such determination, the communications device to an unsecure mode;

detecting when the communications device is coupled to a speakerphone device; and

upon such detection, switching, the communications device to the unsecure mode.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing an indication that the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the indication comprises a visual alert, an audio alert, or both.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising canceling the call upon actuation of a selectable cancellation input when the communications device has been switched to the unsecure mode.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting whether the remote endpoint is operating in a secure mode by detecting whether one or more of the one or more communications does not comply with a predetermined protocol.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a Polycom-Termination-Info header, which includes at least a speakerphone-on parameter and a speakerphone-off parameter.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined protocol is a session initiation protocol containing a SIP Alert-Info header, which includes information comprising at least an alert-category parameter and an alert-indication parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the SIP Alert-Info header is defined by RFC 7462, in which at least one alert-category is a speakerphone detection, for which alert-indication values of no and yes are defined.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising switching the communications device to the unsecure mode when a communication containing urn:

alert;

speakerphone;

yes is received by the communications device.

19. A communications device, the communications device alternately operable in a secure mode and an unsecure mode, the communications devices configured to:

detect actuation of a selectable input;

set the communications device in the secure mode and place, at a first time, a secure call responsive to the detection;

receive, responsive to placement of the call, one or more communications from a remote endpoint;

determine, based at least in part on the one or more communications, that the remote endpoint has, at a second time subsequent to the placement of the call, become physically connected directly to a loudspeaker which is configured to produce audio greater than or equal to 80 dB; and

switch, responsive to such determination, the communications device from the secure mode to the unsecure mode.