Secure voice and data transmission via IP telephones

• US 20030128696A1
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nelson, Andrew, Wengrovitz, Michael S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0069 comprising a residential gateway, e.g. those which provide an adapter for POTS or ISDN terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention

Abstract

An IP telephone appliance providing secure voice communication and data transmission for itself and other IP devices and applications associated with it. The IP telephone appliance incorporates a processor for converting voice signals received from a user into VoIP packets, and an IPSec stack encoding packets prior to transmission. The IP telephone appliance also encodes packets on behalf of other devices and applications prior to transmitting the packets to a destination. When encoded voice or data packets are received from a source device, the IP telephone appliance decodes the packets and determines their destination. If the IP telephone appliance is the ultimate destination, the voice/data packets are converted to voice/telephony signals and provided to the user. Otherwise, if the ultimate destination is another device on the network, the IP telephone appliance forwards the decoded packets to the ultimate destination.

Claims

1. An internet protocol (IP) telephone appliance in a communications network comprising:

a voice input;

a voice output; and

at least one processing module;

characterized in that the voice input receives incoming voice signals from a user, the at least one processing module converts the incoming voice signals into outgoing IP voice packets, encodes the outgoing IP voice packets and transmits the outgoing IP voice packets to a destination device, further characterized in that the at least one processing module receives incoming IP voice packets encoded by a source device, decodes the incoming IP voice packets, and if the decoded packets are destined for another device in the communications network, forwards the decoded packets to the other device, and otherwise converts the decoded packets into outgoing voice signals and transmits the outgoing voice signals to the user via the voice output.

2. The IP telephone appliance of claim 1 further comprising:

a wide area network interface for transmitting the outgoing IP voice packets encoded by the at least one processing module and for receiving the incoming IP voice packets encoded by the source device; and

a local area network interface for forwarding the incoming IP voice packets decoded by the at least one processing module.

3. The IP telephone appliance of claim 1 further characterized in that the at least one processing module receives incoming IP data packets encoded by the source device and decodes the incoming data packets.

4. The IP telephone appliance of claim 1, further characterized in that the at least one processing module receives from a second source device IP voice or data packets destined for a second destination device, encodes the IP voice or data packets, and transmits the encoded packets to the second destination device.

5. The IP telephone appliance of claim 4 further comprising a local area network interface for receiving the IP voice or data packets from the second source device and a wide area network interface for transmitting the encoded packets to the second destination device.

6. The IP telephone appliance of claim 4 further comprising a local area network interface for receiving the IP voice or data packets from the second source device and for transmitting the encoded packets to the second destination device.

7. The IP telephone appliance of claim 1 further characterized in that the at least one processing module, in encoding a particular packet, determines whether to encrypt a payload portion of the particular packet or both a header and the payload portion of the particular packet based on an address of the destination device.

8. The IP telephone appliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing module encodes and decodes packets according to an IP security protocol.

9. The IP telephone appliance of claim 1, wherein a first processing module converts the incoming voice signals into the outgoing IP voice packets, and further converts the decoded packets into the outgoing voice signals and transmits the outgoing voice signals to the user via the voice output, and wherein a second processing module encodes the outgoing IP voice packets and transmits the outgoing IP voice packets to the destination device, and further receives the incoming IP voice packets encoded by the source device, decodes the incoming IP voice packets, and if the decoded packets are destined for the other device in the communications network, forwards the decoded packets to the other device, and otherwise invokes the first processing module to convert the decoded packets into the outgoing voice signals and transmit the outgoing voice signals to the user via the voice output.

10. A method for providing communication via an internet protocol (IP) telephone appliance having a voice input, voice output, and at least one processing module, the method comprising:

receiving voice signals from a user via the voice input;

using the at least one processing module for converting the voice signals into outgoing IP voice packets;

using the at least one processing module for encoding the outgoing IP voice packets;

transmitting the outgoing IP voice packets to a destination device;

receiving incoming IP voice packets encoded by a source device;

using the at least one processing module for decoding the incoming IP voice packets;

if the decoded packets are destined for another device in the communications network, forwarding the decoded packets to the other device; and

if the decoded packets are destined for the IP telephone appliance;

using the at least one processing module to convert the decoded packets into voice signals; and

transmitting the voice signals to the voice output.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a wide area network interface is used for transmitting the outgoing IP voice packets encoded by the at least one processing module and for receiving the incoming IP voice packets encoded by the source device, and a local area network interface is used for forwarding the incoming IP voice packets decoded by the at least one processing module.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving incoming IP data packets encoded by the source device; and

using the at least one processing module for decoding the incoming IP data packets.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving from a second source device IP voice or data packets destined for a second destination device;

using the at least one processing module for encoding the IP voice or data packets; and

transmitting the encoded packets to the second destination device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a local area network interface is used for receiving the IP voice or data packets from the second source device and a wide area network interface is used for transmitting the encoded packets to the second destination device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a local area network interface is used for receiving the IP voice or data packets from the second source device and for transmitting the encoded packets to the second destination device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the encoding further comprises:

determining based on an address of the destination device whether to encrypt a payload-portion of the voice or data packets or both a header and the payload portion of the voice or data packets.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the encoding further comprises:

determining based on an address of the destination device whether to encrypt a payload portion of the outgoing IP voice packets or both a header and the payload portion of the outgoing IP voice packets.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one processing module encodes and decodes packets according to an IP security protocol.

19. An internet protocol (IP) telephone appliance in a communications network comprising:

a voice input;

a voice output; and

at least one processing module;

characterized in that the voice input receives incoming voice signals from a user, the at least one processing module converts the incoming voice signals into outgoing IP voice packets, encodes the outgoing IP voice packets and transmits the outgoing IP voice packets to a destination device, further characterized in that the at least one processing module receives incoming IP voice packets encoded by a source device, decodes the incoming IP voice packets, forwards ones of the decoded packets which are destined for another device in the communication network to the other device, and converts ones of the decoded packets which are destined for the IP telephone appliance into outgoing voice signals and transmits the outgoing voice signals to the user via the voice output.

20. The IP telephone appliance of claim 19 further comprising:

a wide area network interface for transmitting the outgoing IP voice packets encoded by the at least one processing module and for receiving the incoming IP voice packets encoded by the source device; and

a local area network interface for forwarding the incoming IP voice packets decoded by the at least one processing module.

21. The IP telephone appliance of claim 19 further characterized in that the at least one processing module receives incoming IP data packets encoded by the source device and decodes the incoming data packets.

22. The IP telephone appliance of claim 19, further characterized in that the at least one processing module receives from a second source device IP voice or data packets destined for a second destination device, encodes the IP voice or data packets, and transmits the encoded packets to the second destination device.

23. The IP telephone appliance of claim 19 further characterized in that the at least one processing module, in encoding a particular packet, determines whether to encrypt a payload portion of the particular packet or both a header and the payload portion of the particular packet based on an address of the destination device.

24. The IP telephone appliance of claim 19, wherein the at least one processing module encodes and decodes packets according to an IP security protocol.

25. The IP telephone appliance of claim 19, wherein at least one processing module provides firewall protection for preventing unauthorized access.