Method of invoking privacy

• US 20040054598A1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kall, Jan, Muhonen, Ahti, Mulligan, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of invoking privacy related to a user equipment (1) capable of accepting push messages in communications network, which push message is a message a server may send to the user equipment (1) without the user of the user equipment (1) asking for it and the server having the ability to be able to act as a push message initiator. The method comprises the steps of: (i) sending a first request for the personal user data from the user equipment (1) to an origin server (2) over a first channel (Λ); (ii) the origin server (2) sending a request for personal user data to a supporting server (3); (iii) the supporting server (3) sending a push message over a narrow band channel (C) to the user equipment (1) indicating said request for the user data made by the origin server (2); (iv) the user equipment (1) responding to the push message at least by an allowing message or a disallowing message for the request of data over said narrow band channel; and (v) the supporting server (3) providing the data to the origin server (2) at least partly in response to the allowing message, and rejecting the data providing otherwise.

Claims

1. A method of invoking privacy related to a user equipment (1) capable of accepting push messages in communications network, which push message is a message a server may send to the user equipment (1) without the user of the user equipment (1) asking for it and the server having the ability to be able to act as a push message initiator, characterized by the steps of:

(i) sending a first request for the personal user data from the user equipment (1) to an origin server (2) over a first channel (A);

(ii) the origin server (2) sending a request for personal user data to a supporting server (3);

(iii) the supporting server (3) sending a push message over a narrow band channel (C) to the user equipment (1) indicating said request for the user data made by the origin server (2);

(iv) the user equipment (1) responding to the push message at least by an allowing message or a disallowing message for the request of data over said narrow band channel; and

(v) the supporting server (3) providing the data to the origin server (2) at least partly in response to the allowing message, and rejecting the data providing otherwise.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that prior to the step (v) the user equipment (1) and the supporting server (3) negotiates on what data is provided to the origin server if the user equipment (1) has send an allowing message to the supporting server.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the user equipment (1) is a WAP equipment in communications network, and that the push message and the allowing message or the disallowing message are routed between the user equipment (1) and the supporting server (3) through a gateway (PPG) and serving nodes of the communications network.

4. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the user equipment (1) is an equipment equipped with a short message apparatus in communications network, and that the push message and the allowing message or the disallowing message are routed between the user equipment (1) and the supporting server (3) through a center (SMSC) and serving nodes of the communications network.

5. A method according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the supporting server (3) informs other supporting servers and/or origin server(s) of the communications network that the user has already agreed to reveal information related to her/him so that the origin server(s) need(s) not to send a push message to the user equipment.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the exchange of push message and allowing or disallowing messages between the user equipment (1) and the supporting server (3) are authorized and/or secured, preferably by methods such as IP sec, the digital signature or Pretty Good Privacy (PGP).

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that said authorization and/or securing is done by one of the following methods:

IP sec, the digital signature or Pretty Good Privacy (PGP).

8. A supporting server in communications network, characterized in that it is adapted to

(i) receive a request from the origin server (2) requesting personal user data;

(ii) send a push message over a narrow band channel (C) to the user equipment (1) indicating the request for the data by the origin server (2);

(iii) receive a respond to the push message from the user equipment (1) over said narrow band channel (C) the respond comprising at least an allowing message or a disallowing message for the request of data; and

(iv) provide the data to the origin server (2) at least partly in response to the allowing message, and reject the data providing otherwise.

10. A communications system, characterized in that it comprises at least one user equipment according to claim 9 and/or at least one supporting server according to claim 8.

9. A user equipment, characterized in that it is adapted to

(i) send a request for the personal user data to an origin server (2) over a first channel (A);

(ii) receive a push message over a narrow band channel (C) the message indicating the request for the data made by the origin server (2) from a supporting server (3); and

(iii) respond to the push message over said narrow band channel at least by an allowing message or a disallowing message for the request of data.