IMS conferencing policy logic

• US 20040221037A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Isomaki, Markus, Khartabil, Hisham, Kuusinen, Jarmo, Costa-Requena, Jose, Koskelainen, Petri, Jalava, Teemu
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for creating a conferencing access logic. The logic is for allowing access to a conference in an internet protocol (IP) network. The invention entails establishing an allow list of allowed users, setting up a default policy applicable to unlisted users, matching listed users with corresponding conference rights, and assigning a uniform resource identifier (URI) to the access logic. The URI is for identifying and editing elements of the access logic, including the allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

Claims

1. A method of creating a conferencing access logic, for a conference in an internet protocol (IP) network comprising the steps of:

establishing at least one allow list of allowed users,

setting up a default policy applicable at least to unlisted users,

matching listed users with corresponding conference rights, and

assigning a uniform resource identifier to the access logic, for editing elements of the access logic,

wherein said elements include the at least one allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of communicating with a conference server that assigns the uniform resource identifier and implements the access logic,

wherein each of the at least one allow list confers a set of the conference rights on the listed users, and

wherein listing on a plurality of allow lists causes a user to be matched with a union of respective sets of the conference rights.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of retaining the access logic in a conference server after the conference is completed, wherein the access logic is retrievable and editable, using the uniform resource identifier, for use in at least one additional conference.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

compiling at least one deny list of users to be denied access, and

eliminating any overlap between the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list,

wherein the allow list or the deny list includes at least one wildcard covering a plurality of users.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a particular access sanity algorithm that corresponds to the default policy being a particular policy,

wherein the particular access sanity algorithm specifies a type of access for a user listed in both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the type of access is identical to the particular policy applicable to the unlisted users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the default policy is included in the group comprised of allowed access, denied access, and ask permission to access.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the group further comprises anonymous access and hidden access.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the conference rights is included in the group comprised of a right to terminate the conference, a right to transfer rights, a right to manage general conference properties, a right to disconnect participants, a right to manage at least one access control list, a right to grant permission to access the conference, a right to revoke rights, and a right to grant rights.

10. Apparatus for creating a conferencing access logic that governs access to a conference in an internet protocol (IP) network comprising:

means for establishing at least one allow list of allowed users,

means for setting up a default policy applicable at least to unlisted users,

means for matching listed users with corresponding conference rights, and

means for editing elements of the access logic that is identified by a uniform resource identifier, said elements including the at least one allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an output unit, for communicating with a conference server that assigns the uniform resource identifier,

wherein each of the at least one allow list confers a set of the conference rights on the listed users, and

wherein listing on a plurality of allow lists causes a user to be matched with a union of respective sets of the conference rights.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for retrieving the access logic, using the uniform resource identifier, for use in at least one additional conference.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for compiling at least one deny list of users to be denied access, and

means for eliminating any overlap between the at least one allow list and the at least one deny list,

wherein the allow list or the deny list includes at least one wildcard covering a plurality of users.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for forming a particular access sanity algorithm that corresponds to the default policy being a particular policy, wherein the particular access sanity algorithm specifies a type of access for a user listed in both the at least one allow list and at least one deny list.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the type of access is identical to the particular policy applicable to the unlisted users.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the default policy is included in the group comprised of allowed access, denied access, and ask permission to access.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the group further comprises anonymous access and hidden access.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the conference rights is included in the group comprised of a right to terminate the conference, a right to transfer rights, a right to manage general conference properties, a right to disconnect participants, a right to manage at least one access control list, a right to grant permission to access the conference, a right to revoke rights, and a right to grant rights.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a user terminal.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a conference server responsive to input from a user terminal.

21. A system for creating a conferencing access logic that governs access to a conference in an internet protocol (IP) network, comprising:

a conference owner terminal, for providing an access logic upload signal; and

a conference server, responsive to the access logic upload signal, for providing a URI assignment signal,

wherein the conference owner terminal is responsive to the URI assignment signal, and is also for providing a URI-based logic edit signal to the conference server.

22. A method for creating a conferencing access logic that governs access to a conference in an internet protocol (IP) network, comprising the steps of:

providing an access logic upload signal to a conference server;

providing a URI assignment signal to a conference owner terminal, in response to the access logic upload signal, and

providing a URI-based logic edit signal to the conference server in response to the URI assignment signal.

23. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium for storage in a physical device, the computer program being for use in an internet protocol (IP) network, the computer program being characterized in that:

the program is for enabling a conference owner to create a conferencing access logic for a conference, the logic including at least one allow list of allowed users, a default policy applicable at least to unlisted users, and conference rights matched to listed users,

wherein the program utilizes a uniform resource identifier for identifying the logic and enabling elements of the access logic to be edited, said elements including the at least one allow list, the default policy, and the conference rights.

24. A computer device programmed to execute the computer program of claim 23.