Systems and methods for added authentication in distributed network delivered half-duplex communications

• US 20050144485A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Mousseau, Gary P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,466,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/10 adapted for application session management, e.g. SIP [Session Initiation Protocol] connection management H04W76/00; arrangements for session management H04L67/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

In half-duplex communications over a wireless network, a user from a private organisation sends the request for half-duplex communication through a private server controlled by the private organisation. The private server sets up a private account with the wireless carrier and the user communicates via the private account.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a wireless user device interacting with a private authentication element to obtain identities of private user devices;

the wireless user device sending a request for a PoC (Push-to-Talk™

over Cellular) session to a CHDP (carrier half-duplex processing element), the request identifying at least one invitee private user device;

the CHDP sending a request for authentication of the at least one invitee private user device to the private authentication element;

the private authentication element authenticating the at least one invitee private user device and sending an authentication response to the CHDP indicating whether or not the at least one invitee private user device is authenticated;

the CHDP sending invitations for the PoC session to authenticated invitee private user devices and receiving acceptances/rejections; and

the CHDP setting up the PoC session for authenticated users that have accepted the invitation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the private authentication element registering with the CHDP to perform authentication for a particular domain.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a request comprises sending the request to a PoC server of the CHDP.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the CHDP further comprises a carrier GLMS (Group List Management Server).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein interacting further comprises using a carrier GLMS as an intermediary.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein sending an authentication response uses a carrier GLMS as an intermediary.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the private authentication element is a GLMS.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the wireless user device encrypting an identity of the at least one invitee private user device.

9. A method comprising:

a private authentication element interacting with a wireless user device to establish private identities of private user devices;

the private authentication element receiving a request for authentication of the private identities from a carrier half-duplex processing element associated with a requested a PoC session;

the private authentication element authenticating the private identities; and

the private authentication element sending an authentication response to the carrier half-duplex processing element indicating whether or not the private identities are authenticated.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein interacting comprises the private authentication element interacting with the wireless user device via a carrier GLMS.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:

receiving comprises receiving the request from a PoC server;

sending comprises sending the authentication response to the PoC server.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

receiving comprises receiving the request from the PoC server via a carrier GLMS; and

sending comprises sending the authentication response to the PoC server via the carrier GLMS.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the private authentication element is a GLMS.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the private authentication element registering with the carrier half-duplex processing element to perform authentication for a particular domain.

15. A private authentication element configured to perform the method of claim 9.

16. The authentication element of claim 15 comprising a private GLMS.

17. A computer readable medium with computer readable code stored thereon for implementing the method of claim 9.

18. A method in a wireless user device comprising:

the wireless user device interacting with a private authentication element to obtain private identities of private user devices; and

the wireless user device sending a request for a PoC session identifying at least one invitee private user device to a CHDP, the request indicating to the CHDP to perform authentication of the at least one invitee private user device with the private authentication element.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein interacting comprises the wireless user device populating an address book with the private identities obtained from the private authentication element.

20. The method of claim 18, interacting comprises interacting with a private GLMS.

21. A wireless user device configured to perform the method of claim 18.

22. A wireless user device of claim 21, configured to operate in a private mode and a regular mode.

23. The wireless user device of claim 18, configured to encrypt the identities.

24. A computer readable medium with computer readable code stored thereon for implementing the method of claim 18.

25. A carrier half-duplex processing element (CHDP) comprising:

a first input for receiving requests from a client device for a PoC session with at least one private user device in response to which the CHDP generates an authentication request for authentication of private identities of private user devices;

an output for sending the authentication request to a private authentication element;

a second input for receiving an authentication response from the private authentication element; and

wherein in the event of successful authentication, the CHDP invites the private user devices to participate in the PoC session and sets up a half-duplex communications session between devices that accept.

26. The carrier half-duplex processing element of claim 25 wherein the CHDP comprises a PoC server.

27. The carrier half-duplex processing element of claim 26 further comprising a GLMS, wherein the authentication request is sent by the PoC server to the private authentication element via the GLMS server.

28. The carrier half-duplex processing element of claim 27, wherein the authentication response is received by the PoC server via the GLMS server.

29. A system for authenticating private users from a private network when conducting PoC communications over a carrier network, the system comprising:

a carrier processing element configured to receive a request for a PoC session from a wireless user device, to send an authentication request of an identity of at least one private invitee user device to a private authentication element, to send an invitation for the PoC session to the at least one private invitee user device if an authentication is response received from the private authentication element, and to set up the PoC session between the wireless user device and the at least one private invitee user device; and

a private authentication element configured to establish authenticated identities of private user devices, to receive the authentication request from the carrier processing element, to authenticate the identities and to send the authentication response back to the carrier processing element indicating whether or not the identities are authenticated.