IP-based front-end web server

• US 20050240671A1
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beyer, Loraine, Mullis, Karen, Simpson, Anita
• Application Number:
  US10/830,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240671A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing unified access to communications services offered by vendors. One method presents an interface to a unified communications service offered by a communications service provider. If a user is authenticated to the unified communications service, the user is presented one or more communications services offered by a vendor that the user may access.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing an interface to a unified communications service offered by a communications service provider;

authenticating a user to the unified communications service; and

if the user is authenticated, then providing the user with access to one or more communications services offered by a vendor.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the interface comprises storing a single sign-on login webpage, the single sign-on login webpage allowing the user to access the one or more communications services with a single login.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein if the user is authenticated, then communicating that authentication to the vendor'"'"'s application platform providing the one or more communications services.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein if the user is authenticated, then communicating that authentication to the vendor providing the one or more communications services, the authentication permitting the user to configure the one or more communications services offered by the vendor.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with access to the one or more communications services comprises providing access to a conferencing service, the conferencing service allowing a subscriber to establish a conference session, yet the conferencing service only allowing a non-subscriber to participate in the conferencing session.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with access to the one or more communications services comprises providing access to a bandwidth on-demand communications service, wherein the user may dynamically receive increased bandwidth for a limited time.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with access to the one or more communications services comprises providing access to a bandwidth on-demand communications service, wherein the user may receive increased bandwidth for downloading data and, when the data is downloaded, the increased bandwidth is eliminated.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with access to the one or more communications services comprises providing access to a bandwidth on-demand communications service, wherein the user may receive increased bandwidth for uploading data and, when the data is uploaded, the increased bandwidth is eliminated.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with access to the one or more communications services comprises providing access to a movie on-demand communications service, wherein the user may receive increased bandwidth for downloading a movie and, when the movie is downloaded, the increased bandwidth is eliminated.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the user with access to the one or more communications services comprises providing access to a movie on-demand communications service, wherein the user may download a movie.

11. A method, comprising the steps of:

storing an interface to a unified communications service offered by a communications service provider;

authenticating a user to the unified communications service; and

if the user is authenticated, then providing the user with access to a bandwidth on-demand communications service, the bandwidth on-demand communications service allowing the subscriber to receive increased bandwidth for downloading data and, when the data is downloaded, the increased bandwidth is eliminated.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bandwidth on-demand communications service allows the subscriber to dynamically receive the increased bandwidth for a limited time.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bandwidth on-demand communications service allows the subscriber to receive increased bandwidth for uploading data and, when the data is uploaded, the increased bandwidth is eliminated.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bandwidth on-demand communications service provides a network-initiated elimination of the increased bandwidth.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bandwidth on-demand communications service eliminates the increased bandwidth when idle for a predetermined time.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bandwidth on-demand communications service is defined by coding in the data, the coding in the data indicating when the increased bandwidth should be received.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein the bandwidth on-demand communications service is defined by coding in the data, the coding in the data indicating when the increased bandwidth should be eliminated.

18. A system, comprising:

a Unified Communications Module stored in a memory device, and a processor communicating with the memory device;

the Unified Communications Module storing an interface to a unified communications service offered by a communications service provider, the Unified Communications Module authenticating the user to the unified communications service, and if the user is authenticated, then providing the user with access to a bandwidth on-demand communications service, the bandwidth on-demand communications service allowing the subscriber to receive increased bandwidth for downloading data and, when the data is downloaded, the increased bandwidth is eliminated.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the Unified Communications Module allows the user to access a movie on-demand communications service, wherein the user may receive increased bandwidth for downloading a movie and, when the movie is downloaded, the increased bandwidth is eliminated.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the Unified Communications Module allows the user to access a movie on-demand communications service, wherein the user may download a movie.