Method and system for installing premise equipment

• US 20060218632A1
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Platt, Richard B., Fausak, Louis G., Fullford, Andrew K., Corley, Robert David
• Application Number:
  US11/092,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218632A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066

Abstract

A method for initiating communication service includes coupling a communication device to a network, the communication device storing a trusted address that is associated with a trust server and requesting, with the communication device, a portal address from the trust server located at the trusted address. The method also includes authenticating the communication device at the trust server and transmitting from the trust server to the communication device the portal address in response to the trust server authenticating the communication device. Furthermore, the method includes requesting, with the communication device, a proxy address from a portal located at the portal address and receiving, at the communication device, a proxy address from the portal. The method also includes initiating communication on a network coupled to the portal using the communication device.

Claims

1. A method for initiating communication service, comprising:

coupling a communication device to a network, the communication device storing a trusted address that is associated with a trust server;

requesting, with the communication device, a portal address from the trust server located at the trusted address;

authenticating the communication device at the trust server;

transmitting from the trust server to the communication device the portal address in response to the trust server authenticating the communication device;

requesting, with the communication device, a proxy address from a portal located at the portal address;

receiving, at the communication device, a proxy address from the portal; and

initiating communication on a network coupled to the portal using the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the communication device comprises:

receiving, at the trust server, a request for the portal address from the communication device;

authenticating the communication device; and

in response to authenticating the communication device, transmit an authentication certificate to the communication device that includes a digital signature associated with the trust server; and

wherein requesting the proxy address comprises transmitting the authentication certificate to the portal located at the portal address; and

wherein initiating communication comprises initiating communication on a network coupled to the portal, after the portal has authenticated the communication device using the authentication certificate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiate communication comprises:

receiving, at the communication device, a proxy address from the portal; and

initiating communication with the communication device on a network coupled to the portal, using a proxy server located at the proxy address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving the proxy address comprises:

registering the communication device with a proxy registrar of the portal;

receiving, at the communication device, the proxy address from the proxy registrar in response to registering with the proxy registrar.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the proxy server comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy and wherein initiating communication comprises transmitting a SIP call setup message to the SIP proxy server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating communication comprises initiating a telephone call using telephones coupled to the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the portal address comprises transmitting a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the communication device to the trust server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the communication device to the network comprises:

receiving a service request from a user at the portal, wherein the service request includes communication service criteria;

configuring a connection to the portal for the communication device based on the communication service criteria.

9. The method of 8, wherein configuring a connection comprises:

determining a quantity of Digital Signal 0 (DS-0) trunks to reserve based on the communication service parameters; and

reserving the quantity of DS-0 trunks for the user.

10. A system for initiating communication service, comprising:

a trust server associated with a trusted address and operable to authenticate communication devices;

a portal associated with a portal address and operable to connect communication devices to a network;

a communication device operable to;

request, using a trusted address stored in the communication device, a portal address from the trust server;

receive, after the trust server has authenticated the communication device, the portal address from the trust server; and

initiate communication on a network coupled to the portal, using the portal address.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the trust server is further operable to:

receive a request for the portal address from the communication device;

authenticate the communication device; and

in response to authenticating the communication device, transmit an authentication certificate to the communication device; and

wherein the communication device is further operable to;

transmit the authentication certificate to a portal located at the portal address; and

initiate communication on a network coupled to the portal, after the portal has authenticated the communication device using the authentication certificate.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device is further operable to initiate communication by:

receiving a proxy address from the portal; and

initiating communication with a network coupled to the portal using a proxy server located at the proxy address.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication device is operable to receive the proxy address by:

registering with a proxy registrar of the portal;

receiving the proxy address from the proxy registrar in response to registering with the proxy registrar.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the proxy server comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy and wherein the communication device is operable to initiate communication using the proxy server by receiving a SIP call setup message from the SIP proxy server.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device is operable to initiating communication by initiating a telephone call using telephones coupled to the communication device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication device is operable to request the portal address by transmitting a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the communication device to the trust server.

17. Logic for initiating communication service, the logic encoded in media and operable when executed to:

request, at a communication device, a portal address from a trust server located at the trusted address stored in the communication device;

authenticate the communication device at the trust server;

transmit from the trust server to the communication device the portal address in response to the trust server authenticating the communication device;

request, with the communication device, a proxy address from a portal located at the portal address;

receive, at the communication device, a proxy address from the portal; and

initiate communication on a network coupled to the portal using the communication device.

18. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is operable to authenticate the communication device by:

receiving, at the trust server, a request for the portal address from the communication device;

authenticating the communication device; and

in response to authenticating the communication device, transmit an authentication certificate to the communication device that includes a digital signature associated with the trust server; and

wherein requesting the proxy address comprises transmitting the authentication certificate to the portal located at the portal address; and

wherein initiating communication comprises initiating communication on a network coupled to the portal, after the portal has authenticated the communication device using the authentication certificate.

19. The logic of claim 17, wherein the logic is operable to initiate communication by:

receiving, at the communication device, a proxy address from the portal; and

initiating communication with the communication device on a network coupled to the portal, using a proxy server located at the proxy address.

20. The logic of claim 19, wherein the logic is operable to receive the proxy address by:

registering the communication device with a proxy registrar of the portal;

receiving, at the communication device, the proxy address from the proxy registrar in response to registering with the proxy registrar.

21. The logic of claim 19, wherein the proxy server comprises a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy and wherein the logic is operable to initiate communication by transmitting a SIP call setup message to the SIP proxy server.

22. The logic of claim 19, wherein the logic is further operable to initiate communication by initiating a telephone call using telephones coupled to the communication device.

23. The logic of claim 19, wherein the logic is further operable to request the portal address by transmitting a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the communication device to the trust server.

24. The logic of claim 19, wherein the logic is further operable to couple the communication device to the network by:

receiving a service request from a user at the portal, wherein the service request includes communication service criteria;

configuring a connection to the portal for the communication device based on the communication service criteria.

25. The logic of claim 24, wherein the logic is further operable to configure the connection by:

determining a quantity of Digital Signal 0 (DS-0) trunks to reserve based on the communication service parameters; and

reserving the quantity of DS-0 trunks for the user.

26. A system for initiating communication service, comprising:

means for coupling a communication device to a network, the communication device storing a trusted address that is associated with a trust server;

means for requesting, with the communication device, a portal address from the trust server located at the trusted address;

means for authenticating the communication device at the trust server;

means for transmitting from the trust server to the communication device the portal address in response to the trust server authenticating the communication device;

means for requesting, with the communication device, a proxy address from a portal located at the portal address;

means for receiving, at the communication device, a proxy address from the portal; and

means for initiating communication on a network coupled to the portal using the communication device.