Limiting access to network functions based on personal characteristics of the user

• US 20070136475A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: 2011 Intellectual Property Asset Trust (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Leppisaari, Arto, Haruna, Adamu
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Establishing a data communications session involves determining a personal characteristic associated with a user of a terminal. A predetermined criterion for allowing establishment of the data communications session based on the personal characteristic is obtained. A token is embedded in a signaling message used to establish the data communications session. The token represents at least one of the personal characteristic and the predetermined criterion. The signaling message is communicated with a network entity capable of allowing users to establish the data communications session. The data communications session is established via the network entity if the personal characteristic satisfies the predetermined criterion.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a data communications session with a network service element, comprising:

identifying a personal characteristic associated with a user of a terminal, wherein the personal characteristic describes an intrinsic attribute of the user;

obtaining a predetermined criterion for allowing establishment of the data communications session based on the personal characteristic;

embedding a token in a signaling message used to establish the data communications session, the token representing at least one of the personal characteristic and the predetermined criterion;

communicating the signaling message via a network entity capable of allowing the user to establish the data communications session; and

establishing the data communications session if the personal characteristic satisfies the predetermined criterion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal characteristic comprises the user'"'"'s age.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the personal characteristic of the user comprises obtaining the personal characteristic from a network accessible user profile database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein embedding the token in the signaling message comprises embedding the token in a header of a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of embedding the token in the SIP message comprises embedding the token in at least one of an Accept-Contact and a Contact header of a SIP INVITE message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of embedding the token in the signaling message comprises intercepting a session establishment request at an intermediary server and embedding the token in the signaling message via the intermediary server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishment of the data communications session comprises allowing membership into an instant messaging group.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the data communications session comprises allowing membership into a push-to-talk communications group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing the data communications session comprises establishing the data communication session between two or more users.

10. A method for searching for communication session endpoints accessible via a network, comprising:

determining a criterion related to a personal characteristic of a user, wherein the personal characteristic describes an intrinsic attribute of the user;

embedding a token in a signaling message used to initiate a search, the token representing at least one of the criterion and the personal characteristic;

obtaining a search result in response to the signaling message;

filtering the search result by excluding communication session endpoints referenced in the search results that do not satisfy the criterion; and

returning the filtered search result to an initiator of the signaling message.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the personal characteristic comprises the user'"'"'s age.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the criterion related to the personal characteristic of the user comprises obtaining at least one of the criterion and the personal characteristic from a network accessible user profile database.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of embedding the criterion in the signaling message comprises intercepting the signaling message at an intermediary server and embedding the criterion in the signaling message via the intermediary server.

14. A data processing arrangement comprising:

a network interface capable of communicating via a network;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including instructions that cause the processor to,

receive a signaling message from a terminal via the network, the signaling message including at least one of a personal characteristic of a user of the terminal and a predetermined criterion related to the personal characteristic, wherein the personal characteristic describes an intrinsic attribute of the user; and

provide a network service to the terminal in response to the signaling message based on whether the personal characteristic satisfies the predetermined criterion.

15. The data processing arrangement of claim 14, wherein the personal characteristic of the user comprises the age of the user.

16. The data processing arrangement of claim 14, further comprising an instant messaging server module, and wherein the instructions are configured to establish an instant messaging session between the terminal and at least one other user via the instant messaging server module in response to the signaling message if the personal characteristic satisfies the predetermined criterion.

17. The data processing arrangement of claim 14, further comprising a push-to-talk server module, and wherein the instructions are configured to establish a push-to-talk session between the terminal and at least one other user via the push-to-talk server module in response to the signaling message if the personal characteristic satisfies the predetermined criterion.

18. The data processing arrangement of claim 14, further comprising a search module configured to provide a search result containing descriptions of individual communication endpoints accessible via the network in response to the signaling message, and wherein the instructions are configured to filter individual descriptions of the search result based on whether the descriptions satisfy the predetermined criterion.

19. The data processing arrangement of claim 14, wherein the signaling message includes the predetermined criterion, and wherein the instructions are configured to determine the personal characteristic via a user profile database accessible via the network.

20. The data processing arrangement of claim 14, wherein the signaling message includes the personal characteristic, and wherein the instructions are configured to obtain the predetermined criterion via a database.

21. A system comprising:

means for determining a personal characteristic associated with a user of a terminal;

means for embedding a token in a signaling message used to initiate a network service, the token representing at least one of the personal characteristic and a predetermined criterion for allowing establishment of the data communications session based on the personal characteristic of the user, wherein the personal characteristic describes an intrinsic attribute of the user; and

means for communicating the signaling message with a network entity capable of providing the network service dependent on whether the personal characteristic satisfies the predetermined criterion.

22. A system comprising:

a first network including a client node capable of initiating a service request via the first network, and a profile database capable of providing a personal characteristic of a user of the client node, wherein the personal characteristic describes an intrinsic attribute of the user;

a second network including a service node capable of receiving the service request from the first network, and a service database capable of determining a criterion for allowing establishment of services via the service node based on the personal characteristic of the user; and

a verification node capable of communicating via the first and second networks and configured to,

access the personal characteristic of the user via the profile database in response to the service request;

access the criterion via the service database in response to the service request; and

enable establishing a service between the client node and the service node based on whether the personal characteristic satisfies the criterion.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the verification node operates substantially on the first network.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the verification node operates substantially on the second network.

25. A method comprising:

initiating a service request by a client device operable on a first network, the service request targeted for a service element of a second network;

accessing a personal characteristic of a user of the client device via a profile database of the first network in response to the service request, wherein the personal characteristic describes an intrinsic attribute of the user;

accessing a criterion for allowing establishment of services via the service element from a database of the second network; and

establishing the service between the client device and the service element based on whether the personal characteristic satisfies the criterion.