METHODS AND APPARATUS TO INSTALL VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VOIP) DEVICES

• US 20080084870A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Zeigler, James Edward, Naidu, Lakshminarashimhan, Taylor, Michael Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,521,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to install voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) devices are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving a device identifier and an authentication credential from a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) device, and provisioning the device identifier to a subscriber account based on the authentication credential.

Claims

1-38. -38. (canceled)

39. A voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system comprising:

a VoIP device;

an authentication server; and

a device profile management server to receive a device identifier from the VoIP device and provide a default VoIP device profile to the VoIP device that identifies the authentication server when the device identifier is not associated with a subscriber account.

40. A VoIP system as defined in claim 39, wherein device profile management server comprises the authentication server.

41. A VoIP system as defined in claim 39, wherein the device profile management server is configured to send a subscriber VoIP device profile when the device identifier is associated with the subscriber account, the subscriber VoIP device profile comprising a call processing server identifier.

42. A VoIP system as defined in claim 39, wherein the VoIP device is at least one of a VoIP phone, a VoIP residential gateway, a personal computer, a VoIP endpoint or a VoIP adapter.

43. A VoIP system as defined in claim 39, wherein the device profile management server comprises:

a profile manager to receive the device identifier and to provide the default profile; and

a profile database to store information associated with the subscriber account.

44. A VoIP system as defined in claim 43, wherein profile manager comprises a web server.

45. A VoIP system as defined in claim 43, wherein profile manager comprises an interactive voice response system.

46. A VoIP system as defined in claim 39, further comprising a VoIP call processor to register the VoIP device for a VoIP service when the VoIP device is authenticated.

47. A method to provision a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) device comprising:

receiving an authentication credential from a user of the VoIP device; and

sending the authentication credential and a device identifier associated with the VoIP device to a device profile management server to provision the VoIP device.

48. A method as defined in claim 47, further comprising receiving a device profile associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account associated with the device identifier based on the authentication credential.

50. A method as defined in claim 47, wherein the authentication credential is received by:

prompting the user for the authentication credential; and

receiving an input device associated with the VoIP device.

51. A method as defined in claim 47, wherein the authentication credential is received by detecting a dialed digit.

52. A method as defined in claim 47, wherein the authentication credential represents at least one of a username, a password, or an activation code.

53. A method as defined in claim 47, wherein sending the authentication credential and a device identifier associated with the VoIP device to the device profile management server comprises sending at least one of a packet, a dialed digit, or a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal to the device profile management server.

54. A method as defined in claim 47, wherein sending the authentication credential to the device profile management server comprises sending the authentication credential via an authentication server.

55. A method as defined in claim 47, wherein the VoIP device is at least one of a VoIP phone, a VoIP residential gateway, a personal computer, a VoIP endpoint or a VoIP adapter.

49. (canceled)

56. A voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device comprising:

a device identifier;

an input device to receive an authentication credential from a user of the VoIP device; and

a network interface to send the authentication credential and the device identifier to a device profile management server to provision the VoIP device.

57. A VoIP device as defined in claim 56, further comprising a device configuration store to store a device profile received from the device profile management server in response to the device identifier and the authentication credential.

58. A VoIP device as defined in claim 56, further comprising a display to prompt a user for the authentication credential.

60. A VoIP device as defined in claim 56, wherein the authentication credential represents at least one of a username, a password, or an activation code.

61. A VoIP device as defined in claim 56, wherein the network interface is configured to send the authentication credential via an authentication server.

62. A VoIP device as defined in claim 56, wherein the VoIP device is at least one of a VoIP phone, a VoIP residential gateway, a personal computer, a VoIP endpoint or a VoIP adapter.

59. (canceled)

63. An article of manufacture storing machine accessible instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive an authentication credential from a user of a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) device; and

send the authentication credential and a device identifier associated with the VoIP device to a device profile management server to provision the VoIP device.

64. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 63, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive a device profile associated with a subscriber account, the subscriber account associated with the device identifier based on the authentication credential.

65. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 63, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive the authentication credential by:

prompting the user for the authentication credential; and

receiving an input device associated with the VoIP device.

66. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 63, wherein the authentication credential is received by detecting a dialed digit.

67. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 63, wherein the authentication credential represents at least one of a username, a password, or an activation code.

68. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 63, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to send the authentication credential and a device identifier associated with the VoIP device to the device profile management server by sending at least one of a packet, a dialed digit, or a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal to the device profile management server.

69. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 63, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to send the authentication credential to the device profile management server by sending the authentication credential via an authentication server.

70-85. -85. (canceled)