Method and System for Real-Time Insertion of Services During a Call Session Over a Communication Network

• US 20080253545A1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gleichauf, Robert E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,650,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A method and apparatus for real-time insertion of services into an IP telephony call session are disclosed. A client initiates a service request message to a second server. The service request message includes the client identity and a requested service available from a second server. The first server determines if the client is authorized to use the requested service. If the client is authorized to use the requested service, the second server delivers the requested service to the client.

Claims

1. A method for real-time insertion of services during a call session over a communication network, comprising:

initiating a service request message by a first client to a first server, the service request message including the first client identity and a requested service available from a second server comprising a plurality of services;

determining if the first client is authorized to use the requested service at the first server; and

delivering the requested service to the first client by the second server if the first server determines that the first client is authorized to use the requested service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the services comprises an application operable to provide text viewing and modification capabilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the services comprises an application operable to provide graphic viewing and modification capabilities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the services comprises an application operable to provide increased security during a call session.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server; and

issuing a ticket to the first client if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

issuing a ticket to the first client if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity and the requested service;

sending the ticket to the second server by the first client; and

reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

issuing a ticket to the first client if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity and the requested service;

sending the ticket and an address associated with a second client to the second server by the first client;

reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service; and

delivering the requested service to the second client based on the address received from the first client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request message further comprises an address associated with a second client.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server; and

issuing a ticket to the second server if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

issuing a ticket to the second server if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity, the requested service, and the address associated with the second client;

reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service; and

delivering the requested service to the second client based on the address included in the ticket.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

obtaining the second client identity based on the address included in the service request message if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service;

comparing the second client identity and the requested service with the list stored in the first server;

issuing a ticket to the second server if the list includes authorization for the second client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity, the second client identity, and the requested service;

reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service; and

delivering the requested service to the second client based on the second client identity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising pressing a button associated with the requested service at the first client during a call session to initiate the service request message.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the requested service from a menu displayed on the first client during a call session to initiate the service request message.

14. A communication system, comprising:

a client operable to couple to a communication network;

a first device operable to couple to the communication network, the first device comprising a list of clients authorized to use at least one of a plurality of services; and

a second device operable to couple to the communication network, the second device further operable to insert one or more of the services requested by the client into a call session if the list includes the client and a requested service.

15. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the client further comprises a cache operable to store a requested service and the requested service removable from the cache when the call session terminates.

16. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the first device is operable to determine if the client is authorized to use the requested service.

17. The communication system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the services comprises an application operable to provide text viewing and modification capabilities.

18. The communication system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the services comprises an application operable to provide graphic viewing and modification capabilities.

19. The communication system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the services comprises an application operable to provide increased security during the call session.

20. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the first device is operable to:

receive a service request message from the client, the service request message including the client identity and the requested service;

compare the client identity and the requested service with the list; and

issue a ticket to the client if the list includes authorization for the client to use the requested service.

21. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the first device is operable to:

receive a service request message from the client, the service request message including the client identity, the requested service, and at least one address associated with at least one additional client;

compare the client identity and the requested service with the list; and

issue a ticket to the second device if the list includes authorization for the client to use the requested service.

22. The communication system of claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of remote clients coupled to the communication network; and

a plurality of remote second devices coupled to the communication network, each remote second device associated with at least one of the remote clients.

23. The communication system of claim 22, wherein the first device is operable to:

receive a service request message from the client, the service request message including the client identity, the requested service, and at least one address associated with at least one remote client;

compare the client and the requested service with the list; and

issue a ticket to the client and each of the remote clients if the list includes authorization for the client to use the requested service.

24. The communication system of claim 22, wherein:

the first device is operable to;

receive a service request message from the client, the service request message including the client identity, the requested service, and at least one address associated with at least one remote client;

compare the client and the requested service with the list; and

issue a ticket to the client and each of the remote clients if the list includes authorization for the client to use the requested service, each of the tickets including the respective client identity and the requested service;

the client is operable to send the ticket to the second device; and

the remote clients are operable to send the tickets to the remote second device associated with each of the remote clients.

25. The communication system of claim 22, wherein the first device is operable to:

receive a service request message from the client, the service request message including the client identity, the requested service, and at least one address associated with at least one remote client;

compare the client identity and the requested service with the list;

obtain at least one remote client identity based on the address included in the service request message if the list includes authorization for the client to use the requested service;

compare the remote client identity and the requested service with the list; and

issue a ticket to each of the authorized clients if the list includes authorization for at least one of the remote clients to use the requested service.

26. The communication system of claim 22, wherein:

the first device is operable to;

receive a service request message from the client, the service request message including the client identity, the requested service, and at least one address associated with at least one remote client;

compare the client identity and the requested service with the list;

obtain at least one remote client identity based on the address from the service request message if the list includes authorization for the client to use the requested service;

compare the remote client identity and requested service with the list; and

issue a respective ticket to the client and each of the authorized remote clients if the list includes authorization for at least one of the remote clients to use the requested service, each of the tickets including the respective client identity and the requested service;

the client is operable to send the ticket to the second device; and

the remote clients are operable to send the tickets to the remote second device associated with each of the remote clients.

27. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the client comprises a button operable to initiate a service request message during the call session.

28. The communication system of claim 14, wherein the client comprises a menu operable to select the requested service during the call session.

29. Logic encoded in media for real-time insertion of services during a call session over a communication network and operable to perform the following steps:

initiating a service request message by a first client to a first server, the service request message including the first client identity and a requested service available from a second server comprising a plurality of services;

determining if the first client is authorized to use the requested service at the first server; and

delivering the requested service to the first client by the second server if the first server determines that the first client is authorized to use the requested service.

30. The logic encoded in media of claim 29, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server; and

issuing a ticket to the first client if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service.

31. The logic encoded in media of claim 29, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

issuing a ticket to the first client if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity and the requested service;

sending the ticket to the second server by the first client; and

reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service.

32. The logic encoded in media of claim 29, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

issuing a ticket to the first client if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity and the requested service;

sending the ticket and an address associated with a second client to the second server by the first client;

reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service; and

delivering the requested service to the second client based on the address received from the first client.

33. The logic encoded in media of claim 29, wherein the service request message further comprises an address associated with a second client.

34. The logic encoded in media of claim 33, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server; and

issuing a ticket to the second server if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service.

35. The logic encoded in media of claim 33, further comprising:

comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

issuing a ticket to the second server if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity, the requested service and the address associated with the second client;

reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service; and

delivering the requested service to the second client based on the address included in the ticket.

36. An apparatus for real-time insertion of services during a call session over a communication network, comprising:

means for initiating a service request message by a first client to a first server, the service request message including the first client identity and a requested service available from a second server comprising a plurality of services;

means for determining if the first client is authorized to use the requested service at the first server; and

means for delivering the requested service to the first client by the second server if the first server determines that the first client is authorized to use the requested service.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising:

means for comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

means for issuing a ticket to the first client if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity and the requested service;

means for sending the ticket to the second server by the first client; and

means for reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the service request message further comprises an address associated with a second client.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for comparing the first client identity and the requested service with a list stored in the first server, the list comprising a plurality of clients authorized to use at least one of the services available from the second server;

means for issuing a ticket to the second server if the list includes authorization for the first client to use the requested service, the ticket including the first client identity, the requested service, and the address associated with the second client;

means for reading the ticket at the second server to retrieve the requested service; and

means for delivering the requested service to the second client based on the address included in the ticket.