METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING AUTHORIZATION LEVELS IN A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN)

• US 20100329439A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Karnalkar, Anup D., Redman, Michael E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,355,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to determine authorization levels in a virtual private network are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes determining whether a call originated from an originating station associated with a virtual private network, the call originating via a private branch exchange associated with the virtual private network by a first user of a plurality of users associated with the virtual private network, querying a private-number table based on at least one of a switch identifier representing a service switching point, a trunk group identifier representing the private branch exchange, or an originating station identifier representing the originating station to obtain a private number assigned to the first user, and providing an authorization level associated with the private number to the service switching point, the service switching point to process the call according to the authorization level.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether a call originated from an originating station associated with a virtual private network, the call originating via a private branch exchange associated with the virtual private network by a first user of a plurality of users associated with the virtual private network;

querying a private-number table based on at least one of a switch identifier representing a service switching point, a trunk group identifier representing the private branch exchange, or an originating station identifier representing the originating station to obtain a private number assigned to the first user; and

providing an authorization level associated with the private number to the service switching point, the service switching point to process the call according to the authorization level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the private-number table is to associate a specific switch identifier and a specific trunk group identifier to a specific private number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the private-number table is to associate a plurality of switch identifiers and a plurality of trunk group identifiers to a specific private number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the private-number table is to associate a range of specific switch identifiers and trunk group identifiers to a specific private number.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising matching a calling party identifier of an incoming transaction capabilities application part message to an originating station identifier entry in the private-number table.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the authorization level to a threshold to determine whether to prompt the first user to enter an authorization code.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the authorization level associated with the private number.

8. A service control point comprising:

a memory to store a private-number table; and

a control element to control a call originated via an originating station of a private branch exchange by a first user of a plurality of users associated with a virtual private network, by;

querying the private-number table based on at least one of a switch identifier representing a service switching point, a trunk group identifier representing the private branch exchange or an originating station number representing the originating station to obtain a private number assigned to the first user; and

providing an authorization level associated with the private number to the service switching point, the service switching point to process the call according to the authorization level.

9. The service control point of claim 8, wherein the private-number table is to associate a specific switch identifier and a specific trunk group identifier to a specific private number.

10. The service control point of claim 8, wherein the private-number table is to associate a plurality of switch identifiers and a plurality of trunk group identifiers to a specific private number.

11. The service control point of claim 8, wherein the private-number table is to associate a range of specific switch identifiers and trunk group identifiers to a specific private number.

12. The service control point of claim 8, wherein the control element is to match a calling party identifier of an incoming transaction capabilities application part message to an originating station number entry in the private-number table.

13. The service control point of claim 8, wherein the control element is to compare the authorization level to a threshold to determine whether to prompt the first user to enter an authorization code.

14. The service control point of claim 8, wherein the control element is to identify the authorization level associated with the private number.

15. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:

determine whether a call originated from an originating station associated with a virtual private network, the call originating via a private branch exchange associated with the virtual private network by a first user of a plurality of users associated with the virtual private network, the originating station being associated with the first user;

query a private-number table based on at least one of a switch identifier representing a service switching point, a trunk group identifier representing the private branch exchange, or an originating station identifier representing the originating station to obtain a private number assigned to the first user; and

provide an authorization level associated with the private number to the service switching point, the service switching point to process the call according to the authorization level.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the private-number table is to associate a specific switch identifier and a specific trunk group identifier to a specific private number.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the private-number table is to associate a plurality of switch identifiers and a plurality of trunk group identifiers to a specific private number.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the private-number table is to associate a range of specific switch identifiers and trunk group identifiers to a specific private number.

19. The article of manufacture medium of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to match a calling party identifier of an incoming transaction capabilities application part message to an originating station identifier entry in the private-number table.

20. The article of manufacture medium of claim 15, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to compare the authorization level to a threshold to determine whether to prompt the first user to enter an authorization code.