METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

• US 20110211575A1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: TELEFONAKITIEBOLAGET L M ERICSSON
• Inventors: Stille, Mats Ola
• Granted Patent: US 8,824,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0227 Filtering policies mail message filtering H04L51/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

Method and apparatus in a user terminal (200) for controlling the admission of outgoing communications. One or more communication admission rules (206a) are created locally in a communication admission controller (206) in the terminal, according to configuring input commands dictating when outgoing communications should be admitted or rejected. When an input unit (202) receives an input request from a current terminal user for an outgoing communication, the communication admission rules are checked. A communication request unit (210) sends a communication request message towards a used communication services network if the requested outgoing communication can be admitted according to the communication admission rules. Otherwise, a reject message is provided to the current terminal user.

Claims

1. A method in a user terminal of controlling the admission of outgoing communications, comprising the following steps:

creating one or more communication admission rules locally in the terminal according to configuring input commands dictating when outgoing communications should be admitted or rejected,

receiving an input request from a current terminal user for an outgoing communication,

checking said communication admission rules in response to the received input request, and

sending a communication request message towards a used communication services network if the requested outgoing communication can be admitted according to the communication admission rules, otherwise providing a reject message to the current terminal user if the requested outgoing communication cannot be admitted.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said communication admission rules are based on any of the following limitation factors separately or in combination:

identity of current terminal user, location of current user, type of requested communication service, type of requested media, time of day, week or season, identity of called user, and location of called user.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communication admission rules require a correct password from the current user before allowing the outgoing communication.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the communication admission rules dictate that said password is required depending on any one or more of:

identity of current terminal user, type of requested communication service, type of requested media, time of day, week or season, identity of called user, location of current user, and location of called user.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a service application in the terminal is activated by said input request and a communication admission controller in the terminal then receives a service request notification signal (S) from the service application in order to check said communication admission rules.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the requested outgoing communication involves any of:

a voice call, a media session, messaging and/or an IMS transaction.

7. An apparatus in a user terminal for controlling the admission of outgoing communications, comprising:

a communication admission controller adapted to create one or more communication admission rules locally in the terminal according to configuring input commands dictating when outgoing communication requests should be admitted or rejected,

an input unit adapted to receive an input request from a current terminal user for an outgoing communication, wherein the communication admission controller is further adapted to check said communication admission rules in response to the received input request, and

a communication request unit adapted to send a communication request message towards a used communication services network if the requested outgoing communication can be admitted according to the communication admission rules, wherein the communication admission controller is further adapted to otherwise provide a reject message to the current terminal user if the requested outgoing communication cannot be admitted.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said communication admission rules are based on any of the following limitation factors separately or in combination:

identity of current terminal user, location of current user, type of requested communication service, type of requested media, time of day, week or season, identity of called user, and location of called user.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communication admission rules require a correct password from the current user before allowing the outgoing communication.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the communication admission rules dictate that said password is required depending on any one or more of:

identity of current terminal user, type of requested communication service, type of requested media, time of day, week or season, identity of called user, location of current user, and location of called user.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the communication admission controller is further adapted to check said communication admission rules in response to a service request notification signal (S) provided from a service application in the terminal when the service application is activated by said input request.

12. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the requested outgoing communication involves any of:

a voice call, a media session, messaging and/or an IMS transaction.