Restricting Communications Between Subscriber Machines

• US 20160127386A1
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meredith, Sheldon Kent, Austin, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,794,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

A method of transferring information between subscribers associated with a communication service is disclosed. The method includes receiving a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, in which the first subscriber device transfers information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices is linked to different handle addresses, and each of the different handle addresses is included in a group of handle addresses. The method also includes determining whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses, transferring information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses, and verifying that the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices. A corresponding system and computer-readable device are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of transferring information between subscribers associated with a communication service, the method comprising:

receiving a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, the first subscriber device transferring information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices being linked to different handle addresses, each of the different handle addresses being included in a group of handle addresses;

determining whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses,

transferring information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses; and

verifying that the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an encryption key to the first subscriber device, the encryption key enabling the first subscriber device to identify the group of handle addresses to which a decryption key was delivered.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the decryption key to the group of handle addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of subscriber devices further comprises a sub-group of subscriber devices, the sub-group of subscriber devices enabling selective messaging between subscribers devices associated with the sub-group of subscriber devices.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting, by the first subscriber device, a general exclusion of membership in the group of subscriber devices.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising requesting, by the first subscriber device, a general exclusion of membership in the sub-group of subscriber devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting, by the first subscriber device, a specific exclusion of membership with a specific subscriber device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising granting an exclusion of membership in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising granting an exclusion of membership in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising granting an exclusion in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

11. A system that transfers information between subscribers associated with a communication service, the system comprising:

a receiver that receives a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, the first subscriber device transferring information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices being linked to different handle addresses, each of the different handle addresses being included in a group of handle addresses;

a comparator that determines whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses,

a transmitter that transfers information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses as determined by the handle processor; and

a tracker that verifies the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmitter provides an encryption key to the first subscriber device, the encryption key enabling the first subscriber device to identify the group of handle addresses to which a decryption key was delivered.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the transmitter provides the decryption key to the group of handle addresses.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the group of subscriber devices further comprises a sub-group of subscriber devices, the sub-group of subscriber devices enabling selective messaging between subscribers devices associated with the sub-group of subscriber devices.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first subscriber device requests a general exclusion of membership in the group of subscriber devices.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first subscriber device requests a general exclusion of membership in the sub-group of subscriber devices.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the first subscriber device requests a specific exclusion of membership with a specific subscriber device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the comparator grants an exclusion in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the comparator grants an exclusion in response to acceptance of an encrypted exclusion offer.

20. A computer-readable device storing instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first handle address associated with a first subscriber device, the first subscriber device transferring information to a group of subscriber devices, each of the group of subscriber devices being linked to different handle addresses of the group of handle addresses, each of the different handle addresses being included in the group of handle addresses;

determining whether the first handle address is included in the group of handle addresses;

transferring information from the first subscriber device to the group of subscriber devices in response to the first handle address being included in the group of handle addresses; and

verifying that the transferred information was received by the group of subscriber devices.