Method and system for enhanced client identification

• US 6,125,108 A
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens Information And Communication Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Beyda, William Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/054,856
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 370/524, 370/352, 370/353, 370/270, 370/385, 370/259, 370/355, 370/354, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/215, 379/93.25, 455/414, 455/415, 455/416, 455/417, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 709/212, 709/213, 709/214, 709/217, 709/219, 709/245
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• 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 system for client identification include a control unit configured to enable call service features in communication devices supported by the control unit. A first communication device transmits an off-hook message to the call control unit with a first memory-space physical address locally accessed from memory associated with the first communication device. The first physical address represents a location in main memory of call service profile data associated with the first communication device. The control unit responds to the first physical address by accessing a first data set from the main memory. A verification program determines whether the first data set includes the first call service profile. The control unit enables a first set of call services indicated by the first call service profile data for the first communication device if the first call service profile is included in the first data set. If the first data set does not include the first call service profile data, the control unit searches for a current address of the first call service profile, transmits the current address to the first communication device, and accesses the first call service profile from the current address before enabling the first set of call services. In a preferred embodiment, the first communication device locally stores call service profile addresses for a local communication device and a remotely located communication device. The call control unit is configured to enable call services in the local and remotely located communication devices in response to receiving the call service profile addresses for the local and remotely located communication devices in call-setup messages transmitted by the first communication device.

Claims

1. A method of accessing information identifying telephony services that are provided to individual communication devices of a plurality of communication devices, said method comprising steps of:

storing in main memory a plurality of user service profiles. indicative of sets of telephony services assigned to said individual communication devices, each user service profile being specific to one of said communication devices, storage of said user service profiles including entering a first user service profile indicative of telephony services assigned to a first communication device, said first user service profile having a first physical address in memory space of said main memory;

transmitting said first physical address to said first communication device for storage in second memory remote from said main memory and accessible by operation of said first communication device;

communicating with said first communication device in response to a request for access to a communications link, including receiving said first physical address;

accessing data at said first physical address in memory space; and

enabling telephony services indicated within said accessed data if said accessed data is said first user service profile, thereby enabling said telephony services assigned to said first communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising steps of:

verifying that said accessed data at said first physical address is said first user service profile, said verification occurring prior to said step of enabling telephony services;

if said accessed data is not said first user service profile, searching said main memory for a current physical address of said first user service profile in memory space of said main memory; and

transmitting said current physical address for storage in said second memory if said current physical address is different than said first physical address.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second physical address in said memory space from a remotely supported communication device, said second physical address identifying a storage location of a called-party service profile in said main memory, said called-party service profile including information representative of a set of telephony services assigned to a second communication device;

accessing second data located at said physical address; and

enabling said set of telephony services for said second communication device based on information contained in said second data if said second data includes said called-party service profile.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether said second data includes said called-party service profile;

if said second data does not include said called-party service profile, searching said main memory for a current second physical address of said called-party service profile; and

transmitting said second physical address to said remotely supported communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving a first transmission from said first communication device, said step of transmitting said first physical address being a response to said first transmission.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transmitting said first physical address occurs in response to said step of entering said first user service profile into said main memory.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a communication link between said first communication device and a remotely located communication device, said communication link being one of a connection over an ISDN line via a central office, a communication link via a private branch exchange (PBX), and an internet protocol (IP) telephony connection via a local area network.

5. The method of claim I further comprising the steps of:

receiving a call-setup message from said first communication device, said call-setup message including a memory-space physical address identifying a location of a called-party service profile stored in a remotely located second main memory associated with a remotely located call control unit, said called-party service profile including information regarding telephony services assigned to a remotely located communication device supported by said remotely located call control unit; and

relaying said call-setup message to said remotely located call control unit with instructions to utilize said memory-space physical address to access said called-party service profile.

9. A system for providing client identification comprising:

means for selectively routing connections for a communications network enabled to provide a plurality of available connectivity services on a device-by-device basis;

main memory having stored profile data indicative of which set of said available connectivity services is assigned to each individual communication device within said communications network, said data being stored as user service profiles for which each has a physical address in memory space and each has an association with a particular communication device, said means for selectively routing being responsive to access to one of said user service profiles to enable an associated communication device with a set of available connectivity services indicated in said accessed user service profile;

a plurality of said communication devices operatively connected to said means for selectively routing, each communication device having local memory means for receiving and storing said physical address at which said associated user service profile is stored in said memory space, each communication device being enabled to transmit said stored physical address upon requesting connectivity via said communications network; and

verification means for verifying that a user service profile accessed in response to receiving one of said physical addresses from a specific communication device is the user service profile associated with said specific communication device, said main memory being a server that is responsive to said verification means to search said main memory for a current physical address of said associated user service profile and to retrieve said associated user service profile from said main memory if said verification means indicates that said physical address does not include said associated user service profile, said retrieval of said associated user service profile triggering transmission of said current physical address to said associated communication device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for selectively routing and said communication devices are interconnected to form a local area network that supports telephony.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for selectively routing is connected to a remotely located call control unit supporting a called-party communication device, said means for selectively routing being responsive to receipt of a called-party physical address from one of said communication devices, said called-party physical address being associated with a called-party service profile representative of connectivity services assigned to said called-party communication device, receipt of said called-party physical address included in a second call-setup message triggering a relay of said second call-setup message to said remotely located call control unit with instructions to said remotely located call control unit to enable said second set of call services in said called-party communication device utilizing said called-party service profile address.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein means for selectively routing includes a switching arrangement of a private branch exchange (PBX).

13. The system of claim 9 wherein said means for selectively routing includes a switching arrangement of an ISDN central office.

14. A method for providing client identification comprising the steps of:

receiving a first off-hook message from a user communication device;

performing a first search for a physical address of memory in which user service profile data is stored, said search being performed in response to said first off-hook message;

transmitting said physical address to said user communication device with instructions to locally store said physical address in user communication device local memory;

receiving a second off-hook message including said physical address from said user communication device;

utilizing said physical address to access a first data set stored at said physical address in said memory;

determining whether said first data set includes said user service profile data relevant to said user communication device; and

enabling a first set of call services assigned to said user communication device based on information in said first data set if said first data set includes said relevant user service profile data.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

performing a search of said memory for a second physical address for called-party service profile data associated with a called-party communication device;

transmitting said second physical address to said user communication device with instructions to locally store said second physical address in said user communication device memory;

receiving said second physical address from said user communication device in a call-setup message;

utilizing said second physical address to access a second data set from said memory;

determining whether said second data set includes said called-party service profile data; and

enabling a second set of call services for said called-party communication device based on said called-party service profile data.

16. A system for providing client identification comprising:

means for selectively routing connections for a communications network enabled to provide a plurality of available connectivity services on a device-by-device basis;

main memory having stored profile data indicative of which set of said available connectivity services is assigned to each individual communication device within said communications network, said data being stored as user service profiles for which each has a physical address in memory space and each has an association with a particular communication device, said means for selectively routing being responsive to access to one of said user service profiles to enable an associated communication device with a set of available connectivity services indicated in said accessed user service profile; and

a plurality of said communication devices operatively connected to said means for selectively routing, each communication device having local memory means for receiving and storing said physical address at which said associated user service profile is stored in said memory space, each communication device being enabled to transmit said stored physical address upon requesting connectivity via said communications network;

wherein said means for selectively routing is responsive to receipt of a first call-setup message including a called-party physical address in said memory space, said means for selectively routing being configured to enable a second set of said available connectivity services assigned to a called-party communication device in response to accessing a called-party service profile stored at said physical address.